Have you taken paternity leave?

I have two children. My son is 10 years old and in fifth grade, and my daughter is five years old and attends a nursery school. When my son was born, I did not take any paternity leave but used shortened working hours and annual leave, as it was when I was preparing to close my laboratory at CiRA and start research in the US. I moved to the US with my family and spent four years there. I think it was a good experience that I could raise my son there.

My wife returned to Japan first to give birth to our daughter. I worked alone in the US for six months after she was born. Since I did not start working immediately after returning to Japan, I could concentrate on childcare for about two months. I spent lots of time with my son and my daughter, and it was really worthwhile. Because of that situation, when the child was born, it did not interfere with my research.

How do you balance childcare and research?

Having children has changed the way I approach my work. My job can be replaced, but my children need me, and no one can replace parents. I try to reduce my work as much as possible by making tough choices between what I must do and what I do not have to do. I leave home for work at 6 AM and get home around 6 PM, make dinner for the children, help them with their homework, and bathe them.

My wife is also very busy, but we do not have a set division of housework and childcare. The roles are naturally divided, and we cooperate as much as possible. My wife's parents live nearby, so we rely on them when we need help. For example, when a child is sick, and we cannot take time off. I think we are blessed.

Did you notice any differences between the US and Japan in terms of childcare?

It was not that there was any special support for childcare in the US that you cannot find in Japan. Like in Japan, there are not enough daycares in the US, and everyone is desperate to find a place for their children.

The big difference from Japan was that in the area where we lived in the US, about half of the children were dropped off and picked up at daycares by their fathers. When I pick up my children from nursery schools in Japan, I am often the only man there. I think that is how active women are in the US, and there is no stereotype that women must raise children.

Is there anything you would like to see improved in terms of childcare support in the workplace?

There are lab members raising children in my laboratory. When the primary school was on summer holidays, one of the lab members could not find a place to leave her child. When I asked someone in charge at CiRA if the lab member could take her child to the lab for a few days so that he could do his homework quietly and we would be responsible for looking after him, this was not allowed. In the US, as long as you are responsible for your children and looking after them, you are not told that you cannot take your child to work under such circumstances. I think CiRA could be a bit more flexible.

However, there is no point in waiting for changes, so I started changing things for my lab and made it more comfortable for people with children to work. For example, I will actively take time off for my child so that lab members do not feel they inconvenience others when they take time off for their children. I hope that these initiatives started in my laboratory will spread to other laboratories and eventually change the atmosphere of the entire institute.