Japan is planning to introduce a system of more flexible paternity leave that can be taken soon after childbirth to raise the persistently low rate of men taking such leave and lessen the burden on their partners, officials said Thursday.
The government is set to submit a bill to revise the law on child care leave to a parliament session convening in January. It would allow fathers to take a total of four weeks off within eight weeks of childbirth and give shorter prior notice of their absence to their employers.
Although Japan leads the world in paid-leave provisions for fathers, according to U.N. Children's Fund data, only 7.48% took child care leave in fiscal 2019. Japan's male-centered corporate culture, which favors those who put work before family, is blamed as a deterrent factor.