Health and Welfare Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sept. 30 that his ministry will work to create a new job title for men working at nurseries to replace the current "hobo," which means "nursing mother" in kanji.
During an informal Cabinet meeting Sept. 30, Koizumi said he is willing to deal with legal preparations to call men employed at nurseries "hofu," or nursing father. He made the remark in response to a request from Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka, who is also the minister in charge of equal participation in society. Muraoka made the request following a nonbinding recommendation from the Management and Coordination Agency, which acted on a complaint from a male nurse.