Making the Childcare Leave Experience More Meaningful

Since 2019, Sekisui House has designated September 19 as Think About Childcare Leave Day and has been implementing the IKUKYU.PJT project to promote greater awareness of paternity leave in industry, government, and academia with the goal of using paternity leave as a catalyst for a better society. As part of this effort, we held an event to present the 2025 White Paper on Paternity Leave. Now in its seventh year, the event featured the Tomoiku Project, survey results on paternity leave, and case studies from employees and partner companies, offering insights on how to make the childcare leave period more enriching.

To realize Sekisui House’s global vision of “making home the happiest place in the world,” we believe that the happiness of our employees and their families must come first. This is why we actively promote paternity leave. Our commitment to promoting men’s childcare leave began in 2018, when President Nakai visited Sweden and was struck by the sight of fathers casually pushing strollers in a park on a weekday. Seeing how naturally and joyfully they cared for their children inspired us to ensure the same for our employees, leading to the immediate launch of our Paternity Leave system. Since then, we have consistently maintained a 100% rate of employees taking at least one month of childcare leave.

Since 2019, we have hosted the annual IKUKYU.PJT initiative toward paternity leave awareness in collaboration with partners from many different fields. Guided by our vision of creating a society in Japan where it is natural for men to take childcare leave, we share the message that childcare leave is a time to nurture family happiness through the White Paper on Paternity Leave, TV commercials, and social media outreach. As a “Kids-First” company committed to supporting childcare, Sekisui House also strives to help build a society where children can grow up healthy and secure. This belief—placing the happiness of future generations at the heart of our corporate activities—directly informs our efforts to promote childcare leave.

Childcare leave is more than a company program—it is a meaningful chapter in life. Time spent with your child, supporting your partner, and reflecting on yourself all help shape the future of your family. That is why it is essential not only to take childcare leave but to make the most of that time. Sekisui House will continue to advance a wide range of initiatives as we work together with our employees.

This year, IKUKYU.PJT was endorsed by 174 companies and organizations, 20 more than in the previous year. Now in its seventh year, the project produced a web video, My First Childcare Leave | #ThinkAboutChildcareLeaveDay, based on the real experiences of employees who took childcare leave and on survey findings. The video shows how families grow closer during the childcare leave period and communicates the message that making the most of this time can help foster lasting family happiness after returning from leave.

Guided by our global vision of “making home the happiest place in the world,” Sekisui House has promoted paternity leave since 2018. The paternity leave program began in September 2018 and is available to employees with children under the age of three. Key features include full acquisition of at least one month of childcare leave, a paid first month (available to all genders), and the option to take leave in up to four segments. The system is designed to reduce barriers that might prevent employees from taking childcare leave.

Ahead of the legal revisions that took effect in October 2022, we also launched the Childcare Leave at Birth program in April 2021, expanding our childcare leave program for men. This flexible system allows employees to take leave in one-day units during the eight weeks after childbirth—when maternal support is most needed and postpartum depression is a particular concern—regardless of the number of segments taken.

At Sekisui House, the first step in taking paternity leave is to prepare a Family Meeting Sheet. This tool helps families discuss when and why leave will be taken, as well as how household and childcare responsibilities will be shared before, during, and after the leave period. We believe that open communication with one’s family before taking childcare leave leads to a more positive leave experience and greater family happiness.

As of the end of August 2025, 3,428 male employees were eligible for childcare leave, and all 2,497 who reached their deadline had taken at least one month. Since full-scale implementation began in February 2019, we have consistently maintained a 100% childcare leave acquisition rate.

Key findings from the 2025 White Paper on Paternity Leave show that 36.3% of men living with preschool-aged children took childcare leave—the highest rate recorded to date. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also reported in July that 40.5% of men who welcomed a child in the past year took childcare leave, up about 10 percentage points from the previous year. These results indicate that paternity leave is increasingly becoming the norm.

Among wives whose husbands took childcare leave, 43.5% felt that their husbands’ leave was more than just “taking leave for the sake of taking it.” This is a 10-point increase from the previous year, indicating a clearly positive shift. Around 80% of men also reported that they chose to take childcare leave voluntarily. However, nearly half said they “didn’t know what to do before or during the leave.” Even though attitudes toward taking paternity leave are becoming more proactive, addressing this uncertainty is essential to ensuring a more fulfilling childcare leave experience.

In households where husbands took childcare leave, satisfaction levels differed significantly depending on prior communication. Among wives who felt their husbands’ leave was “taking leave for the sake of taking it,” satisfaction was 55.6%, compared with 86.6% among wives who felt it was not just “taking leave for the sake of taking it”—a gap of roughly 31 points. During the leave period, men most often reported difficulty or fatigue in staying attentive to their partner’s feelings and changes, while women said they felt they were “the only one making an effort,” leading to frustration. These concerns are largely communication-related, highlighting the importance of open dialogue between partners both before and during childcare leave.

Among respondents satisfied with household communication, 76% were also satisfied with their childcare leave experience, compared with just 29.1% among those dissatisfied. A similar pattern appeared in satisfaction with housework and childcare after returning from leave. Those who reported high communication satisfaction had also discussed key topics in advance, such as the length of the childcare leave and how responsibilities would be shared during the leave.

Even among men who initially felt unsure about what to do during childcare leave, nearly 80% of those satisfied with household communication said that parenting became more enjoyable and that they began looking forward to coming home. In contrast, only around 30% of those dissatisfied reported the same, indicating that they were less able to enjoy housework and childcare. The data also showed that men who performed fewer childcare and housework tasks or who took fewer days of leave were more likely to view their experience as “taking leave for the sake of taking it.”

The most common change reported in men after taking childcare leave—according to both men and women—was the increased confidence to handle tasks such as putting the child to bed or preparing meals on their own. Women also noted additional improvements, including their husbands’ ability to manage outings alone with the child and a better understanding of the child’s daily rhythms. Paternity leave also led to an increase in the number of housework and childcare tasks men performed. Women themselves also reported positive outcomes such as a stronger sense of teamwork in sharing household and childcare responsibilities, reduced stress, and an improved ability to secure adequate sleep.

Men who reported high satisfaction with their childcare leave also experienced positive changes at work. Many noted an increase in mutual support among colleagues and greater awareness of time management, suggesting that supporting a meaningful childcare leave experience can also have beneficial effects in the workplace. Workplaces that actively communicate the purpose and reasons for paternity leave to the wider organization were also found to be more understanding and cooperative regarding paternity leave.

At Sekisui House, we use the Family Meeting Sheet introduced earlier to help couples communicate before taking childcare leave, making it easy to discuss the purpose and timing of leave as well as how childcare and housework will be shared. Male employees who used the sheet reported higher satisfaction with household communication than the general population of men taking childcare leave, and their satisfaction during leave was also roughly 10 points higher than average.

As paternity leave rates in Japan reach record highs, now is the right time to consider how to further improve the childcare leave experience. We hope that the findings of the 2025 White Paper on Paternity Leave will help spark discussion about the quality of childcare leave. Childcare leave is a valuable period for nurturing family happiness, and Sekisui House will continue working to build a society where taking childcare leave is a natural choice for all men.

I took childcare leave twice, first immediately after the birth of our twins, and again in July. My wife and I began discussing the first leave around the previous October and decided the timing and duration early. Because this was our first experience with childcare, and because we were having twins, we felt it was important for me to take a longer period of leave.

When my wife entered the stable phase of pregnancy in October, I informed my supervisor of the expected delivery period, and from December, I began gradually handing off my responsibilities. By February, just before my leave, all handovers to team members were complete. For pre-scheduled training sessions, I used the Childcare Leave at Birth program, which allows employees to take leave in one-day increments, so I could attend as planned.