More than 10 percent of Japanese men experience 'paternity harassment'

A new survey has revealed that more than 1 in 10 working Japanese men have experienced "paternity harassment", which means that they are barred from taking child care leave or are subjected to harassment for even applying.

The survey, which was released by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), found that there was a staggering gap between the government's push for a family-friendly working environment and workplace realities, the Japan Times reported.

The poll conducted on 1,000 men aged between 20 and 59 has revealed that 11.6 percent of the respondents with children have experienced paternity harassment, while 5.5 percent claimed their requests for paternity leaves were rejected.

It was also found that 3.8 percent were told by their boss that taking paternity leave would damage their career and 1.9 percent were subjected to other kinds of harassment.

It has also been revealed that a lack of understanding by co-workers was the No. 1 reason men found it difficult to take time off for child-rearing.