Japan's parental leave entitlement is, on paper, among the most generous in the developed world — a year of leave, paid at two-thirds of wages by employment insurance. Take-up by fathers is the part that has lagged, which is why disclosure was made compulsory.
This page explains the rules. For the numbers — how many men actually take it — see the benchmark page.
Either parent may take childcare leave until the child turns one. It can be extended to 18 months and then to two years where a nursery place cannot be secured. Since April 2022 the leave can be split into two separate periods, so parents can alternate.
The employer cannot refuse a qualifying request, and dismissal or disadvantageous treatment because of the leave is prohibited.
A separate entitlement — post-birth childcare leave, widely called sango papa ikukyu — allows up to four weeks within the eight weeks following the birth, in up to two blocks, and can be taken in addition to ordinary childcare leave. Limited work during the leave is permitted if agreed in advance, which was the main practical barrier the reform was designed to remove.
The employer does not pay wages during the leave. Employment insurance pays a benefit of 67% of prior wages for the first 180 days and 50% thereafter, subject to caps. Social insurance contributions are exempted during the leave, and the benefit is not taxable, so the net replacement rate is higher than 67% suggests.
From April 2025 an additional benefit raises the effective rate to around 80% of net pay for a limited period where both parents take leave.
Employers with more than 1,000 employees have had to publish their male childcare leave uptake rate annually since April 2023; the threshold was lowered to more than 300 from April 2025. The figures on this site come from that disclosure.
Read the rate carefully: it counts people who took any leave at all. One day counts the same as six months, and national surveys find that most Japanese fathers who take leave take less than two weeks. A rate of 100% does not mean what it appears to mean.
What employment insurance pays during childcare leave. The benefit is based on the six months before the leave and excludes bonuses, so enter the bonus separately as part of the annual figure.
67% of gross leaves considerably more than 67% in hand. The benefit is not taxable, and health insurance and pension contributions are waived during the leave (the waived months still count in full towards benefits and pension entitlement). Against your previous take-home, roughly 80% remains. From April 2025 an additional benefit applies where both parents take leave.
How this is calculated: daily wage at the start of leave = pay over the preceding six months (excluding bonus) ÷ 180. Thirty days of that is paid at 67% for the first 180 days and 50% thereafter, capped at ¥332,454 and ¥248,100 a month respectively (from August 2026). The cap and floor are applied to the monthly wage base, not to the benefit: ¥496,200 and ¥96,090 a month. Both are revised every 1 August. Payment is normally every two months and the exact amount depends on how the periods fall. Confirm with Hello Work.
Total figures are in units of 10,000 yen. Your take-home before the leave: take-home calculator.
Take-home pay ・ Unemployment benefit ・ What the 2026 changes did ・ all calculators. The salary you enter is carried across.
Bonuses ・ Retirement lump sums ・ Graduate hiring ・ Paid leave ・ Overtime ・ Parental leave ・ Women in management ・ Reading salary figures ・ Contracts and dismissal ・ Annual securities reports ・ all guides.
Sources: Child Care and Family Care Leave Act (Act No. 76 of 1991) / Employment Insurance Act. Summarised by Corpus; not provided or endorsed by any government agency. The figures behind the linked benchmark pages come from Japanese government statistics and company disclosure — see all benchmarks.