Maternity & Paternity Leave in Japan

If you’re planning on having a baby, be sure to read up on the maternity and paternity leave options in Japan.

Congratulations on your incoming little one(s)! After you register your pregnancy at the local ward office and start getting the essentials for the baby, you and your partner should start thinking about maternity and paternity leave. In Japan, there are leave programs for mothers and fathers. In an effort to ease the declining birthrate, the Japanese government has been providing additional financial benefits and leave programs to encourage people to have children.

While there are some overlapping options for both parents, namely Childcare Leave (育児休業, ikuji kyuugyou), there are also ones unique to mothers or fathers before and after the birth of a child. Keep reading for a primer on maternity and paternity leave in Japan.

Who Can Take Maternity & Paternity Leave in Japan?

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Under Japanese law, all employed women, regardless of the type or duration of their contract, are entitled to take maternity leave. Unfortunately, freelancers and self-employed women are not considered eligible and, thus, cannot receive the government leave benefits discussed below.

As for men, full-time permanent employees, as well as contract and dispatch workers, are able to take leave. However, there are several situations that may prevent a male employee from taking leave, including:

• Working less than two days a week 
• Having less than a year remaining in their contract following their return from childcare leave 
• Working at the company for less than a year 

For more information about your or your partner’s specific case, it is always best to inquire with the employer and local labor bureau.

Do People Take Childcare Leave in Japan?

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Although many types of workers are eligible for childcare leave, not everyone takes it.

Statistics On Childcare Leave in Japan

Approximately 86% of eligible women and 40% of men took some kind of childcare leave in 2024. If the difference between men and women is surprising, that’s actually a big improvement from recent years. In 2023 and 2022, only 30% and 18% of fathers, respectively, took advantage of a leave program.

Barriers To Taking Leave

While rates are increasing, men have opted not to take leave in greater numbers for several reasons:

• Conservative ideas about women as caregivers and men as financial providers
• Employers who discourage men from taking leave, leading to harassment and punishment 

Meanwhile, women have also faced harassment from employers for taking leave or pressure to return to work early following the birth of their child. Both are prohibited under Japanese law.

How To Apply For Maternity & Childcare Leave Through Your Employer

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Before parents can take leave from work, there are a few steps to follow:

1. Verify the eligibility requirements for leave to ensure you meet the qualifications. 
2. Notify your employer in advance, at least two weeks but ideally one month, before your intended start date of leave.
3. You will typically need to submit a written application form to your employer. In this application, you will need to clearly indicate the start and end dates of your intended leave.
4. Your employer or HR department will handle the formal application process and will submit the social insurance exemption notices on your behalf.

For more information about eligibility requirements and for a sample of a leave application form, please read this document produced by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Women Only: Childcare Leave Before/After Birth

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Women are eligible to apply for Childcare Before Birth (産前休業, sanzen kyuugyou) for a maximum of six weeks prior to the expected date of delivery. If there are multiple births, such as twins or triplets, the period is extended to 14 weeks.

Under Japanese law, women must take Childcare Leave After Birth (産後休業, sango kyuugyou) for the eight weeks following the child’s birth. As a result, employers cannot require women to return to work before their child is eight weeks old, and women who wish to resume work must obtain permission from a doctor. To calculate the maximum duration of your Childcare Leave Before/After Birth, input your expected due date and whether you are having multiple births in this handy calculator.

Both Parents: Childcare Leave

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Childcare Leave (育児休業, ikuji kyuugyou) is available to both men and women and lasts until the day before the child’s first birthday. For women, the start of Child Care Leave must begin sometime after the end of Childcare Leave After Birth. For men, Childcare Leave can start at any time from the child’s date of birth. Both parents can take Childcare Leave concurrently, if desired.

In terms of salary, you will receive:

• 67% of your salary for the first 180 days of Childcare Leave
• 50% of your salary for the period following the initial 180 days of Childcare Leave 

Childcare Leave can be taken for any duration until the day before the child’s first birthday. Also, a parent can take Childcare Leave in one or two chunks. For example, a father can stay home from the time the child is three to six months and nine to 11 months old.

Men Only: Childcare At Birth Leave

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In the eight weeks following the birth of a child, fathers are allowed to take four weeks off from work with Childcare at Birth Leave (出生児育児休業, shusshouji ikuji kyuugyou).

The four weeks can be divided into two separate periods as long as they both fall within the first eight weeks after birth. For instance, men can take leave in the first two weeks after the birth of the child and when the baby is seven to eight weeks old.

Men must submit a plan, including start and end dates, to their employer prior to taking leave. If not, employers may legally prohibit the second part of the leave.

Compensation will be 67% of the employee’s salary for a maximum of ¥15,190 per day.

Papa & Mama Childcare Leave Plus

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Although the standard Childcare Leave program allows parents to take leaves until the day before the child’s first birthday, there is a way to extend that by two months. The Papa and Mama Childcare Leave (パパ・ママ育休プラス, papa/mama ikukyuu purasu) allows one parent to take leave until the child is 14 months old, if the following conditions are met:

• Both parents must be eligible for Childcare Leave
• The parent who takes Childcare Leave Plus begins on the same day or after the start of their spouse’s Childcare Leave 
• The combined duration of Childcare Leave and Childcare Leave Plus cannot exceed one year

If the total duration of Childcare Leave and Childcare Leave Plus is equal to 180 days or less, the parent will receive 67% of their salary. If applicable, the salary earnings decrease to 50% for the period that exceeds 180 days. For several example scenarios and additional information, consult the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website. 

Returning to Work After Maternity & Childcare Leave

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About one month before the maternity or childcare leave comes to an end, it’s ideal to schedule a return-to-work meeting with your employer to finalize paperwork and discuss work options:

• Employees can request reduced working hours and ask for exemptions from overtime and night shift work until their children have reached elementary school age.
• Under Japanese labor laws, employees are entitled to their same “role” upon their return to work, but not necessarily the same “position.”
• Discrimination and power harassment, including pressuring parents into working longer hours than they desire, are considered illegal practices and can be reported to the Labor Standards Bureau, as these actions may violate Japan’s Labour Standards Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Please view the Labor Standards site managed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for further details.

For advice on employer issues and free consultations regarding employee rights and entitlements, please visit the General Union website for more information.  

Have you or your spouse ever taken maternity or paternity leave in Japan? Let us know your experiences in the comments!

Comments

Anna Ito says:

October 7, 2025 at 4:30 pm

Can both parents take childcare leave at the same time, or do they need to take turns?