National / Social Issues Jun 6, 2021
Fresh enthusiasm for paternity leave among city officials in Chiba
by Maki Shinozaki
Of workers eligible to take the leave, 92.3% in fiscal 2019 made use of it — up from just 28.7% in fiscal 2017.
National / Social Issues Jun 3, 2021
Japan enacts law making paternity leave more flexible for men
The program, expected to be launched in October next year, will also allow fathers to give shorter prior notice to their employers of their intention to take the leave.
National Jan 26, 2021
Record 16% of fathers in Japan's civil service took child care leave in 2019
The health ministry reported the highest ratio among eligible male staff at 59.2%, while the Defense Ministry and the Imperial Household Agency recorded figures of just over 5%.
National Dec 24, 2020
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.
National Sep 30, 2020
Men have tended to be reluctant to take child care leave, due to uncertainties about their income and pressure from their workplace.
National Sep 23, 2020
Nearly all of Japan's new fathers in public service plan paternity leave
"We're hopeful that the plans will actually be put into action," an official at the Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs said.
National Aug 28, 2020
Most Japan bureaucrats taking paternity leave to be off for month
The release of the data follows the start of an initiative to have managers in central government create child care leave plans for their male subordinates.
Community Jul 7, 2020
Swedish ambassador to Japan offers hints on making the best of paternity leave
by Junko Horiuchi
Pereric Hoegberg wants Japanese fathers to take a more active role in parenting.
National / Social Issues Jul 1, 2020
A private panel advising the government is also calling for creating an environment where all new fathers can take paternity leave.
National | FOCUS Mar 24, 2020
Japan pushes male public servants to take longer paternity leave
The government will encourage its eligible male personnel to use child-rearing leave for at least a month in principle, starting in fiscal 2020. Although the number of government employees taking paternity leave has been increasing, the period booked is shorter than a month in most ...
National / Media | Japan Pulse Mar 21, 2020
Family dynamic shifts as schools remain closed nationwide
by Kaori Shoji
Japanese dads are coming under scrutiny — again. Ever since Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi officially made ikumen (men who take an active role in child-rearing) fashionable by publicly taking two weeks off for paternity leave, fathers who let their spouses shoulder all the burden ...
National Mar 16, 2020
Fathers at many Japanese firms take less than month of paternity leave
The average period of paternity leave taken by new fathers is shorter than the period widely viewed as necessary to support postpartum mothers at more than half of large Japanese firms, a Kyodo News survey has shown. In a survey of 110 big companies, 64 ...