Japanese men take an average of 63.5 days of parental leave, while women average 407.4 days [1].
The disparity highlights the ongoing struggle to achieve gender equality in domestic responsibilities and workplace culture in Japan. Despite government efforts to encourage fathers to take leave, the data suggests a significant gap between policy and practice.
According to a survey of 800 full-time employees released by Mynavi on June 25 [1], the average leave for men is approximately 2.1 months [1]. In contrast, women average about 13.6 months [1]. This gap persists even though many men desire longer absences; the average ideal leave period for men is 138.6 days, or roughly 4.5 months [1].
Only about 20% of men took leave for three months or longer [2]. However, approximately 40% of men said they wanted to take at least three months of leave [2]. This indicates that a large portion of the workforce feels unable to meet their ideal childcare goals due to professional or social pressures.
Satisfaction levels also vary by gender. Husbands reported a satisfaction score of 67.1 regarding their partner's leave, while wives reported a higher score of 76.7 [2].
Personal accounts shared on July 9 via ANNnewsCH illustrate the emotional toll of these discrepancies. A man in his 40s, who gave his experience a score of 50, said, "The number of days was too few, and it just resulted in work piling up."
Challenges are not limited to the length of leave. A woman in her 40s, who rated her experience at 30, said, "My parents and my husband were not cooperative at all, and it was painful."
The survey aimed to identify the gap between the reality and the ideal of parental leave to inform discussions on work-style reform, and gender equality [1].
“The average leave for men is approximately 2.1 months, while women average about 13.6 months.”
The data suggests that while the social stigma against men taking parental leave in Japan is diminishing, structural barriers remain. The fact that twice as many men want three months of leave as those who actually receive it points to a 'paper-only' compliance where companies allow leave but do not support the duration necessary for meaningful childcare participation.
