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Prime Minister Observes an In-House Nursery School -- Efforts toward Realizing Work-Life Balance -- Friday, February 15, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, together with Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, the Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs, observed a nursery school set up by a company in Tokyo on its premises. The Charter for Work-Life Balance, decided last December, suggests that efforts by companies toward realizing work-life balance should be actively embraced as "investment for tomorrow," instead of as "costs" for the companies. The Charter further calls on the company and people working there to together enhance their productivity, while independently striving for the reform of working practices, along with the reform of the culture and climate of the workplaces. This nursery school, established within the company's office premises four years ago, is intended to assist employees to enrich and balance their work and family life, the latter including child-raising. Prime Minister Fukuda, who first held talks with employees using the nursery school, listened to their comments such as, "This facility has saved us from the trouble of having to find a nursery school," "It gives us an extra reassurance to have our children near our workplaces," "The burden of commuting with children can be alleviated if both parents share the task," and "Child-raising and work can be balanced once we have gained the understanding of workplaces and cooperation of families." Afterwards, the Prime Minister moved to the area for childcare, and observed children playing with clay and singing rhymes cheerfully. After the observation, Prime Minister Fukuda commented on the future efforts for achieving work-life balance by saying, "Understanding of companies is a must and the Government should assist their efforts in that direction. Fundamentally, however, no progress can be expected unless the whole society understands these efforts. Therefore, it is essential that everyone join hands to assist these moves." He went on to say, "A basic approach is how to enable working women to continue their work without feeling inconvenience. We should not allow circumstances in which a woman ends up quitting her work once she has a child."