Maternity and Parental Leave in Japan: What You're Entitled To

産休 vs 育休 — What's the Difference?

Two types of leave protect working parents in Japan. You'll see them written everywhere once you're pregnant — but they're easy to confuse:

In practice, most mothers take 産休 first, and then go straight into 育休 — so the two overlap seamlessly. Many fathers take 育休 at the same time as the mother, especially after 2025 rule changes made it more financially rewarding to do so.

産前産後休業 (産休) — Maternity Leave

産前産後休業 (sanzen sango kyuugyo), usually called 産休 (sankyu), is the leave period around childbirth. It covers two phases:

• Before birth (産前休業): You can start leave 6 weeks before your due date. For twins or more, it's 14 weeks before. This is your choice — you're allowed to keep working right up until your due date if you want to, but most people start leave early.
• After birth (産後休業): 8 weeks after giving birth. The first 6 weeks are mandatory — your employer cannot ask you to work during this time, and you cannot return even if you want to. After 6 weeks, you can return if your doctor agrees.

産休 applies to all female employees regardless of employment type — full-time, part-time, or contract. There is no minimum length of service required. If you work for a company in Japan and pay into health insurance, you qualify.

育児休業 (育休) — Parental Leave

育児休業 (ikuji kyuugyo), usually called 育休 (ikukyu), is the longer leave period for raising your baby. Unlike 産休, both mothers and fathers can take it.

You can take 育休 until your child turns 1. If you apply for daycare and don't get a place, it can be extended to 18 months — and in some cases up to 2 years.

On top of that, your social insurance contributions (health insurance and pension) are completely waived while you're on 育休. You don't pay, and your employer doesn't pay either. This makes the actual financial impact of taking leave much smaller than many people expect.

For Fathers

Japan has been actively encouraging fathers to take parental leave. In 2022, a new system called 産後パパ育休 was introduced specifically for fathers — and in 2025, a financial bonus was added to make it even more attractive.

産後パパ育休 (postnatal paternity leave): Fathers can take up to 4 weeks of leave within the first 8 weeks after birth. Unlike the standard 育休, this can be split into two separate periods, and you can continue to work on some days during the leave (with agreement from your employer).

The rate of fathers taking parental leave in Japan has been rising fast — from 30% in 2023 to over 40% in 2024. The 2025 bonus is expected to push that even higher.

International Residents — Do the Same Rules Apply?

Yes. Japanese labor law does not make exceptions based on nationality. As long as you are employed and enrolled in the relevant insurance schemes, you have exactly the same rights as Japanese workers.

• 産休 and 出産手当金: You need to be enrolled in workplace health insurance (健康保険). This applies if you're working full-time or part-time at a company that covers you — which most do.
• 育休 and 育児休業給付金: You need to be enrolled in employment insurance (雇用保険) for at least 12 months. Most regular employees are enrolled automatically from day one.

One situation to watch for: if you're on a spouse visa (家族滞在) and working part-time under supplementary activity permission, you may still qualify if you've been working consistently enough to meet the 12-month requirement. Check with your employer or Hello Work to confirm.

Planning to go back to work after leave? You'll also want to read our guides on applying for licensed daycare and kindergarten enrollment.

📖 Japanese Vocabulary

Useful terms for maternity and parental leave in Japan.