Japan's government estimates it needs to raise about 3 trillion yen ($22.2 billion) in funds per year for the child care policy Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has put forward, Jiji news agency reported on Thursday.

The government in March laid out the plan to boost child care over the coming three years to reverse the country's declining birthrate, but how to finance the major spending package has been unclear. ($1 = 135.0500 yen) (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Alison Williams)