ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we examine fathers’ involvement in childcare in Japan and Norway since the 1990s. The major policies pertaining to parental leave are reviewed and the effects of these policies are discussed by looking at the publicly available data in both countries. Using the data we collected, a model which includes a range of social and ideological factors affecting paternal involvement in childcare was examined. Our findings indicate that Japanese men who have younger children and whose spouse's income is relatively high are more likely to be involved in childcare, whereas for Norwegian fathers, their childcare involvement was not influenced by these factors. These findings are discussed in light of the increasing attention on fathers’ childcare involvement in the two countries.
