Financial Status Decided Factor for Japanese Fathers Taking Paternal Leave?
In February 2025, a survey conducted by Mynavi's Career Research Lab received 1,712 responses from married women in Japan who work part-time. The survey focused on the topic of husbands taking childcare leave.
According to the survey results, the highest percentage of women who wanted their husbands to take childcare leave were those with preschool children, at 37.4%. However, a majority of respondents with children whose husbands had never taken childcare leave did not want them to take leave, with 72.4% expressing this sentiment.
The reluctance of married women with children, especially those with preschool children, in Japan to support their husbands taking childcare leave is mainly influenced by rigid gender norms, a demanding work culture, and financial/time constraints.
Traditional gender roles play a significant role in this issue. Japanese society strongly expects women to bear the main responsibility for childcare and housework, while men are viewed as primary breadwinners. This cultural norm discourages men from taking childcare leave and means women often bear the full childcare burden, leading to reluctance in encouraging their husbands to deviate from this pattern.
Japan’s intense work culture involves long hours and overtime, making it difficult for men to take extended leave without risking their careers or social stigma at work. Wives perceive that husbands are unable or unwilling to take time off without professional consequences, creating reluctance toward paternal leave.
Financial constraints also play a part in this issue. While Japan offers generous parental leave benefits, there is concern that the family’s income could be negatively affected if the husband takes extended leave, especially since men are usually the main earners. This economic factor discourages couples from utilizing men’s childcare leave rights.
Insufficient childcare options and support infrastructure increase the burden on women, reinforcing the expectation that mothers, not fathers, should handle childcare during preschool years.
Unequal division of household labor is another contributing factor. Surveys show that women commonly handle over 70% of household chores and childcare; even when men take leave, women still carry most of the domestic work. This disproportion reduces the perceived benefit or feasibility of husbands taking leave.
Sekine Takahiro, a senior researcher at Mynavi's Career Research Lab, led the survey on married women's part-time jobs. He stated that husbands taking childcare leave might have to forego financial freedom due to a drop in income. He also surmised that many people view childcare leave as too difficult to take.
The survey results showed that many respondents had "no leeway for either" when it came to finances and time, with this being particularly high for women with preschool children. The highest percentage of women who wanted their husbands to take childcare leave were those with preschool children, at 37.4%, but the majority still did not support the idea.
In conclusion, the combination of entrenched gender norms assigning childcare to women, Japan’s rigorous work environment discouraging men’s leave-taking, financial worries over income loss, and inadequate childcare supports drive the reluctance of married women with preschool children to have their husbands take childcare leave. Addressing these issues could potentially lead to a more equal distribution of childcare responsibilities and a more balanced work-life balance for Japanese families.
References: [1] Mynavi Career Research Lab (2025). Survey on Married Women's Part-Time Jobs. [2] Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2024). Report on Gender Equality in the Workplace. [3] Japan Family Planning Association (2023). Survey on Household Division of Labor. [4] Government of Japan (2022). Parental Leave Benefits. [5] Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (2021). Report on Work-Life Balance in Japan.
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