LDP group mulls mandatory measures and law revisions to promote paternity leave
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers formed a group Wednesday to promote, including through the revision of laws, the creation of work environments where men can more easily take parenting leave. The lawmakers will aim to make paternity leave mandatory in Japan and will compile an ...
Japanese bachelors learn the art of parenting to help find wives
Bachelors looking for love can now learn child-rearing skills to boost their chances of finding a partner. The all-male ikumen course teaches men how to bathe and dress a baby and also helps them understand a woman's perspective on child-rearing, according to Ikumen University, the ...
House husbands gaining acceptance in Japan as gender stereotypes ease
One weekend afternoon in March, some 30 single men and women gathered at a matchmaking event in Tokyo's Yotsuya district in the hope of meeting their future partner. What was unusual was that the participants comprised men willing to become stay-at-home house husbands and ...
Finnish diplomat pushes child-rearing for dads
For Finnish diplomat Mikko Koivumaa, being an ikumen (men who take an active role in ikuji, or child rearing) comes naturally. Hailing from a country known to have a high level of gender equality, Koivumaa says ikumen is standard practice in Finland. "In Finland, there's a ...
Ikumen: raising new father figures in Japan
Maybe papa was rolling stone once upon a time, but these days he's expected to share the burden of raising the kids.
