[Childcare Leave Survey] Gen Z Shows Proactive Trend Towards 'Ikugyo': Is 'Childcare Leave a Plus for Work and Finances' the New Common Sense?
Better Place Co., Ltd. released a survey on 'Ikugyo' (childcare leave). It revealed that about 70% of Gen Z men have experienced it, and 64.5% of respondents feel it positively impacts their work, such as improving soft skills.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 18:26 (127h 54m after Collected)
Better Place Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Shinji Morimoto, https://bpcom.jp/ ), which supports the design and implementation of corporate pension and retirement allowance systems centered on the 'Welfare Hagukumi Corporate Pension Fund' (hereinafter 'Hagukumi Corporate Pension'), conducted an 'Ikugyo (Childcare Leave) Survey' in January 2026 targeting 377 men and women living with preschool children nationwide.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is working to foster a society-wide momentum to support 'Ikugyo' in collaboration with diverse entities, promoting the philosophy of the nickname 'Ikugyo', which considers childcare not as a 'break' (rest) but as an 'important job'. This survey visualized the reality of the financial benefits (reviewing life plans, improving household finances, etc.) and non-financial benefits (deepening family bonds, acquiring skills, etc.) brought about by childcare leave.
■ Survey Results Summary
[The Gen Z Transformation]
The childcare leave experience rate for men in their 20s is about 70%. This significantly exceeds the male average across all generations, indicating a trend where 'Ikugyo' is becoming more normalized among younger generations.
[Synergy with Careers]
64.5% of respondents answered that childcare leave has a 'positive impact' on their work. They realized improvements in soft skills directly applicable to business, such as time management and negotiation skills.
[Opportunity to Review Household Finances and Life Plans]
Regarding reviews of household finances prompted by childcare participation and leave, 'reviewing insurance' was the most common, followed by 'reviewing budget management', 'setting up/reviewing savings and accumulation plans', and 'starting/reviewing proactive investments and asset management'.
■ Detailed Survey Results
[Experience and Duration of Childcare Leave]
When asked about their experience with childcare leave, over 65% responded that they have taken it. Regarding the duration, the most common response was 'have taken childcare leave of 29 days or more, and are/were participating in childcare' at 55.3%, followed by 'have taken childcare leave of fewer than 29 days, and are/were participating in childcare' at 10.7%.
Looking by gender, the vast majority of women (79.1%) fell into the 'have taken childcare leave of 29 days or more, and are participating in childcare' category. On the other hand, the largest segment for men was 'have not taken childcare leave, but are participating in childcare' at 49.1%. While involvement in childcare itself is progressing for both men and women, the results reveal a significant gap between genders in the utilization of the childcare leave system.
Furthermore, looking by generation, about 70% of men in their 20s have experienced childcare leave, showing a significantly higher acquisition rate compared to men in other generations. For women, while the generational gap is not as large as for men, those in their 20s had the highest acquisition rate at over 95%. This suggests that for both men and women, childcare leave is becoming more commonplace among younger generations.
[Impact on Family Relationships]
Regarding changes in family relationships triggered by childcare participation and leave, over 60% responded that 'the relationship with the child deepened'. This was followed by 'a cooperative system with the partner was strengthened/built' (44.4%) and 'conversations within the family increased' (29.0%). The results suggest that childcare and leave serve as valuable opportunities to activate family communication and deepen mutual understanding.
[Impact on Work]
When asked about the impact that experiences and skills gained from childcare participation and leave have on 'work' and 'working', over 60% (64.5%) reported feeling a positive impact, combining 'very positive impact' (21.9%) and 'positive impact' (42.6%). While 'interference with work' is often a concern when balancing childcare and a career, in this survey, the positive response that 'experiences and skills gained from childcare leave have a positive impact on work' constituted the majority.
When asked what kind of skill upgrades they experienced triggered by childcare, nearly 40% answered 'improved household chores skills (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.)'. This was followed by 'improved time management skills (time allocation, prioritization)' at 34.0%, 'improved communication skills (dialogue with child, partner, and surroundings)' at 33.1%, and 'increased awareness of money management (budgeting, saving, asset building)' at 24.9%. It is evident that prioritizing various tasks, managing time, and communicating smoothly in childcare not only improve simple life skills but also provide valuable opportunities to hone soft skills directly applicable to business.
[Impact on Household Finances]
When asked about changes in household income among those who have taken childcare leave, nearly 70% reported a decrease in income. On the other hand, 28% offset this through allowance payments and reduced expenditures.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is working to foster a society-wide momentum to support 'Ikugyo' in collaboration with diverse entities, promoting the philosophy of the nickname 'Ikugyo', which considers childcare not as a 'break' (rest) but as an 'important job'. This survey visualized the reality of the financial benefits (reviewing life plans, improving household finances, etc.) and non-financial benefits (deepening family bonds, acquiring skills, etc.) brought about by childcare leave.
■ Survey Results Summary
[The Gen Z Transformation]
The childcare leave experience rate for men in their 20s is about 70%. This significantly exceeds the male average across all generations, indicating a trend where 'Ikugyo' is becoming more normalized among younger generations.
[Synergy with Careers]
64.5% of respondents answered that childcare leave has a 'positive impact' on their work. They realized improvements in soft skills directly applicable to business, such as time management and negotiation skills.
[Opportunity to Review Household Finances and Life Plans]
Regarding reviews of household finances prompted by childcare participation and leave, 'reviewing insurance' was the most common, followed by 'reviewing budget management', 'setting up/reviewing savings and accumulation plans', and 'starting/reviewing proactive investments and asset management'.
■ Detailed Survey Results
[Experience and Duration of Childcare Leave]
When asked about their experience with childcare leave, over 65% responded that they have taken it. Regarding the duration, the most common response was 'have taken childcare leave of 29 days or more, and are/were participating in childcare' at 55.3%, followed by 'have taken childcare leave of fewer than 29 days, and are/were participating in childcare' at 10.7%.
Looking by gender, the vast majority of women (79.1%) fell into the 'have taken childcare leave of 29 days or more, and are participating in childcare' category. On the other hand, the largest segment for men was 'have not taken childcare leave, but are participating in childcare' at 49.1%. While involvement in childcare itself is progressing for both men and women, the results reveal a significant gap between genders in the utilization of the childcare leave system.
Furthermore, looking by generation, about 70% of men in their 20s have experienced childcare leave, showing a significantly higher acquisition rate compared to men in other generations. For women, while the generational gap is not as large as for men, those in their 20s had the highest acquisition rate at over 95%. This suggests that for both men and women, childcare leave is becoming more commonplace among younger generations.
[Impact on Family Relationships]
Regarding changes in family relationships triggered by childcare participation and leave, over 60% responded that 'the relationship with the child deepened'. This was followed by 'a cooperative system with the partner was strengthened/built' (44.4%) and 'conversations within the family increased' (29.0%). The results suggest that childcare and leave serve as valuable opportunities to activate family communication and deepen mutual understanding.
[Impact on Work]
When asked about the impact that experiences and skills gained from childcare participation and leave have on 'work' and 'working', over 60% (64.5%) reported feeling a positive impact, combining 'very positive impact' (21.9%) and 'positive impact' (42.6%). While 'interference with work' is often a concern when balancing childcare and a career, in this survey, the positive response that 'experiences and skills gained from childcare leave have a positive impact on work' constituted the majority.
When asked what kind of skill upgrades they experienced triggered by childcare, nearly 40% answered 'improved household chores skills (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.)'. This was followed by 'improved time management skills (time allocation, prioritization)' at 34.0%, 'improved communication skills (dialogue with child, partner, and surroundings)' at 33.1%, and 'increased awareness of money management (budgeting, saving, asset building)' at 24.9%. It is evident that prioritizing various tasks, managing time, and communicating smoothly in childcare not only improve simple life skills but also provide valuable opportunities to hone soft skills directly applicable to business.
[Impact on Household Finances]
When asked about changes in household income among those who have taken childcare leave, nearly 70% reported a decrease in income. On the other hand, 28% offset this through allowance payments and reduced expenditures.