Supporting men taking parental leave A special website called “Parental Leave Dads with Kids” has opened, featuring photos of dads taking parental leave and their children! / Parenting media “AERA with Kids” x Sekisui House “IKUKYU.PJT”

[Supporting men taking parental leave] Special website “Parental Leave Dads with Kids” opens, featuring photos of dads on parental leave and their children! / Parenting Media “AERA with Kids” x Sekisui House “IKUKYU.PJT” ​
Asahi Shimbun Publications Ltd. Press release: September 8, 2025 To Members of the Press [Supporting Men Taking Parental Leave] Special website “Parental Leave Dads with Kids” now open, featuring photos of dads taking parental leave and their children! / Parenting media “AERA with Kids” x Sekisui House “IKUKYU.PJT” Approximately 80 photos published with the cooperation of 34 companies and organizations AERA with Kids, a parenting and education information media outlet operated by Asahi Shimbun Publications Ltd., launched a special website, “Parental Leave Dads with Kids,” on Monday, September 8th, in support of Sekisui House, Ltd.’s (hereinafter “Sekisui House”) initiative, “IKUKYU.PJT,” which promotes paternity leave for men. The website features photos of everyday life for dads on parental leave and their children. “Childcare Leave Dad with Kids” Special
Website ​
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We received many photos from companies and organizations. This “Childcare Leave Dads with Kids” project was made possible through AERA with Kids’ support of Sekisui House’s “IKUKYU.PJT.” We reached out to the companies and organizations participating in the project and asked them to submit their “special” photos of male employees and staff who have taken parental leave with their children. We received approximately 80 photos from 34 companies and organizations and have posted them on a special website within the online media “AERA with Kids .” These photos are full of wonderful snapshots of everyday parenting, from the day you bathed your child for the first time, to the day you struggled with the temperature of the milk, to the day you played in the park. Alongside each photo, you’ll also find comments about memories with your child and your thoughts on taking parental leave.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/4702/2219/4702-2219-ab94e7ce159cc639618fdea4327b67db-964×965.jpg Photos are posted by the company or organization to which they belong. The site also features comments about their feelings and memories during parental leave. In addition to these photos, the special website “Parental Leave Dad with Kids” also features information on articles previously published by “AERA with Kids ” about men taking parental leave, as well as a series of articles examining
“childcare-friendly companies.” 【AERA with Kids Editor-in-Chief Suzuki Akira on “Childcare Leave Dads with Kids”】 The environment surrounding child-rearing is changing every year, and it’s becoming commonplace for both fathers and mothers to be involved in child-rearing. According to a 2024 survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the rate of male employees taking child-care leave will reach a record high of 40.5%. However, there are variations in how companies approach parental leave, and even in companies where parental leave is increasingly being offered, fathers still face challenges such as the difficulties of raising children and balancing work and family life. “AERA with Kids” is based on the motto “Adding Positive Effects to Parenting and Excitement to Learning,” and disseminates information through magazines, online media, social media, and more to make daily parenting positive, fun, and easy. We want to create a society where both mothers and fathers can truly say, “I’m glad I took parental leave,” and where people can continue to enjoy the daily life of raising children even after parental leave and share the challenges. – With these wishes in mind, we endorsed Sekisui House’s “IKUKYU.PJT” and collaborated with the company to create this project. AERA with Kids＋ ​ September 19th is “Think About Parental Leave Day” – Let’s spread the word about parental leave together! The “IKUKYU.PJT” project was established in 2019 by Sekisui House with the aim of encouraging men to take parental leave and helping to create a better society. The project, launched in 2019, designated September 19th as “Think About Parental Leave Day” and works with people from various backgrounds to send out a message that encourages people to think about parental leave. This year, in its seventh year, 174 companies and organizations have joined the project. As more men are taking parental leave, we are taking various measures to improve the quality of their parental leave, including releasing the online video “My First Parental Leave | #ParentalLeaveDay,” publishing the “Men’s Parental Leave White Paper 2025,” and disseminating information from supporting companies and organizations on social media.
IKUKYU.PJT ​ 【Childcare leave dad with Companies and organizations that participated in Kids’ program: *Company names listed in alphabetical order, separate groups. The Asahi Shimbun Company / Interg Corporation / Eidai Sangyo Co., Ltd. / NTT DATA Group Corporation / NTN Corporation / Osaka University / Okamura Corporation / Omron Group / Kansai Economic Federation / Kyocera Corporation / Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd. / GlaxoSmithKline K.K. / Cosol Co., Ltd. / Kokuyo Co., Ltd. / SAKURUG Co., Ltd. / J-Feel Co., Ltd. / Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. / Sekisui House, Ltd. / Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. / Takenaka Corporation / Teijin Limited / Terumo Corporation / Toshiba Group / transcosmos Inc. / Trenders Inc. / West Japan Railway Company / Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. / Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. / Nomura Business Services Co., Ltd. / Maruishi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. / ManpowerGroup Corporation / Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. / Meiji Co., Ltd. / Retty Inc. “Childcare Leave Dad with Kids” Special Website ​
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