In 2022, more than 17 percent of men in Japan took paternity leave. The share of fathers taking childcare leave jumped amid the pandemic, 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 80 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 continue to stand in the way of the government’s aim to increase the fathers’ parental leave take-up to 30 percent by 2025.
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.
Percentage of men taking parental leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022
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Share of men
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Cabinet Office Japan. (July 31, 2023). Percentage of men taking parental leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/858415/japan-percentage-men-taking-parental-leave/
Cabinet Office Japan. "Percentage of men taking parental leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022." Chart. July 31, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/858415/japan-percentage-men-taking-parental-leave/
Cabinet Office Japan. (2023). Percentage of men taking parental leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/858415/japan-percentage-men-taking-parental-leave/
Cabinet Office Japan. "Percentage of Men Taking Parental Leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/858415/japan-percentage-men-taking-parental-leave/
Cabinet Office Japan, Percentage of men taking parental leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/858415/japan-percentage-men-taking-parental-leave/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
Percentage of men taking parental leave in Japan from 2013 to 2022 [Graph], Cabinet Office Japan, July 31, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/858415/japan-percentage-men-taking-parental-leave/