Legal reforms bring paternity leave! We asked 1,600 people about men taking paternity leave.

In 2022, the implementation of the revised Childcare and Family Care Leave Act will create a "male maternity leave system" and mandate individual notification and confirmation of intent for eligible employees, establishing an environment where men can more easily take paternity leave. With high interest from society and stakeholders, an increasing number of companies are already focusing on promoting men taking paternity leave. It is no exaggeration to call 2022 the "breakthrough year for men taking paternity leave."

Dentsu Inc. Public Account Center's "Family Future Project" conducted a survey in 2021 to explore the impact of male childcare leave on individuals, families, companies, and society. The survey questioned 1,600 men and women with preschool-aged children (including 500 men with childcare leave experience). Nanae Ito of Dentsu Inc. and Yohei Uogeri, author of "Male Copywriter Takes Childcare Leave," discussed the various benefits of men taking childcare leave revealed by the survey results.

Mr. Uogeri: Lives with his wife (a company employee) and their 4-year-old daughter. Took approximately six months of childcare leave in 2017. Belongs to Dentsu Inc. Papalab.
Ms. Ito: Dual-income household. Raising a 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.

<Table of Contents>
▼Does Crossing the Parental Leave Threshold Change the Path Ahead!?
▼What exactly is the "happiness" gained from childcare leave?
▼Promoting men's childcare leave is also an opportunity for companies

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Crossing the Parental Leave Threshold Changes the Path Ahead!?

Ito: First, let me share the benefits of men taking paternity leave revealed by the "Family Future Project" survey. The survey results show that 91% of men who took paternity leave responded that "taking paternity leave was a good decision." When asked specifically what changes occurred, responses related to positive changes in family life—such as "increased affection for my child," "strengthened sense of responsibility as a father," and "improved relationship with my wife"—all showed high percentages.

Additionally, a significant number reported increased motivation at work and strengthened connections within their local community. Furthermore, 45.5% stated they "wanted another child," suggesting that promoting paternity leave might even be effective as a countermeasure against the declining birthrate. Mr. Uogeri, who actually took paternity leave, what are your thoughts on these survey results?

Uogeri: I can really relate to every response. While there are many benefits, I think it's crucial that couples can develop a "shared language" during parental leave. Experiences shared with your partner shortly after the child is born, or memories of seeing the same sights together, feel like they become the foundation for future communication as a couple. When the family structure changes dramatically after a child is born, I think it's necessary to acquire a new shared language that's different from before.

Ito: I see. So it's not just about the parental leave period itself, but it contributes to nurturing family bonds long-term.

Uogeri: Parental leave isn't the goal or the end point; it's just one means to help the family find happiness. However, whether you go through that parental leave gate or not can significantly alter the path ahead, as it tends to bring major shifts in one's personal values and family dynamics.

Ito: That shift in values is substantial. Survey results show many people not only reevaluate family relationships but also change their approach to work, like "thinking more deeply about work-life balance."

Uogeri: Some simply say, "I like my company more than before." They realize there are people at work who positively view their focus on childcare.

Also, "increased participation in local events" – this was very true for me too. During my childcare leave, my opportunities to engage with my town and community increased dramatically. I got to know people from local NPOs and ward office staff. Even after returning from leave, doing daily drop-offs and pick-ups at daycare led to friendships with other parents. I call them my "town friends" – these loose connections within the town I live in just keep growing. For me, this is a "society" I never had access to when I was solely focused on work. Through childcare, I finally feel like I've joined it.

Ito: Recently, when I interviewed a child psychiatrist, they mentioned "dispersal of identity" as one benefit of men taking childcare leave. Essentially, men who previously only belonged to their workplace community can now build connections with the local community through childcare. That's exactly what you were saying, Mr. Uogeri.

So what exactly is this "happiness" gained from paternity leave?

Ito: Next, I'll present survey results on family happiness and bond formation brought about by men taking paternity leave. Regarding current happiness levels, the percentage who answered "I feel very happy" was 16.0% for men with children in general, compared to 20.2% for men who took paternity leave. Furthermore, when breaking down the components of happiness, men who took paternity leave and women whose husbands took paternity leave scored higher across all items. The most significant differences were seen in the items "I sometimes provide assistance to someone" and "I sometimes receive assistance from someone." How does this result align with your personal experience, Mr. Uogeri?

Uogeri: Honestly, happiness is a personal feeling. Simply comparing people who took paternity leave with those who didn't – as if they were different people – doesn't really capture the true meaning. However, as Mr. Ito mentioned, having more people I can rely on and becoming kinder towards others are things I genuinely feel after taking paternity leave.

Ito: That's right. Having a child and facing work constraints made me realize anew that everyone has their own circumstances at work. It's not just childcare; some colleagues might be caring for family members or managing medical appointments. I want to be more considerate toward them too.

Uogeri: Even if you're not in the exact same situation, you can start to empathize. Just imagining, "Maybe they're struggling with this?" changes how you interact with people significantly. Of course, it's not an experience exclusive to childcare, but childcare can definitely be one catalyst.

Ito: Next, regarding family bonding. The survey showed that men who took childcare leave reported higher percentages in all these areas: "I have a good relationship with my child," "My child confides in me about their worries," "My child often relies on me," and "My child respects me."

Uogeri: I completely agree. Dedicating time solely to childcare not only deepens your love for your child, but sometimes you actually feel overwhelmed by the unconditional love they give you in return (laughs).

Ito: So the father-child bond becomes stronger, right?

Ugaeshi: I do these "father-son visits" where my child and I stay at my parents' house for one or two nights. During that time, my wife gets to spend time alone freely, and I get a break while my parents look after the child, so it's all benefits. But I think this only works because we have a relationship where we're comfortable spending time just father and child.

Ito: It seems like in your family, Ugaeshi-san, there isn't much of a gender-based division of roles like "because you're the dad" or "because you're the mom."

Ugaeshi: I don't think it's zero, but it might be relatively true. During my childcare leave, I really felt that only two things are biologically exclusive to mothers: giving birth and breastfeeding. Beyond that, nothing is dictated by gender. I realized how much I'd misunderstood social gender differences—gender—as if they were biological differences.

Come to think of it, even though I was listed as the primary contact parent on the nursery school paperwork, they sometimes called my wife first. That might be what you call unconscious bias at work. I hope these little assumptions, one by one, will change as paternity leave becomes more common.

Promoting men's paternity leave is also an opportunity for companies

Ito: Finally, let's shift perspectives and discuss the benefits for companies promoting male paternity leave. An interesting finding from the survey was that companies with employees taking paternity leave tend to push new initiatives beyond just leave, like flex time, side jobs, and diversity. I wondered if promoting paternity leave might actually lead to a cultural refresh or revitalization within the company. What are your thoughts on that?

Uogeri: This data suggests it's less about the direct impact of promoting paternity leave and more about these being organizations with cultures that already make taking leave easier. It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation... But what they all have in common is "flexibility." It's said that for companies to survive in unpredictable times, they need the flexibility of bamboo, not the rigid strength of steel. Promoting childcare leave is one effective strategy for fostering a corporate culture that can respond flexibly when something happens.

For example, when an employee takes childcare leave, the remaining members fill the gap. The same happens with leave for caregiving or illness, and many companies experienced sudden staff absences during the pandemic. Being able to operate smoothly even when organizational changes occur is a real strength for a company.

Ito: When I spoke with a male supervisor who took childcare leave within the company, he mentioned that viewing it as "an opportunity for junior colleagues to grow" positively motivated them to step up and rise to the challenge. Organizations where such a culture is deeply rooted are strong, aren't they?

Shifting perspective slightly, surveys show a high tendency among those in their 20s to take leave. Younger generations, including Gen Z, are said to have a strong awareness about taking childcare leave. Next year, large companies will be required to disclose their childcare leave utilization rates. Whether leave is actually accessible will become a key factor for young people when choosing a company.

Uogeri: I agree. While corporate recruitment pages often highlight environments where women can thrive while balancing childbirth and childcare, to attract top talent going forward, companies must also establish and promote environments where men can excel while actively participating in childcare. If we truly aim for greater female participation in society, we should first promote greater male involvement in the home. Whether companies understand this alone makes a significant difference in how they're perceived.

Ito: That's certainly true. What should companies focus on to bring about change?

Uogeri: If we could sum it up in one sentence, that would be quick, but since the environment and challenges vary by industry and company, individual optimization is necessary.

For example, Dentsu Inc. Papalab is currently advocating an initiative called Paternity Transformation, or "PX" for short. It's about strategically strengthening the organization, using men's paternity leave as a catalyst. We start by exploring the unique challenges specific to that organization, then propose and implement concrete action plans. We aim to provide Papalab's one-stop support all the way to building a sustainable organization.

Through listening to various people, we've come to realize that the bottlenecks vary significantly from organization to organization. Therefore, we want to engage in dialogue with companies, learn from them, and find better solutions together.

Ito: It would be great if we could expand parental leave not as something that must be taken or granted, but as a system offering benefits for both individuals and companies/organizations.

For more on Paternity Transformation (PX), see here
https://www.d-sol.jp/solutions/paternity-transformation&nbsp;
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[Survey Overview]
Survey Participants:
■Screening Survey: General male and female individuals aged 20-49 nationwide
■Main Survey:
① General: Married individuals with children (child age: 1 year old to pre-elementary school age)
② Men who took childcare leave (child age during leave: 1 year old to before elementary school enrollment)
③ Women whose partners took childcare leave (child age during leave: 1 year old to before elementary school enrollment)
Sample Size:
■Screening Response Count: 90,000 samples ⇒ Population proportion sampling: Analyzed as a "10,000-person survey"
■Main survey response count: 1,600 samples
Survey Method: Internet survey
Survey Period:
■Screening: Wednesday, November 24, 2021 – Friday, November 26, 2021
■Main Survey: November 26, 2021 (Fri) – November 29, 2021 (Mon)
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Dentsu Inc. will continue to address challenges surrounding moms, dads, children, and families from various angles.

● Dentsu Inc. Papa Lab
"Dads are Japan's potential."
How to play and interact with children. The nature of services and products. Men taking paternity leave. Members with expertise in each field gather insights through a dad's perspective and propose them to society in various forms. It's a platform pursuing the potential of dads and families of the future.

●Dentsu Inc. Mama Lab
A work tank that sincerely engages with the true feelings of moms and families to propose solutions. We predict where moms, children, and families are headed, solve problems with real insights, and help society and companies move in a positive direction.

●Children's Perspective Lab
A lab that seriously and enjoyably researches what it means to see things from a child's perspective. By "becoming children ourselves," we aim to deepen our understanding of children and improve the relationships between parents and children, and between society and children.

●Family Future Project
We confront Japan's challenges from the perspective of families centered on children and from the perspective of a society centered on children. Collaborating with related internal labs and external experts, we explore a happy future for children, families, businesses, and local communities.