Childcare is father's job as much as it is mother's

When Kensuke Miyazaki, a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the lower house, applied for a one-month childcare leave in December, party heavyweights criticized him for "maligning the reputation of all Diet members".He is the first Japanese lawmaker to apply for paternity leave and advocate men's obligation to support women in looking after children. Miyazaki believes paternity leave will help arrest Japan's falling birthrate.

Indeed, figures show families in which fathers shoulder more household responsibilities tend to have more children.

Some senior LDP members say lawmakers, unlike private sector employees, should not be institutionally entitled to take childcare, or paternity, leave, because their salaries are paid by taxpayers.