Why paternity leave should be mandatory
Behind the declining child population and the lingering income gap between Japanese men and women is the fact that husbands and wives do not take part in raising their children together.
A man's claim that his wife, who worked at a day care center in Aichi Prefecture, was forced to apologize to her employer for getting pregnant ahead of senior coworkers, has highlighted how the labor crunch in female-dominated sectors can affect operators. The complaint went ...
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike pledges better child care as capital eyes population peak
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Tuesday pledged greater support in child and nursing care to address growing social needs as the nation seeks to deal with its shrinking and graying population. Koike, in an interview with The Japan Times, also said she will do more ...
Images of Swedish stay-at-home dads spark conversations on masculinity
A photo exhibition depicting Swedish stay-at-home dads who took parental leave for more than six months convincingly poses questions on societal perceptions of masculinity and gender equality. Johan Bavman, 35, whose “Swedish Dads” collection of photos has been exhibited in 25 countries since the two-year ...
¥2 trillion package for child care, free education in Japan wins Cabinet approval
The Cabinet approves a ¥2 trillion package to expand the scope of free education and child care services to cope with the nation’s declining birthrate and rapid graying.
Japan business lobby agrees to contribute ¥300 billion to expand child care services
The head of Keidanren has accepted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's request for corporations to help the country expand child care services, to the tune of about ¥300 billion ($2.7 billion). Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the nation's biggest business lobby also known as the Japan Business ...
'Swedish Dads' photo exhibition captures the benefits of paternity leave
A traveling Swedish photo exhibition promoting gender equality is currently touring Japan, featuring Swedish fathers taking long periods of parental leave and caring for their children at home. "Swedish Dads" is a collection of photos taken by Johan Bavman, who hopes to introduce his ...
Sales tax to be hiked in 2019 unless disaster strikes, Abe says
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated his government's plan to hike the consumption tax to 10 percent from the current 8 percent in October 2019 unless a setback such as a major financial crisis or massive earthquake occurs. "Our basic policy is to increase the ...
Firms tap state subsidies to start day care facilities to woo working moms
Faced with a shortage of workers, Japanese companies are taking matters into their own hands, helping the government fix a chronic lack of day care facilities that is blunting efforts to get more women into the workforce. Nichiigakkan Co., which provides hospital administration and care ...
With its work environment in serious question, the ad giant gives up its government certification as a "family-friendly" company.
Infant deaths underscore accountability gaps in Japan's nurseries
When Yuki Kai went to pick up her 14-month-old son, Kento, from a nursery in Tokyo after his nap time, she found him dead. That was on March 11. Since then, Kai has found herself fighting for answers as to why he died, with little ...
Low pay haunts Tokyo's nurseries despite massive demand for places
After 6½ years as a nursery school teacher in Tokyo, Saki Sasamoto had had enough. Her pay barely covered necessities and the stress of the job made her quit without even thinking about what she would do next. "I couldn't stand it," she said. "It was ...
