Male Employees Share Their Thoughts on the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Long Childcare Leave, an Important Part of Their Careers

Greatest Concerns of Male Employees for Taking Childcare Leave: Handing over Work Responsibilities to Others and Impact on Future Career

――Mr. Wakabayashi, you took a seven-month childcare leave from April to October 2023. Why did you want to take that long-term leave?

Wakabayashi: Six years ago, when my first child was born, I was in a division that had a lot of business dinners and other events, and the environment wasn’t conducive to taking childcare leave, so I only took four days off. Looking back, I regret that I wasn’t able to handle as much childcare. But by the time I was considering taking it for my second child, there was a lot of talk in the news about paternity leave, which made me realize that I wanted to take a longer leave this time.

――When did you speak with your boss?

Wakabayashi: I let my boss know four or five months before the expected birth date that I’d like to take a long-term childcare leave. Even though no one in Equipment Leasing had previously taken such a long leave, my boss was understanding, and I was very grateful. Since I had to make arrangements in my division, like handing over certain responsibilities, I spoke with my boss often in regard to the leave.

We ultimately decided to complete the preparations with my colleagues by the end of March 2023 and to shift my focus to asking for care of the baby starting in April, the beginning of the fiscal year.

――What was your greatest concern before starting the leave?

Wakabayashi: My greatest concern was whether I’d be able to smoothly hand off responsibilities without creating any inconvenience to my colleagues. If there was a personnel transfer on April 1, the hand off would have had to begin after the official personnel announcement was issued in early March, leaving us only a few days to complete it. I worried that doing this in such a short period of time would create challenges for the individual because once I returned the company-owned PC and mobile phone before my leave, getting in touch with me would be difficult. In my case, though, I was fortunately able to pass on my duties to a member of the same division, so I had about a month to manage the transition, which was a lot more time than usual.

――Did you feel a little anxious about being away from work during your leave?

Wakabayashi: To be honest, I was concerned that my career would be delayed by being away from work for such a long time. But just before the leave, I had the opportunity to talk to an external consultant through the Career Design Office about my concerns. The consultant told me that it’s important to think about what you prioritize in life, and in the end I decided that although work is important, I want to place top priority on my family. In the long run, this decision may help me as I train the people I’ll supervise in the future. I’m confident that taking childcare leave will become an important part of my career.

Achievements of Senior Employees Who Encouraged Employees to Take Long-Term Childcare Leave

――How about you Mr. Kodama, what made you decide to take long-term childcare leave?

Kodama: I took five days of childcare leave for my first child, and I was hoping to take about the same number of days this time too. Then I heard that Mr. Wakabayashi has been taking long-term leave, and another person told me that his leave would be quite long. I remember feeling encouraged by the fact that other employees had done it and thinking that I should try it too, and that’s when I changed my mind.

――How did you decide how long to take your leave and when to start?

Kodama: Our second child is due in late February, but of course we still need to take care of our first child, so childcare will be even harder. That’s why at first I thought I should take a month of leave starting right after the birth.
But April is busy for the Accounting Division to close out the previous fiscal year, and I felt I shouldn’t take a leave at that time. I also wanted to minimize as much as possible the impact on my regular monthly duties, so I decided to split up my leave and start it in the latter half of February.

――How did your boss react to your taking a long leave?

Kodama: When I talked with my immediate supervisor about it last December he was very understanding, and he promised he’d manage my work. Before that, no one in the Accounting Division had taken long-term childcare leave. However, the general manager also strongly encouraged me to take it, so I think it’s become easier to do.

――What was your wife’s reaction to your decision?

Kodama: Because of my five-day leave for our first child, she was surprised when I told her about my plan to take a full month leave. Since she goes back to her parents’ home to give birth, I could only come to see our first child on weekends after he was born, which placed a big burden on her. But this time she is delighted to have me stay with her for a whole month and spend time with both our children.

Learning from the Experience of “One-Parent” Childcare

――What was your life like during childcare leave?

Wakabayashi: After five months of childcare leave, my wife went back to work first, and my life changed dramatically as I transitioned into what you might call a “one-parent” childcare situation. I really wanted to experience it to know what my wife had been through.

I didn’t want to change the rhythm of my life from when I was working, so I got up at 5:30 every morning. Then I did housework, dropped my first child off at nursery school after 8:00 a.m., and did housework while taking care of my second child. During the day, I would prepare dinner while my younger child took a nap and then pick up the older one at around 4:30 p.m.

――How has your experience of “one-parent” childcare changed you?

Wakabayashi: Having to take on all the childcare on my own was a great experience. I now know, too, how hard it is to do housework while raising kids. Experiencing “one-parent” childcare made me realize how much of a burden my wife has been carrying―almost all of it unseen. I also realized that a lot of fathers drop off or pick up their kids at nursery school every day. Many of them aren’t on childcare leave but are managing their time well using telework and other means, which has also influenced my workstyle after returning to work.

――Mr. Kodama, how do you plan to spend your time during your one-month leave?

Kodama: I’m planning to stay at my wife’s parents’ house. Because her family is out for work during the day, we plan to leave our first child at nursery school there as a temporary measure, and he’ll probably attend only a few days a week. So, I’ll be his playmate when there’s no school. Recently, he entered the terrible twos and doesn’t listen to me. When I’m short of time, I can’t let him play for as long as he wants. Then I take him to nursery school or come home early from the park. During childcare leave, though, I’ll have more time to keep up with his needs.

I really want to do whatever I can to take care of my youngest. I regret that―until my first child was two months old―I could only see him on weekends and couldn’t get very involved in childcare. Even though I’m sure the work will be hard, I’ll be able to spend every day with my younger child this time, so I think it’ll be a good experience for me.

Establishing the New Standard of Male Employees Taking Childcare Leave

――What did you do to prepare for returning to work, Mr. Wakabayashi?

Wakabayashi: I continued to read the Nikkei newspaper as much as possible during my leave so that I could keep up with social trends. About two weeks before I was scheduled to return to work, the company contacted me to let me know which division I’d be returning to. After that, I was given opportunities to meet with the general manager and deputy manager, which gradually helped me to shift my mindset toward going back to work.

――Mr. Kodama, you’ll be taking childcare leave very soon. How do you feel about that?

Kodama: I’ll be spending a lot of time with my kids, so I want to make the most of that time and enjoy this precious opportunity. I’m planning to take a month of leave by using the system called Childbirth Leave for Fathers*. But I’ll return to work before the busy time in April and then consider taking another childcare leave after things have settled down a bit.

I want to cherish the precious time I’m spending with my children, and I’d like to make good use of the available systems and balance work and childcare.

*A paternity leave that can be taken during first eight weeks after childbirth for up to four weeks (28 days), allowing fathers to split it into two parts. It can be taken separately from childcare leave.

――By the way, Mr. Wakabayashi, what did your wife have to say about your long-term childcare leave?

Wakabayashi: She didn’t particularly praise me, but I think that was natural. We both work with the same level of energy, but there is a tendency in the world that it is normal for mothers to take childcare leave. Women are not valued for their role as mothers, and they aren’t told that they’re doing a great job But when a man takes childcare leave, people tell him how great that is. I can’t help but wonder why. But while we both took childcare leave, I was able to communicate far more calmly than usual, so it was good to take it.

――Finally, could you offer some advice to those who are considering taking childcare leave soon or planning to do so?

Wakabayashi: For those wondering if they should take it, I’d tell them to take as much as possible because your child will grow up fast. And childcare is an ongoing need that continues after the end of your leave. I believe the most important thing is how you balance that care and work after you’ve returned to the office. There is no point in taking a leave if you just go back to the same old way of doing things. I feel it’s important to discover better ways to work through trial and error after your leave, while saving time for raising children.
To those who are going to take childcare leave, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to dedicate yourself to childcare and enjoy it.

Ms. Wakugawa

It’s hard to take our eyes off an infant, but during my husband’s childcare leave, I didn’t feel tense all day long and was able to enjoy raising my children even more than I did with my first daughter. My husband just went ahead to put our baby to sleep, which he hadn’t had a chance to do with our first daughter, so that was very helpful. He continues to do it even after his childcare leave has ended. Best of all is that we were able to spend a lot of time together as a family. I’m grateful to everyone in his division for allowing him to take the long-term leave, which no one had done before.

During the time we are raising children, especially when they’re small, we tend to get other things halfway done or to make no progress at all. This childcare leave enabled my husband to better understand the accumulation of daily household chores that often get done unseen.

Due to his work schedule, he started his childcare leave after the newborn period. However, I encourage those who are planning for a childcare leave to consider beginning it right after their baby is born.

Ryosuke Wakabayashi

Metro Tokyo Business Division V

Joined the company in 2007. As a new graduate, he was assigned to the IT Equipment Business Division II, where he mainly worked in sales for Fujitsu. After being on loan to Fujitsu Marketing Ltd. and a transfer to the IT Equipment Business Division I, he was assigned to the current Metro Tokyo Business Division V in 2020, where he is now in charge of area sales.

Daichi Kodama

Accounting Division

Joined the company in 2018 as a mid-career employee after working for a major leasing company and a regional bank. He was assigned to the IT Equipment Business Division II, where he was in charge of corporate sales, mainly to major domestic IT vendors and IT departments of major companies, for about three years. He used the internal recruitment system in 2021 and is currently in the Accounting Division.

Note: The contents of the article and the position titles are current as of the date posted.

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