Rush, Michael (Michael Anthony)Michael (Michael Anthony)Rush2016-06-022016-10-072015 Unive2015-10-07International Review of Sociology: Revue Internationale de Sociologiehttp://hdl.handle.net/10197/7658This paper investigates social policies concerning men's transitions to fatherhood and the changing role of fathers in Japan. A review of fathering research reveals a predominantly agency-level emphasis on role-strain between work and paternal identities with a specific discourse of weakened Japanese fatherhood. Previous research suggested Japanese gender equality and work-life balance initiatives stalled due to an absence of women's influence within Japan's corporate culture. This study offers a historical perspective to show modern family policies were essentially rooted in gender-equality campaigns led by women's organisations dating back to post-WWII era. The findings situate Japanese social policy and epistemology in the international vanguard of a 'Nordic turn' towards structural-level research and improved social citizenship rights to support men's transitions to fatherhood.enThis is an electronic version of an article published in International Review of Sociology: Revue Internationale de Sociologie 25(3): 403-414 (2015). International Review of Sociology: Revue Internationale de Sociologie is available online at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03906701.2015.1078528.FatheringWork-life balanceParental leaveParental leaveGender equalitySocial policyJournal Article25340341410.1080/03906701.2015.10785282015-11-16https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/