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Japan’s First Sitting Mayor Takes 16-Week Maternity Leave

6/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Shoko Kawata, mayor of Yawata city, will become Japan’s first sitting mayor to take maternity leave.
She will take a 16-week leave—eight weeks before and after her September birth—and appoint a deputy, although Japan’s legal code does not guarantee maternity leave for elected officials.
City staff and many residents back the leave, while online critics say it wastes taxpayers’ money, as Japan records its tenth year of falling births.

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Story summary

Shoko Kawata, mayor of Yawata city, will become Japan’s first sitting mayor to take maternity leave.
She will take a 16-week leave—eight weeks before and after her September birth—and appoint a deputy, although Japan’s legal code does not guarantee maternity leave for elected officials.
City staff and many residents back the leave, while online critics say it wastes taxpayers’ money, as Japan records its tenth year of falling births.