A mayor is taking maternity leave in Japan. Some men are furious
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In Japan, some women feel pressure to avoid taking extended maternity leave, as they are worried their careers might suffer.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
Javier C. Hernandez and Kiuko Notoya
YAWATA, Japan – The news travelled fast in Yawata, a spiritual oasis of 68,000 people in western Japan known for its traditional tea culture and cherry blossoms. Shoko Kawata, the city’s mayor, was pregnant with her first child – and she was planning to take maternity leave, the first mayor in Japan to do so.
Many residents of Yawata celebrated 35-year-old Kawata and her decision, which she announced in May. They offered gifts like crocheted baby shoes and auspicious ceremonial rocks.