Hong Kong (CNN Business) Japan's Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has announced that he will take paternity leave when his first child is born this month, an unusual step in a country where new fathers rarely take time off from work. Under Japanese law, both men and women are entitled to up to one year of leave from work after having a child. But in 2018, only 6.16% of men took paternity leave, according to government data released last year. Japan's Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference on September 11, 2019 in Tokyo. The move is also notable as Koizumi — the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi -- is widely seen as a future prime ministerial candidate.

Source: CNN January 16, 2020 06:45 UTC