Maternity Leave in Japan 2025

Quick Facts:

Leave period: 6 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth (14 weeks before birth for multiple pregnancies).
Maternity allowance: About two-thirds (≈67%) of base salary, paid through health insurance.
Dismissal ban: It is illegal to fire an employee from the time pregnancy is reported until 30 days after returning from maternity leave.
Childbirth lump-sum grant: ¥500,000 per child, paid via health insurance to help cover delivery costs.
Childcare leave pay: 67% of salary for the first 180 days of childcare leave, then 50% thereafter, paid through employment insurance.

Eligibility checklist

Japan’s maternity and childcare leave laws apply to most employees – including full-time, part-time, and contract workers – provided certain conditions are met. Use this checklist to determine eligibility:

Female employee expecting a child – All female workers (regardless of employment status or company size) can take maternity leave under the Labor Standards Act (LSA). No minimum tenure is required; even new hires and part-timers qualify as long as they are employed when leave begins.

Proof: Doctor’s certificate of expected due date (母子手帳 entry or medical notice).

Enrolled in health insurance plan – To receive the maternity allowance (出産手当金), you must be covered by Employees’ Health Insurance (社会保険). Generally, if you have been enrolled for at least ~6 months, you will qualify for this benefit (those on Japan’s National Health Insurance are not eligible for the wage-based maternity.

Proof: Health insurance ID; employer certification of no salary during leave.

Childbirth lump-sum grant eligibility – All expecting mothers insured under any health insurance (employee plan or National Health Insurance) or their insured dependents can receive the one-time childbirth & childcare lump-sum payment. No prior contribution period is required – even newly insured mothers qualify.

Proof: Birth certificate from hospital; health insurance claim form (often handled by hospital via direct payment).

Childcare leave eligibility – Either parent employed on a non-daily, ongoing basis may take childcare leave under the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act. As of April 2022, the 1-year tenure prerequisite was abolished for most workers. Now, permanent employees qualify immediately. Fixed-term contract employees also qualify if their contract won’t clearly end before the child turns 1 (or 1.5/2 years with extensions). Employers cannot deny childcare leave due to small company size or employee status

Proof: Child’s birth date (to schedule leave period); written notice/request to employer.

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Mini-Table – Key Legal Bases

Condition	Statute / Source (JP law)	Documentation Needed
Maternity leave	LSA Article 65(1)&(2) – 6 weeks pre-birth if requested; 8 weeks post-birth mandatory	Doctor’s due-date note; request letter to employer
Maternity dismissal protection	LSA Article 19(1) – No dismissal during leave + 30 days after; Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) Art. 9 – No firing for pregnancy/leave	— (law applies automatically) —
Childcare leave	Child Care & Family Care Leave Act Art. 5 – Right to leave until child’s 1st birthday (up to 2 years in cases) pref.fukui.lg.jp	Birth certificate; leave application to employer
Paternity “Papa” leave	Child Care & Family Care Leave Act Art. 9-2 – Up to 4 weeks leave within 8 weeks after birth	Birth certificate; 2 weeks advance notice recommended
Shortened work hours	Child Care & Family Care Leave Act Art. 23 – Right to 6-hour workdays until child is 3	Employee request to employer (in writing)
Nursing breaks	LSA Article 67 – 2×30 min paid breaks for infant <1 year	Employee request (infant’s age proof)

Timeline and duration

Japan’s leave system is structured around key periods before and after childbirth. Here’s a timeline of how maternity and paternity leave typically unfolds:

Prenatal leave (42 / 98 days rule)

– Prenatal Leave: Expectant mothers can start maternity leave 6 weeks (42 days) before the expected due date (算定予定日) upon request. In the case of a multiple pregnancy (twins, etc.), leave can begin 14 weeks (98 days) before the due date. Taking the full prenatal leave is optional – the mother must request it; if she prefers to continue working closer to her due date, she may do so. Employers, however, cannot refuse a valid leave request in this period – by law they “shall not make her work” once she requests prenatal leave. If the actual birth occurs later than the expected date, the prenatal leave extends automatically to cover the additional days until delivery. For example, if your due date passes and you give birth 7 days late, those extra days are still included in your maternity leave entitlement. (This ensures you’re not penalized for an overdue birth.)

Postnatal mandatory rest (56 days)

– Postnatal Leave: After childbirth, Japanese law mandates a strict 8-week (56 days) period of rest for the mother. During the first 8 weeks following delivery, an employer must not permit the mother to work – this is a compulsory recovery period for maternal health. In fact, for the first 6 weeks after birth, no exceptions are allowed: even if a mother wanted to return earlier, the company legally cannot let her resume work. After 6 weeks postpartum, there is a small flexibility: if (a) the mother herself wishes to return to work early and (b) her doctor certifies that doing so will not harm her health, then she can come back to work between week 6 and week 8 after childbirth. This scenario is relatively rare in practice – most mothers use the full 8-week leave – but it’s an option if the mother is feeling well and eager to resume work (with medical approval).

Important: The day of birth itself is legally treated as part of the prenatal leave period. That means the 8-week postnatal count starts from the day after the birth. (For instance, if you give birth on June 1, postnatal leave is through July 27, which is 56 days starting June 2.)

Paternity leave (4-week “Papa Kyūka” inside 8 weeks after birth)

– Postpartum Paternity Leave: As of 2022, fathers/partners have a new entitlement often called “Papa Kyūka.” This is a special form of childcare leave for fathers during the newborn’s first weeks. Eligible fathers can take up to 4 weeks (28 days) of leave within 8 weeks after the baby’s birth. This is in addition to standard childcare leave (it doesn’t reduce the mother’s leave). Key features of the Papa leave include:

It must be taken within 8 weeks of the child’s birth (counting from day 0 = birthdate). Any portion not used by the 8-week mark is forfeited.
It can be taken in one or two separate blocks. For example, a father might take an initial 2 weeks right after the birth, return to work for a bit, and then take another 2 weeks before the 8-week window ends. Splitting into up to 2 periods is allowed (unlike regular childcare leave which historically was one continuous period, though that rule has also been loosened).
The father should give notice to his employer ideally 2 weeks in advance of each intended paternity leave period (the law requires the employer to accommodate if at least 2 weeks notice is given). In practice, many fathers coordinate with their employer as early as possible (e.g. around the time of the birth plan) to ensure smooth scheduling.

This birth childcare leave is designed to encourage fathers to be involved early. It can be taken in addition to the standard childcare leave that fathers are also entitled to (more on that below in Pay and Allowances). For instance, a common approach is: mother takes maternity leave (pre + post birth), then both parents might take childcare leave after the mother’s postnatal period. The father could insert a 2-4 week Papa leave during mom’s recovery, then perhaps return to work and later take his longer childcare leave when the mother returns to work. Companies are expected to inform male employees (and their pregnant spouses) about this option – it’s now a legal obligation for employers to offer and not discourage it.

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Pay and allowances

One of the biggest concerns for expectant parents is finances. Here’s how pay works (and doesn’t work) during maternity and childcare leave in Japan:

Salary from employer: In general, maternity and childcare leave are unpaid leave periods in Japan (by law, the company is not obliged to pay regular salary during leave). Many employers do not pay wages during these periods, treating them as no-work, no-pay leave. However, employees receive income replacements through social insurance programs, as detailed below. (Always check your company’s work rules; a few companies offer full or partial paid maternity leave as a benefit, but this is the exception, not the rule.)
Maternity allowance (出産手当金): During the maternity leave (pre- and postnatal leave totaling ~14 weeks), women enrolled in Employee Health Insurance are entitled to a maternity allowance paid by the health insurance union (or Japan Health Insurance Association). The amount is roughly 2/3 of your average wages for each day of leave. In formula terms, it’s calculated as: (Average daily wage over last 12 months) × 2/3 × (number of leave days). This typically comes out to about 67 % of your normal pay. The maternity allowance is tax-free income and is designed to partially compensate for lost earnings during maternity leave. If your employer does pay you some salary during leave (uncommon, but e.g., a special maternity bonus), the allowance may be adjusted so total doesn’t exceed your 2/3 rate.
Example: Suppose Ms. A earns ¥300,000/month. Her daily base wage for allowance = ¥10,000. Over 98 days of leave (6 + 8 weeks), health insurance would pay roughly ¥6,700 per day, ~¥656,600 total (about 2/3 of 3 months’ pay). This is usually paid after the leave in one or two lump sums. (She would also have no income tax on it, and her social security premiums are waived – see below – making her net income closer to her normal take-home.)
Important: The maternity allowance is available only if you are covered by Employee Health Insurance (usually through your employer). If you are self-employed or a student on National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) with no employer coverage, you cannot receive this 2/3 allowance. (You would still get the childbirth lump-sum, though.) If you quit your job before the maternity leave starts, you also lose eligibility for the allowance in most cases – though if you have been insured for 1+ year and leave after already qualifying for maternity leave, you might still claim it under continuation rules. It’s best to remain employed (even if on leave) to maximize benefits.
Childbirth lump-sum grant (出産育児一時金): Upon childbirth, a one-time fixed payment of ¥500,000 per child is provided by health insurance to help cover delivery and newborn expenses. This lump-sum grant was increased from ¥420,000 to ¥500,000 for births on or after 1 April 2023, reflecting higher childbirth costs. Notably, this benefit is paid regardless of your employment status or length of enrollment – even if you’ve been insured only a short time or are a dependent on someone’s insurance, you’ll receive it (the mother or the insured person can claim it). Most hospitals participate in the direct payment system (直接支払制度): this means the health insurer pays the ¥500 k directly to the hospital toward your delivery bill. You then pay any difference if the bill exceeds ¥500,000 (or, if it’s less, you can claim the leftover amount from the insurer).
Example: If your birth costs ¥480,000, the insurer pays that to the hospital and you can later claim the remaining ¥20,000 balance of the ¥500 k for yourself. If the cost is ¥550,000, the insurer pays ¥500 k and the hospital will charge you ¥50 k. (Tip: Check with your maternity clinic that they handle the “Insurance Direct Payment”; almost all do.)
Childcare leave allowance (育児休業給付金): While either parent is on childcare leave (育休) to care for a baby, they can receive Employment Insurance benefits, provided they have paid into Employment Insurance (雇用保険) for the required period. For the first 180 days of childcare leave, you get 67 % of your regular salary, and after day 180 it drops to 50 %. These percentages are capped by a monthly maximum (around ¥305,000/month for the initial period as of 2025) but cover most workers’ full amounts. Payments are issued every two months (each payment covers the preceding two months of leave). Because the allowance is non-taxable income and no social insurance premiums are owed during leave, even 50–67 % of your gross can amount to near full take-home pay in some cases. Each parent can generally receive up to 12 months of payments. If both parents take leave, they can extend to ~14 months (“Papa Mama Ikukyū Plus”). If daycare cannot be found by the child’s first birthday, leave benefits can be extended to 18 months, and again to 24 months at maximum, with payments continuing at 50 % during such extensions.
Papa leave benefit: The father’s 4-week “Papa” leave within 8 weeks after birth also qualifies for the childcare leave allowance at the 67 % rate. If the father takes the full 4 weeks, he’ll get about 67 % of 4 weeks’ salary paid via Employment Insurance, even if he later takes regular childcare leave. (There is a combined cap such that if both benefits are received, total can reach up to ~80 % of wages, but that’s beyond scope here.) The main point: fathers can receive income support for taking time off soon after the baby arrives, just like mothers do.
Social insurance & taxes: While you’re on maternity or childcare leave, you are exempt from paying social insurance premiums (health insurance and pension) for the leave period, and your employer doesn’t have to pay their portion either. This waiver applies from the month you start leave until the month before you return to work. If you have no salary during leave, you won’t owe Employment Insurance premiums either.
Taxes: The maternity allowance and childcare leave benefits are not subject to income tax. You may still pay a small resident tax if you had income earlier in the year, but there’s no tax on the benefits themselves. All this means the net replacement rate of your leave benefits is effectively higher than the raw 67/50 %, since you’re not paying taxes or social contributions out of pocket during that period.

Summary of Income During Leave: Your employer’s direct pay will likely be zero (¥0 salary). Instead, you receive ① Health Insurance Maternity Allowance (~67 %), ② Childbirth Lump-Sum (¥500 k), and ③ Employment Insurance Childcare Allowance (67 % → 50 %). Together, these measures ensure that most of your basic income needs are met while you take time off with your new child.

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Job protection and legal rights

Japan’s legal framework provides strong job protection for employees who are pregnant or taking maternity/childcare leave. Here are your key rights:

No firing or discipline for taking leave: It is strictly prohibited for an employer to dismiss you because of pregnancy, childbirth, or taking maternity/childcare leave. From the time you’re on maternity leave until 30 days after you return, termination is generally illegal (except in extreme cases like company bankruptcy). Even before leave starts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act prohibits firing or mistreatment for being pregnant or requesting leave. Bottom line: maternity harassment (マタハラ) is against the law.
General job security: During maternity or childcare leave, your position is essentially held for you. The employer must allow you to return to your original job or an equivalent position when you come back. Any demotion or pay cut attributable to taking leave can be challenged as discriminatory.
Protection from overtime and heavy work: Pregnant and nursing mothers can request transfer to lighter duties, and may refuse overtime, night shifts, or holiday work beyond their normal schedule. After returning, mothers can also request two paid nursing breaks (~30 minutes each) per day for infants under 1. These measures ensure health and baby’s needs are prioritized.
Right to reduced hours: Parents with a child under 3 can request shorter working hours (typically a 6-hour day). Parents of children up to elementary first grade can also request limits on overtime. Communicate in writing with HR; companies large and small must comply.
Continued insurance and benefits: While on approved leave you remain employed, maintain health/pension coverage (with premiums waived), and your seniority continues. Bonuses generally must not be withheld solely because of leave.
Employer obligations: All employers in Japan are legally required to comply with maternity and childcare leave laws and must create an environment that facilitates taking leave. Employers with 101+ employees must publish leave-utilization rates. Even small employers cannot refuse a properly requested leave.

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Application workflow

Here is a step-by-step workflow to ensure all paperwork is in order:

Obtain a medical certificate of expected delivery date around week 16–20 of pregnancy.
Notify your employer in writing of your pregnancy and intended maternity-leave dates. Include expected due date and desired start/end of prenatal/postnatal leave. Give at least 1 month’s notice; fathers must give at least 2 weeks for Papa leave.
Employer processes HR forms, including maternity-leave request, social-insurance exemption notice, and (if applicable) childcare-leave application.
File for maternity allowance (出産手当金支給申請書) while on leave—typically after birth—signed by doctor and employer.
Birth registration and lump-sum grant: Register birth at city/ward office within 14 days. Hospital usually handles the direct-payment of the ¥500 k lump-sum to cover delivery costs.
Apply for childcare leave (育児休業) before maternity leave ends, giving at least 1 month notice.
File for childcare leave allowance: Employer submits salary certificate; every 2 months a claim form is filed to receive payments.
Stay in touch with employer during leave; confirm return date and any flexible arrangements 1–2 months before return.
Return to work: Employer notifies authorities; salary and premium deductions resume. Discuss ongoing accommodations as needed.

Common pitfalls and FAQs

Q: How long is maternity leave in Japan?

Six weeks before the expected birth date (14 weeks for multiples) and eight weeks after childbirth. Total ~14 weeks for a single birth.

Q: Is maternity leave paid in Japan?

Employers are not required to pay salary, but social-insurance benefits compensate: ~67 % of wage for 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth, plus childcare leave allowance (67 % for first 6 months, 50 % thereafter). A ¥500,000 childbirth grant also offsets hospital costs.

Q: Can fathers take paternity leave?

Yes. Fathers can take up to 4 weeks of Postpartum Papa Leave within 8 weeks after birth, plus up to 1 year of childcare leave (extendable).

Q:: Who is eligible for childcare leave?

Almost any employee—full-time, part-time, contract, or dispatched—whose contract will last until at least the child’s first birthday. Small-business employees and foreign workers are covered.

Q: What is the “maternity allowance”?

A tax-free benefit equal to two-thirds of regular wage, paid for prenatal and postnatal leave days, available only to those covered by Employee Health Insurance.

Q: Can you be fired for taking leave?

No. Dismissal or disadvantageous treatment for pregnancy or taking leave is illegal. Document any issues and consult the Labour Bureau or an attorney if needed.

Resources

MHLW Working Women’s Support Site – Detailed guidance (Japanese only).
MHLW Guidebook on Childcare Leave Law (PDF) – Charts and examples of latest amendments.
HelloWork Employment Insurance Q&A – Calculation examples and application steps.
Telephone hotlines – Multilingual consultation for labor issues.
Prefectural Labour Bureau foreign-worker desks – In-person or email advice.
JAWE / Nichibenren – Resources and consultation days on work–life balance.

Conclusion

Maternity and paternity leave in Japan offer generous time off and financial support, ensuring that growing your family doesn’t mean sacrificing your career. By knowing the timeline, filing the right forms, and communicating with your employer, you can plan for a smooth leave and confident return to work. Prepare early, use the available resources, and enjoy time with your new child—you’ve earned this leave.

Written by Kareem Hasan
Real Estate Content Creator at E-Housing Japan.
Kareem specializes in housing trends, expat life, and navigating Japan’s real estate market as a foreign resident.

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