After his son was born last April, Hyogo Prefecture civil servant Akira Hirabayashi decided to cut back on overtime at work. He yearned for more time with little Susumu and also wanted to give his wife, Chie, a chance to return to her teaching job at an elementary school.
The couple began talking about him applying for unpaid parental leave. Luckily, his boss and colleagues supported his request for a year off.
"Having to survive with one income is the biggest challenge, but the experience is priceless," said Hirabayashi, 35, who is currently in his third month of paternity leave and is so thrilled by fatherhood that he posts his daily child-raising experiences on a blog for the world to see.