RetireJapan

Ori wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 5:51 am First of all I would like to congratulate you and commend on your intention to take a fraternal leave. Having been through this just recently, I can say that 1) your wife will definitely need you during the first year (eps. the first 3-6 month, after that it gets easier, as long as there is someone to cook and clean), 2) you will not regret being there when you baby smiles for the first time, or says their first word etc.

Ori wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 5:51 am As for the expenses, in the first year it's really not much: diapers, formula (though, it's better in many ways if your wife breastfeeds), clothes, toys etc. are all not expensive (unless you throw out spoiled clothes instead of washing them, as some ppl do ).
The biggest expenses would be stroller, high-chair, bouncer or high-low chair (though, they are useless in my experience), bedding&bed, baby carrier. To cut on that, you can use Jimoty and Mercari (except for the mattress, due to hygienic reasons as it can't be washed).

Ori wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 5:51 am Also, considering you won't have to pay taxes on your income, it won't decrease as much as it seems.

Ori wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 5:51 am Some bonus advises:
1) Consider sleeping on futon/mattress on the floor with your baby if your wife is breastfeeding. It will make night feedings sooo much easier.
2) Swaddle the baby in "Magic blanket" swaddle or similar. They sleep so much better in it.
3) Buy firm mattress, not a soft one and not a futon, to prevent SIDS. But don't sweat it out if baby sleeps from time to time on softer parents' mattress.
4) Don't be a jerk and help you wife as much as you can. She won't forget it for the rest of her life if you don't.

Moneymatters wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 7:38 am Babies sleep 2/3rds of the day to start with anyway.

Moneymatters wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 7:38 am Not sure if you mentioned it. But in your year off see if you have a skill to develop that might increase your potential for increased primary or a secondary income. This might help you stay on track with those retirement goals.
Babies sleep 2/3rds of the day to start with anyway.

Interestingly. Between lock down and online lessons Teenagers can sleep up to 4/5ths of the day!

iDeco will be paused as we will receive no salary.

Impact of childcare leave on individual defined contribution pension plans (iDeCo)
Based on the above-mentioned childcare leave system, what kind of impact will a person who has an individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo) have if he / she uses the above-mentioned childcare leave system?

In particular, let's consider whether the contribution of the individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo) can be contributed even during childcare leave, and whether taking childcare leave affects the contribution method of the individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo). ..
Handling of contributions
The individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo) has the function of asset management that contributes to one's own asset formation rather than a public pension.

Therefore, the individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo) contributions are exempt, but they do not enjoy the same financial benefits as the contributions.

Also, as long as you are building your own assets, if you do not pay the contributions, the contributions for that month will simply not be included in the investment resources.

Therefore, there is no effect of childcare leave.
How to pay contributions
The childcare leave system has no effect on the individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo) contribution itself.

However, the monthly individual defined contribution pension (iDeCo) contribution payment method is not affected if the individual payment is made, but it is affected if the business owner is making the payment.

This is because the employer cannot deduct the salary because the salary is generally not paid during childcare leave.

In this case, it is necessary to change to individual payment and make a contribution.

kuma wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:58 am A few further things occurred to me to mention, though you may already know about the paperwork side of things:


Childbirth during Covid
Just to say I empathise that restrictions mean you might not be allowed to be present at the birth. Happened to me, though not for my firstborn child.


Birth certificate
Short version: get a couple of birth certificates issued and translated as this is not automatic (due to the family register being king in Japan); your child may need them in the future (I needed a birth certificate to get married), and it might be a pain to get these issued from afar (in geography and/or time).

Long version: you can request a certificate of birth registration acceptance (出生届受理証明書) from the ward/city/town office, a translation of which would almost certainly be accepted internationally as a birth certificate for most purposes. These can be issued within about 30 mins of registering the birth.

You can also get a certified copy of the document you and the hospital fill in to register the birth. This document can look quite messy (see first pic here: http://www.okinawatranslator.jp/%E5%87% ... %E9%A1%9E/), but unlike the 出生届受理証明書, it includes the address of the hospital, and for this reason was the document required when I registered my son's birth with the UK authorities and officially give him his middle name. Might be worth getting one or two copies of this as well, just in case your child needs it in the future.


Paperwork
Get details in advance of exactly what documents your employer and your spouse’s employer will need for the birth. Provide these efficiently so as not to delay your child’s health insurance card.

In my case, my employer required:
1. A birth registration notification certificate – from the ward/city/town office (so I got some spares for my baby’s use too)
2. A new jyuminhyo, including baby’s MyNumber – from the ward/city/town office
3. An updated koseki tohon (as my wife is Japanese) – from the ward/city/town office
4. A dependent’s form – from my employer

Also, be sure to register for family allowance (15,000 yen per month for many, paid in batches of four months). I think there is a monthly cut-off for applications (which may or may not be published on your city/town/prefecture’s website) and no pro rata for part-months. I could be wrong. But in any case, applying as soon as practical will maximise your benefit.

Similarly, there’s a child healthcare subsidy system for which you’ll probably register at the same desk as the family allowance. This caps child healthcare costs at 580 yen (in my circumstances); given my son has had a couple of hospitalisations, this has really kept costs down. (You’ll still pay for hospital food; it’s the medical costs that are almost zero.)


Non-childcare leave
• Your company may offer 1-5 days of ‘special paid leave’ for your spouse’s childbirth.
• You may have annual leave available.
• Your insurer may offer 60% reimbursement for lost salary for 14 days after your spouse’s childbirth.

Thus, you might have some options in how you deploy your leave around the time of childbirth. Pros and cons. Childcare leave renders you exempt from pension and social insurance contributions from the month in which it begins even if your leave starts on the last day of the month; something to be aware of if juggling different types of leave, though the baby comes when he/she comes!


Childcare after return to work
Cross this bridge when you come to it, but little by little become aware of when and how to apply for a childcare place (eg hoikuen), and the local situation re competition for places. In my location, the child-rearing department told us that basically 0 years was the main chance to get kids into the system, and that kids seeking places at 1+ would be waiting for vacancies to arise when children moved out of the ward, and such vacancies might not match our needs in terms of location and time, and that we might keep being trumped by higher priority kids in any case. Things might not be so competitive where you are, and there are alternatives to hoikuen anyway, and childcare leave can be extended if you apply for childcare but don’t get it. On this point, we were told straight up by the department that some parents deliberately apply for hoikuen which they are unlikely to be accepted for so as to extend their eligibility for childcare leave beyond one year. The officials help such parents achieve their goal because that means that the kids which actually want the places get them, which is in everyone’s interests.

kuma wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:58 am
Childbirth during Covid
Just to say I empathise that restrictions mean you might not be allowed to be present at the birth. Happened to me, though not for my firstborn child.

Yossarian wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 7:51 am

kuma wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:58 am
Childbirth during Covid
Just to say I empathise that restrictions mean you might not be allowed to be present at the birth. Happened to me, though not for my firstborn child.

Yes, I won't be allowed present at birth or to visit during the time my wife is staying in the hospital. Unfortunately, the first time I meet my son will be 5 days after he's born.