Considering the Future of Parental Leave, the "Working & Raising Children" Project for "Nursery School Study Abroad" Launches. Seeking Supporting Companies.

KitchHike Inc. (Headquarters: Atsabe-cho, Hiyama-gun, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Masaya Yamamoto), which promotes "Nursery School Study Abroad," will launch the "Working & Raising Children" project in July 2026 to explore new ways of working and taking time off for child-rearing generations.

Details page: https://hoikuen-ryugaku.com/co-creation

This project aims to practice, verify, and disseminate new ways of working and taking time off throughout the entire child-rearing period, in collaboration with companies focusing on human capital management, well-being, and DE&I. It gently questions the conventional approach where support for working parents tends to focus on "0-1 year old parental leave" and "parental leave acquisition rates," and will present and promote options that combine remote work and flexible paid leave systems to society.

We are seeking companies that agree with this project to verify and promote new ways of working and taking time off suited for the coming era.

◼︎ Background

- The key to recruitment, retention, and engagement is shifting from "work-life balance" to "quality of balance."

In an era where dual-income households are the norm, attracting, retaining, and engaging the child-rearing generation is a management issue that affects corporate growth. A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey* shows that 63% of young men and 77% of young women responded that parental leave acquisition status influences their job selection, making the establishment of parental leave systems a prerequisite for recruitment competitiveness. Furthermore, the focus of the child-rearing generation is shifting from the mere existence of parental leave systems to the qualitative question of "Can I raise my child well while working?"

- Parental leave is entering an era where "ways of working and taking time off throughout the child-rearing period" are questioned, beyond just "acquisition rates."

The parental leave acquisition rate for men reached a record high of 40.5% in fiscal year 2024. However, 34.8% of men who took parental leave and 42.0% of their partners felt it was "just taking leave," indicating that not only the system's availability but also the quality of how it is spent is being questioned. Meanwhile, the current parental leave system primarily targets the period from postpartum to around one year of age, but child development does not end with the parental leave period; it continues through preschool and school ages. Moving forward, support is needed not only for parental leave acquisition rates but also for ways of working and taking time off that support the entire child-rearing period, including time actively involved in child development, such as through "Nursery School Study Abroad."

- Well-being in human capital management is expanding from "employees" to "families and children."

With the promotion of human capital management and the increasing obligation for disclosure, the movement to view not only employee well-being and physical/mental health but also the overall fulfillment of work, life, and life itself as management issues is rapidly spreading alongside the penetration of health management. This perspective is now expanding beyond individual employees to encompass the happiness of the entire life, including family and children. Whether working parents can actively participate in their children's development is directly linked to employee well-being.

- "Child, youth, and child-rearing support" is becoming a management theme that enhances corporate value.

The "Kodomo Mannaka Action Plan 2026," specific measures for child and child-rearing policies compiled by the government in June, includes the promotion of a "corporate initiative for growth with children." The aim is to introduce a certification system for companies that are positive about child-rearing, provide tax incentives, and clarify the positioning of child and child-rearing support initiatives in human capital management disclosures. A virtuous cycle of corporate "child, youth, and child-rearing support" and "growth" is increasingly emphasized.

*Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "Survey on Awareness Regarding Parental Leave Acquisition Among Young People" 2024

"Working & Raising Children" Project Initiatives

In this project, we will practice, verify, and disseminate "new ways of working and taking time off throughout the child-rearing period" together with companies focusing on human capital management, well-being, and DE&I. We will initially promote the following initiatives:

- Certification as a "Working & Raising Children" Project Promotion Company Companies promoting new ways of working and taking time off for child-rearing generations will be featured on a special website, etc.

- Dissemination inside and outside the company through interviews and case studies Interviews and case studies will be conducted with representatives from relevant departments such as HR and DE&I at each company. These will be published as articles to widely disseminate the companies' advanced stances to society.

- In-house trial use of "Nursery School Study Abroad" (for participating companies only) We will provide opportunities for practice tailored to each company's phase, such as conducting in-house trials for employees to consider its introduction as a welfare benefit.

In the future, we anticipate providing information exchange and community management among companies with advanced cases, as well as providing results of insight surveys on "ways of working and taking time off" for the child-rearing generation to interested companies.

List of Supporting Companies (As of July 1, 2026 / Order not significant)

ANA Holdings Inc.

YADOKARI Inc.

eiicon Corporation

SOLD OUT Inc.

Timers Inc.

【Comments from Supporting Companies】

Yoshiaki Tsuda, Head of Future Creation Office, ANA Holdings Inc.

KitchHike's Nursery School Study Abroad is a door opened for children to step out of their familiar towns and for accompanying families to connect with local communities. Furthermore, due to the declining birthrate, vacant spots in nursery schools attract people from all over the world, revitalizing the region. The ANA Group, with its management philosophy of "Wings of the Heart Connecting the World," will fully participate to create a world where the lives of those opening the door and those on the other side are enriched and filled with excitement.

Kyoishi Kitagawa, Representative Director, President & CEO, CCO & Group Executive Officer, SOLD OUT Inc.

"Can I leave my child with lifelong experiences while working?" is a question we also want to cherish. Nursery School Study Abroad fosters children's irreplaceable potential while working and living away from their familiar surroundings. It also helps families reclaim warm time spent together. Not giving up on either work or family. We are proud to participate as a supporting company in creating this new standard.

【Special Support Comments】

Families using Nursery School Study Abroad

Maya Okui, Executive Officer, VP of HR Work, Mercari, Inc. (User of Nursery School Study Abroad)

As parents, when we get caught up in the daily routine, we realize we've inadvertently narrowed our children's experiences into routines too. We had many encounters that greatly broadened our perspectives as parents.

"Not limiting children's experiences due to parental circumstances. To foster skills that are difficult to develop in adulthood." / Maya Okui, Executive Officer, VP of HR Work, Mercari

Akiko Asai, Representative Director, and Takashi Maeno, Director, Japan Well-being Foundation

We are now seeking a societal shift where one doesn't have to give up on child-rearing, work, or living a life true to oneself, but can cherish all of them. Nursery School Study Abroad provides children with precious opportunities to connect with nature, culture, and people in their local communities, and its value extends to families, communities, and future generations. By rooting this experience as a culture, the very way of living, working, and society will change. The Japan Well-being Foundation supports the potential for such social change.

【Comment from Maiko Kawakami, Director of KitchHike】

Maiko Kawakami, Director CRRO (Chief Regional Relationship Officer), KitchHike Inc.

Not giving up on ideals for both work and child-rearing. It's easy to say, but the reality is that it's still not easy for those involved. As one of them, I have been grappling with this idea, including being involved in the launch of KitchHike's HR system "LIFE."

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the quality of development during the crucial period from around 0 to 9 years old, when the foundation of development is formed, becomes even more important. The non-cognitive skills and sensibilities nurtured through real experiences with nature and local people during this period are "lifelong gifts" that are valuable in any era. Nursery School Study Abroad aims to deliver irreplaceable experiences that enrich a child's life, in line with the concept of "Lifelong Gift."

However, the option to "take time off work" or "work remotely" for the sake of developmental quality is still limited to a select few. I am convinced that a culture where child-rearing generations can proactively choose their ways of working and taking time off, and the supportive stance of companies, will create a happier society.

We look forward to your company's support for this project.

Inquiries

Email: info@kitchhike.com

Contact: Hasebe / Kawakami, KitchHike Inc.

About KitchHike Inc.

KitchHike's mission is to "Expand the value of regions and connect it to the future of the Earth." We are a brand production and platform company that refines value so that each region worldwide becomes a pioneer of the future, creating new cultural and economic spheres. We develop regional businesses that bring innovation from regions to the entire globe.

Awassabu Headquarters: 92-1 Kamisato, Atsabe-cho, Hiyama-gun, Hokkaido

Tokyo Office: ROUTE89 BLDG. 4F, 4-13-9 Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Representative Director: Masaya Yamamoto (Expert, SDGs Problem-Solving Model City, Cabinet Office)

Established: December 2012

HP: https://kitchhike.jp/

<List of Businesses>

◎ "Nursery School Study Abroad": A living experience for families staying in a region for 1-2 weeks, with children as the main focus.

https://hoikuen-ryugaku.com/

◎ "NIPPON LOCAL FOOD GIFT": A gift service that delivers regional food.

https://n-localfoodgift.com/

◎ "Research Institute for the Future of Children and Regions": A business studio that creates the future of children and regions as a partner to regions and municipalities.

https://kitchhike.jp/studio

<Awards>

"Nursery School Study Abroad," a living experience for families staying in a region for 1-2 weeks with children as the main focus, has received numerous awards, including the "16th Parenting Award" for Japan's parenting trends in 2023 selected by a popular parenting magazine, "Excellent 3 Cases" from the Cabinet Office's "SDGs Partnership Platform for Regional Revitalization," the Cabinet Office's "2023 Regional Revitalization Telework Award - Regional Issue Resolution Project Participation Category," and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award (highest award) at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "FY2023 Regional Creation Award."