A104 　A system does exist, but the number of men using it is low at around 0.5%. The government has set a target of increasing the figure to 10%. Less than 1% of civil servants, the very group responsible for promoting this target, take this form of leave, showing how entrenched is Japan's male-oriented society.

If Japan's birth rate continues to shrink, there will be a huge shortage of workers. The government is responding to this potential crisis by putting into place policy objectives aimed at creating an environment that allows women who have stopped working to raise children to take on new challenges and return to the workforce.

There is a growing number of family-friendly companies that provide daycare centers  on  their premises, and that have introduced both shorter working hours and systems  for telecommuting which allow for childcare. Surveys show that companies where women play an active role are comparatively more successful.

Yet, the most important factor in changing Japan from a male-orientated society is probably making men realize that, without change, Japan faces decline.