Japan's day care crisis is turning working moms into activists. Asics has denied the allegations. Updated 4:49 AM ET, Thu September 12, 2019. Men who work in the government are more likely to do so: Among public employees, about 21 percent of eligible men took parental leave last year, compared with nearly all mothers in government employment. The responses to these birth announcements demonstrate how deeply gender-based roles, and gender biases, are entrenched in the minds of Japanese people. The Japan Times LTD. All rights reserved. The most effective way to break away from this notion is for senior executives and managers to “walk the talk” and take appropriate parental leaves themselves. With the average age of Cabinet ministers in Japan being well over 60, their family birth announcements usually usher in a grandchild’s arrival. Many Japanese employees have a strong sense that they will impose too heavily on their colleagues if they take a leave. 2. Biden likely to push Japan to do more to combat climate change, Pacific isles and secretive states among last pandemic-free places, How the dream of Hong Kong democracy was dimmed, Trump’s election tactics put him in unsavory company, Change of tune: Japan's music fans move from CDs to streaming services, Episode 72: Preserving the endangered Ainu language, Directory of who’s who in the world of business in Japan. “It’s a good precedent, and it’s about time that this kind of thing becomes more normal,” said Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo. Japan Maternity & Paternity Leave Program Guideline . However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says only 6% of eligible men took paternity leave from work in 2018. According to data from the OECD, Japanese men on average spend 41 minutes a day on housework, while women spend 224 minutes. Glen Wood, a Canadian who has been living in Japan for around 30 years, was working as a brokerage manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley in the Fall of 2015 when his son was born six weeks premature. President-elect Joe Biden phones foreign leaders as Donald Trump vows to win a challenge against his victory. Breaking longstanding patterns is difficult for workers, who not only fear they may be punished by their employers but may also believe that the success of their companies depends on their personal sacrifices. The first hearing in one of the lawsuits took place in Tokyo District Court on Thursday, just a day after Japan’s new environment minister said he was considering taking paternity leave early next year. He will take a total of two weeks of paternity leave spread over three months, during which he will work flexibly from home or put in fewer hours. “There are men who are going through similar difficulties. The move has made waves around the country and world, even as Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a potential candidate for prime minister one day, said he'd only take off two weeks over three months. Japanese laws allow fathers to take up to a year of paid leave to care for children, just as new mothers can. "I intend to take a total of two weeks of paternity leave in the three months after childbirth, during which the mother bears the heaviest burden, on the condition that I prioritise my official duties and thorough crisis management, as I have done," Mr Koizumi, 38, told reporters on Wednesday. Instead, the announcement was met with mixed reactions. Annual leave in Japan is one of the areas where opinions often clash. The legislation on paternity leave is set out in the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016. The man claims his employer penalized him for taking paternity leave. On paper, Japan has exceptionally generous paternity leave laws. "I really loved my work and career and don't want to have to give it up.". Japan is known for its strong herd mentality. Eimi Yamamitsu, Makiko Inoue and Hisako Ueno contributed reporting. Shinjiro Koizumi with his partner, Christel Takigawa, in August. With a declining birthrate and the economic necessity that more women work, Japan desperately needs more fathers to help out at home. Two Men in Japan Dared to Take Paternity Leave. The baby is due later this month. 'Childcare is outrageous here':Real people sound off on paid leave, affordable child care. The government changed its rules last month allowing public servants now to take more than a month of paternity leave. The case is among the first to tackle the issue of paternity harassment in Japan, where working culture often dictates that. Mr. Nakano acknowledged that even with Mr. Koizumi’s leadership, other men might still face obstacles to taking time off for child care. According to Asics diversity policy, it is committed to meeting a government set goal of 13% paternity leave among eligible fathers. © 2020 BBC. Standing up to Sicily's sex-work traffickers, Diwali with a difference under Covid-19. The figure for women was 82%. One interesting data point is the average sleeping time of Japanese women. However, only 5% of eligible fathers took paternity leave in 2017. Lamentably, however, only 6 percent of men take paternity leave. Read about our approach to external linking. For most men in this generation, who relied heavily on their wives to raise their children, the idea of paternity leave is simply incompatible with their value system. In the private sector, those few fathers who do exercise their right to paternity leave take, on average, less than five days. But it has to start somewhere.”. All full-time and many part-time employees must be enrolled. (Her husband, also a lawmaker, said he planned to take paternity leave, but he resigned days after their son was born, after news leaked that he had had an extramarital affair.). But on his return to his job five months later, in March 2016, Wood claims he was subjected to constant harassment. “If fathers take leave and help their wives with babies, maybe wives will have more support at home and they might decide to go for No. "I spend all day staring at my computer with not much to do.". He is the second son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and is seen as a rising star in Japanese politics. Their lawsuits, which are highly unusual in Japan, are prompting a discussion in the country about longstanding cultural norms and company expectations. “So how hard must it be for other people in other lines of professions? "I was assigned to carry out research on disabled people's rights in the workplace and to translate company rules into English, two areas I have no experience or expertise in," he said. “Well, whatever, but does he really love his work?”. Despite the ruling, Wood decided to leave anyway. In a statement provided to CNN, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley denied that Wood was harassed. It’s a Big Deal. Paternity . Shinjiro Koizumi: A rising star in Japanese politics, The Russian provinces buckling under Covid-19. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley has denied paternity harassment and said it intends to fight the allegations in court, according to The Associated Press. His second demotion came when he returned to work after his first paternity leave of just over a year following the 2015 birth of his first son, his complaint alleges. According to government statistics, just over 6 percent of eligible men working for private companies took parental leave in 2018, compared with more than 82 percent of mothers. VideoThe Russian provinces buckling under Covid-19, New York imposes 'last chance' virus restrictions, No 10 exit much more than a random resignation. While some commended his decision, hoping his action will encourage more men to emulate his actions, others criticized him for being irresponsible and called his announcement a publicity stunt. America's parents want paid family leave and affordable child care. Managers should also be incentivized to encourage their subordinates to take time off. In Japan’s parliament, some lawmakers have proposed that the government make paternity leave mandatory. Behrouz Mehri/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images, fallen to the lowest level since the 19th century. The man wants his original role back and 4.4 million yen (US$41,000) in damages, according to his lawyer Naoto Sasayama. In those days, women took care of everything at home since men were practically married to their work. Why can't they get it? Thanks to these efforts, female labor market participation has increased to over 71 percent, exceeding that of the United States and the OECD average. Also last week, Maasa Takahashi, a celebrity news reporter, announced her first pregnancy. For decades, the only success model for men has been that of a total devotee to the workplace, at the expense of family life. They want to take the leave, but it’s hard,” he wrote. Sleep-deprived women are not going to work more, earn more and have more babies simultaneously. The number of babies born in 2019 is estimated to have fallen by nearly 6 percent from the previous year — a rate of decline faster than earlier estimated by the government. “It means a lot just to be able to destroy an excuse like ‘it’s not easy for men to take leave (because they tend to be in more important positions than women.)’”. She said she was hoping to return to work following a month of maternity leave after she gives birth. Japanese laws allow fathers to take up to a year of paid leave to care for children, just as new mothers can. Over all, women in Japan still take on the vast majority of the responsibility for child care. Mr. Koizumi set off a media frenzy last summer when he announced that he had wed his pregnant girlfriend, Christel Takigawa, 42, a celebrity television presenter, and said he was considering taking paternity leave. Mr Koizumi is married to French-Japanese news presenter Christel Takigawa, 42. On social media, critics who have heard about the case in the Japanese press have attacked the plaintiff for taking so much time off. US results: How will this endless election end? One of the two men suing their employers in Japan is an American who was a managing director for global sales in the Tokyo office of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, an investment bank. This is quite a generous and progressive offering from the Government, which regularly receives bad press on matters related to gender equality. Because the minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, is married to Christel Takigawa, a celebrity television presenter, a full-blown media frenzy ensued. “I hope my taking paternity leave will lead the way of working styles to one where everyone can easily take child-care leave without hesitation in the environment ministry,” Mr. Koizumi, 38, said in a meeting with his staff on Wednesday. People commute during a morning rush hour at Shinagawa station in Tokyo, July 18, 2019. At companies with a lifetime employment system, employees’ loyalty is of utmost importance. The birth of the first baby for Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi last week, therefore, should have been a rare and celebratory occasion for all.