Share of men taking childcare leave Japan 2014-2023

In 2023, around 30 percent of men in Japan took paternity leave. The share of fathers taking childcare leave jumped significantly, nearly doubling from the previous year.

Parental leave in Japan

Japan has a comparably generous parental leave system, which entitles mothers and fathers to up to one year of paid leave. However, while over 84 percent of mothers made use of their right, the share of fathers taking paternity leave remained small. A sudden increase occurred in 2020, likely driven by changing work styles during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Yet, rigid business culture and traditional gender norms that ascribe the responsibility for childcare and housework to women stood in the way of the government’s aim to increase the fathers’ parental leave take-up to 30 percent by 2025. In 2023, however, the paternity leave acquisition rate increased significantly.

Amendments to the childcare leave system

Rigid gender norms and a work culture that discourages men from taking childcare leave, in addition to a lack of childcare facilities and support for families, often leaves the burden of childcare solely on women. As a result, many women in Japan drop out of the workforce after childbirth. To address Japan’s pressing problem with declining birth rates, an amendment of the childcare leave system took effect in 2022, aimed at facilitating parental leave for mothers and fathers. The amendment made the existing system more flexible and introduced an additional paternity leave system for fathers directly after childbirth. In addition, it required companies to inform employees of their rights and report on the use of parental leave.