National / Social Issues | Commentary Feb 13, 2020
Can Japan kick-start paternity leave among workaholic dads?
by Thisanka Siripala
In January, Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi received worldwide attention after surprising the public with his plan to take parental leave shortly before the birth of his first child. As the son of a former prime minister, Koizumi, 38, is a high-profile politician described as the ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Feb 1, 2020
Shinjiro Koizumi's paternity leave raises a few eyebrows
by Philip Brasor
Shortly before Shinjiro Koizumi’s wife, Christel Takigawa, gave birth to a baby boy last month, the environment minister told reporters during a regular news conference he would be taking time off for paternity leave. It was a revelation that surprised some because after the ...
National / Social Issues Jan 23, 2020
Even on paternity leave, 32% of Japanese moms say dads don't help much with housework
The government has been pushing for fathers to take paternity leave as Japan faces a demographic crisis, yet a new wrinkle has emerged: Almost one-third of mothers report that their partners do little to help out around the house while they're off work. Of 508 ...
Commentary / Japan Jan 22, 2020
Paternity leave controversy: It's time to walk the talk
by Yumiko Murakami
Leading by example, Koizumi and his colleagues in the government may have a chance to change the mindsets of Japanese men about work and fatherhood.
National Jan 17, 2020
It’s a boy! Christel Takigawa, wife of minister Shinjiro Koizumi, gives birth
by Ryusei Takahashi
Christel Takigawa, a freelance TV newscaster and wife of Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, gave birth to a boy early Friday morning. "I'm happy and reassured to say a healthy baby boy was born early today," Koizumi told members of the press Friday morning. "Thankfully, both ...
National Jan 15, 2020
by Masumi Koizumi
Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he will take paternity leave later this month, a rare move in a country where most men do not take the time off.
National Dec 27, 2019
New dads in Japan's civil service to be encouraged to take month of paternity leave
The government formally decided Friday to encourage male civil service workers from April to take paternity leave for a minimum of one month. Under the policy, the performance of managers will be evaluated partly on how easy they make it for subordinates to take paternity ...
National Nov 1, 2019
Japan aims to allow all new dads in central government to take month of paternity leave
Japan aims to ensure that all male central government employees can take paternity leave of at least one month, said Ryota Takeda, minister in charge of public servant system reform, on Friday. The Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs will consider concrete measures to encourage male ...
National Oct 29, 2019
The government will begin encouraging male workers in the national public service sector to take more than a month of child care leave starting in fiscal 2020, so as to encourage similar moves for workers with local governments and in the private sector, government ...
National / Politics Sep 11, 2019
by Eric Johnston
Newly appointed Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the third-youngest Cabinet minister in the postwar era, has been tapped by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his youth and popularity with the media and the public. The 38-year-old son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the younger Koizumi ...
National Aug 23, 2019
Japan to raise subsidies for firms where dads take paternity leave, sources say
The extra funding is intended to get companies to more than double the nationwide participation rate to 13 percent so more women can enter the workforce.