Culture shock: can trailblazing Japanese minister change minds on paternity leave?
(The Guardian Japan)

Shinjiro Koizumi´s move raises hopes that more new fathers will be emboldened to stay home with their babiesShinjiro Koizumi´s break from his job as Japan´s environment minister began on Friday when his wife, the TV personality Christel Takigawa, gave birth to the couple´s first child.While the daytime TV shows cooed over the new addition to the celebrity couple´s family, his decision to become the first cabinet minister to take time away from work to be with his wife and son has raised hopes of change in a country where a tiny fraction of men exercise their right to paternity leave.The attitude of not wanting to be a nuisance is deeply embedded in the Japanese psyche, especially in the workplace.Unless someone like Koizumi shows the way, nothing will ever change. Continue reading...