When Does Maternity Leave Start in Japan? Calculating Prenatal and Postnatal Leave from Your Due Date
You may hear that prenatal leave starts “6 weeks before the due date,” but it is easy to get confused about which day to count from. This guide uses concrete due dates to explain how prenatal and postnatal leave dates are counted under Japan’s Labor Standards Act, what changes for twins or more, how early or late births are handled, and the dates that connect to the maternity allowance and childcare leave.
The rules for prenatal and postnatal leave
Prenatal and postnatal leave (maternity leave) is set out in Article 65 of Japan’s Labor Standards Act. It is not limited to full-time employees: anyone employed, including part-time, temporary agency and contract workers, can take it.
| Period | How it works | |
|---|---|---|
| Prenatal leave | From 6 weeks before the due date, counting the due date (14 weeks for a multiple pregnancy) | You can take it if you request it. If you don’t, you may keep working |
| Postnatal leave | 8 weeks from the day after the birth | As a rule you cannot work. After 6 weeks, you may do work a doctor approves if you request it |
Prenatal leave is leave you “may take,” and you decide when to start. Postnatal leave, by contrast, is a period in which your employer “must not let you work,” so you cannot work for 6 weeks after the birth even if you want to.
Prenatal leave starts on “day 42, counting the due date as day 1”
“Six weeks before” means the 42nd day when you count the due date as day 1. If your due date is May 10, 2027, counting back 42 days from May 10 gives March 30, 2027 as the first day you can start prenatal leave. In pregnancy weeks, that is 34 weeks and 1 day. For a multiple pregnancy (twins or more), it is 14 weeks (98 days) before, so leave can start on February 2, 2027 (26 weeks and 1 day).
| Due date | Start of prenatal leave | Multiple pregnancy | End of postnatal leave (if born on the due date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2027 | February 7, 2027 | December 13, 2026 | May 15, 2027 |
| April 1, 2027 | February 19, 2027 | December 25, 2026 | May 27, 2027 |
| May 10, 2027 | March 30, 2027 | February 2, 2027 | July 5, 2027 |
| June 1, 2027 | April 21, 2027 | February 24, 2027 | July 27, 2027 |
When the baby arrives early or late
Prenatal leave starts based on the due date, but postnatal leave is counted from the day after the actual birth. The day of birth itself is part of prenatal leave.
| Date of birth (due date May 10, 2027) | Prenatal leave | Postnatal leave |
|---|---|---|
| On the due date, May 10 | March 30–May 10 (42 days) | May 11–July 5 |
| 10 days early, April 30 | March 30–April 30 (32 days) | May 1–June 25 |
| 7 days late, May 17 | March 30–May 17 (49 days) | May 18–July 12 |
- If the baby is late, the extra days are simply added to prenatal leave, and the 8 weeks of postnatal leave are not shortened
- If the baby is early, prenatal leave is shorter by that amount. Postnatal leave is 8 weeks from the day after the birth
- Even if you had not started leave before the due date, postnatal leave always begins the day after the birth
The period covered by the maternity allowance
If you are enrolled in your employer’s health insurance and receive no salary during maternity leave, the health insurance pays a maternity allowance (出産手当金). It covers the days you are off work between 42 days (98 for multiples) before the birth (or the due date, if the baby is late) and 56 days after the birth.
- The daily amount is the average standard monthly remuneration for the 12 months up to the start of payment ÷ 30 days × two-thirds
- If the baby is born after the due date, the extra days are also covered
- National Health Insurance generally has no maternity allowance (self-employed people and freelancers are often not covered)
- The childbirth lump-sum allowance (as a rule ¥500,000 per baby) is a separate benefit you receive from your health insurance whatever your employment status
How to work out the daily amount, amounts by monthly salary, adjustments when you use paid leave and the conditions for receiving it after resigning are explained in How much is Japan’s maternity allowance? Calculation and pay table.
Childcare leave after maternity leave, and the school year set by the birth date
A mother’s childcare leave can start the day after postnatal leave ends. If the baby is born on the due date of May 10, 2027, postnatal leave runs until July 5, so childcare leave runs from July 6 and, as a rule, until the day before the child’s first birthday (May 9, 2028). Fathers can take childcare leave from the date of birth, and there is also “postnatal paternity leave” (出生時育児休業), which allows up to 4 weeks within 8 weeks of the birth. The benefits you receive during childcare leave are explained in How the childcare leave benefit is calculated, with a pay table.
If your due date is in late March or early April, the child’s school year depends on the actual birth date. Babies born on or before April 1 are “early-born” and belong to the school year above; those born on April 2 or later belong to the next one. For a due date of April 1, 2027, a baby born by April 1 starts elementary school in April 2033, and one born on April 2 or later in April 2034. The reason for this cut-off is explained in How school years are counted and early-born children.
Get your maternity leave dates from your due date
Enter your due date (or the first day of your last period) in the Due Date & Pregnancy Week Calculator, and the “Maternity leave & school year guide” shows the first day you can take prenatal leave and the pregnancy week on that day, the end of postnatal leave if the baby arrives on the due date, the first day you can work after 6 weeks postpartum, and the year your child will start elementary school. Tick “Twins or more (multiple pregnancy)” to switch to dates 14 weeks before.
If the April 1/April 2 boundary falls within two weeks either side of your due date, the tool also warns that the school year may change. Use it for groundwork when you tell your employer about maternity leave or plan your handover. How to work out the due date itself is covered in How to calculate your due date, and milestones along the way in A week-by-week pregnancy schedule.
FAQ
- From which week of pregnancy can I take maternity leave?
- From 6 weeks before the due date, counting the due date itself, which is 34 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy. For twins or more, it is 14 weeks before, at 26 weeks and 1 day. For a due date of May 10, 2027, prenatal leave can start on March 30, 2027 (February 2 for multiples).
- Is the due date included when counting “6 weeks before” for prenatal leave?
- Yes. The 42nd day, counting the due date as day 1, is the first day you can start prenatal leave. If your due date is a Monday, the day 6 weeks before is a Tuesday.
- If the baby is born after the due date, is postnatal leave shortened?
- No. The extra days are added to prenatal leave, and postnatal leave is 8 weeks from the day after the actual birth. For a due date of May 10, 2027 and a birth on May 17, prenatal leave runs from March 30 to May 17 and postnatal leave from May 18 to July 12.
- Can I start childcare leave right after postnatal leave ends?
- Yes. A mother’s childcare leave starts the day after postnatal leave and, as a rule, can last until the day before the child’s first birthday. If the baby is born on the due date of May 10, 2027, postnatal leave ends on July 5 and childcare leave starts on July 6.
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