Fathers are doing more childcare in East Asia

For years Mr Ito Tsubasa never questioned his family life: He worked long hours while his wife did all the housework. So it came as a shock when his wife, pregnant with their second child, suggested he take parental leave so she could focus on her career.

After a heated argument, he eventually gave in, taking six months of parental leave. His experience of staying at home has transformed his understanding of what it means to be a father. “I used to think I was a great dad just because I played with the child on the weekends,” says Mr Ito, whose children are now eight and four. “I couldn’t have been more wrong.”