Toyota and Sony boost paternity leave as manufacturers play catch-up

Japan companies use temp workers, bonuses and seminars to encourage more time off

20240712N Toyota paternity leave

Toyota has seen paternity leave rates rise 23 percentage points in one year thanks to a variety of new measures. (Toyota)

Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- More men working at Japanese manufacturing companies like Toyota Motor and Sony are taking child care leave, following a cultural shift that has already reverberated through white-collar industries like finance.

The paternity leave rate at Toyota in fiscal 2023 was 61.5%, an increase from 19.4% in fiscal 2021 and 38% in fiscal 2022. The spike followed a March 2023 announcement from the automaker that its goal was to make child care leave viable for all, regardless of gender.

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