The nation's ruling and opposition parties are competing to increase the number of men taking paternity leave. The Liberal Democratic Party plans to compile measures to improve the system as early as April, and reflect them in the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform, which is to be decided by the government this summer. For the opposition, male lawmakers in the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Democratic Party for the People have been actively encouraging others to take advantage of the leave for fathers.
Seiji Kihara, deputy chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council and chairman of a project team, in which LDP members discuss a desirable childcare leave system, said at a PT meeting on Feb. 7, "I want to start designing a detailed system with common understanding."
The PT started discussions in November 2019, and is considering the introduction of a system that will make it easier for fathers to take the leave 1 month after childbirth, when postpartum depression seems more likely to occur. The move is aimed at making it easier for couples to have their second or third child by supporting their wives after birth. "We hope these efforts will lead to measures against the declining birthrate," Kihara said.
On Jan. 30, members of the Democratic Party for the People youth division -- with their children -- held a press conference and announced that they will survey about 10,000 people on paternity leave. Seki Kenichiro, a lower house member, said, with his young son on his lap, "We, the working generation, want to listen to the opinions of people about childcare in general, including childcare leave." The party plans to compile the survey's results by the end of this fiscal year and include measures in its manifesto for the next House of Representatives election.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has launched a practical program for male Diet members and local assembly members, who have children of about one year old, to take paternity leave. The party plans to compile a report on male lawmakers taking paternity leave.
In the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi began taking his leave as a new father in January following the birth of his first child. To avoid disrupting the minister's official duties, he will take leave of about two weeks over the next three months, which includes shorter working hours and telecommuting.
Asked at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Feb. 3 what he thought of taking the leave, Koizumi said, "I have confidence that my taking paternity leave is good choice. I strongly support a change in environments where many fathers hesitate to take paternity leave."
In the LDP, there are cynical opinions among veteran lawmakers, such as it being mere showing-off because there is no deduction in the yearly income of cabinet ministers and Diet members, unlike office workers whose salaries might be reduced during the leave. On the other hand, many young and middle-ranking lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties seem to welcome the increased interest in paternity leave following Koizumi's efforts.
According to a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey in fiscal 2018, 82.2% of women took leave, while only 6.16% of men took advantage of the benefit.
In another survey by the ministry that allowed multiple answers, 32% of male regular employees said they did not take childcare leave because "they wanted to avoid a drop in revenue." The answer that followed with 25% was "The atmosphere at work makes it hard to take leave."
The Yomiuri Shimbun
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