Liberal Democratic Party Lower House lawmaker Kensuke Miyazaki wanted to do something to change the nation's declining birthrate, so he announced last month he planned to take child care leave after his wife gives birth.
The representative from Kyoto's No. 3 district now has another hurdle to overcome: changing the mindset of the LDP's old guard, many of whom criticized his plan.
On Thursday, Hachiro Okonogi, the LDP's deputy Diet affairs chief, told a regular news conference that male lawmakers taking child care leave was inappropriate.