①The period for which a worker who has filed an application for parental leave may take that parental leave (hereinafter referred to as the "period of parental leave") is between the scheduled start date for parental leave (or, in cases where an employer designates any day pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-3, paragraph (3) (including the cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of the same Article) or Article 7, paragraph (2) as applied mutatis mutandis in the preceding Article, the day designated by that employer or, in cases where the scheduled start date for parental leave is changed pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (1) as applied mutatis mutandis in the preceding Article, the changed scheduled start date for parental leave; the same applies hereinafter in this Article) and the scheduled end date for parental leave (or, in cases where the scheduled end date for parental leave is changed pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (3) as applied mutatis mutandis in the preceding Article, the changed scheduled end date for parental leave; the same applied in paragraph (6)).

②A worker who has filed an application for parental leave (limited to the person falling under the worker who is set forth as a person who is permitted to work during the period of parental leave under a written agreement between the employer and a labor union, if any, organized by a majority of workers at the place of business where the worker is employed or, when there is no labor union organized by the majority of workers at the place of business where the worker is employed, persons who represent the majority of workers) may apply to that worker's employer for dates on which the worker can work during the period of parental leave in the application or other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (referred to as "days available for work or other matters" hereinafter in this Article) for any period before the day preceding the scheduled start date for parental leave in the application.

③A worker who has filed an application pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph may change the days available for work or other matters in the application or withdraw the application upon applying to their employer, on or before the day preceding the scheduled start date for parental leave in the application.

④In cases where a worker has filed an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) (including the application for change pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph), the employer may propose the time and date within the scope of the days available for work or other matters in the application (or, in cases where the days available for work or other matters are changed pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the changed days available for work or other matters) and permit that worker to work on that time and date within the scope as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, only with the consent of that worker on or prior to the day preceding the scheduled start date for parental leave in the application pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

⑤The worker who has given the consent referred to in the preceding paragraph may withdraw a part of or the entire consent; provided, however, that this applies only in cases where there are special circumstances specified by Order of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare on and after the scheduled start date for parental leave in the application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2).

⑥In cases where any of the circumstances listed in the following items occurs, the period of parental leave ends, notwithstanding the provision of paragraph (1), on the day on which the relevant circumstance occurs (or, in cases where the circumstance set forth in item (iv) occurs, the previous day):

⑦The provisions of the second sentence of Article 8, paragraph (4) apply mutatis mutandis to cases where there are reasons specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare referred to in item (i) of the preceding paragraph.

①With regard to application of the provisions of Chapters II through V, Article 24, paragraph (1) and Chapter XII in cases where the spouse of a worker is taking childcare leave for taking care of the worker's child on any day on or before the date on which the child reaches one year of age, the term "less than one year of age" in Article 5, paragraph (1) is to be replaced with "less than one year of age (or less than one year and two months of age in cases where childcare leave is taken pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1))"; the term "date on which the child reaches one year of age" in the proviso of Article 5, paragraph (3) is to be replaced with "date on which the child reaches one year of age (in cases where the scheduled end date for childcare leave prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) (including cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1)) regarding an application filed by the worker pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1) falls after the date on which the child reaches one year of age, that scheduled end date for childcare leave)"; the term "or the worker's spouse... the date on which the child reaches one year of age" in Article 5, paragraph (3), item (i) is to be replaced with "...takes childcare leave on the date on which the child reaches one year of age (in cases where the scheduled end date for childcare leave prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) (including the cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1)) regarding an application filed by the worker pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1) falls after the date on which the child reaches one year of age, the scheduled end date for childcare leave), or the worker's spouse ...the date on which the child reaches one year of age (in cases where the scheduled end date for childcare leave prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) (including the cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1)) regarding an application filed by the worker's spouse pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1) falls after the date on which the child reaches one year of age, the relevant scheduled end date for childcare leave)"; the term "date on which the child reaches one year of age" in item (iii) of the same paragraph is to be replaced with "date on which the child reaches one year of age (or, in cases where the scheduled end date for childcare leave prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) (including the cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1)) regarding an application filed by the worker taking care of the child pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1) falls after the date on which the child reaches one year of age, the scheduled end date for childcare leave)"; the term "date on which the child reaches one year of age" in Article 5, paragraph (6), item (i) is to be replaced with "date on which the child reaches one year of age (in cases where the scheduled end date for childcare leave prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) (including the cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1)) regarding an application filed by the worker taking care of the child pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1) falls after the date on which the child reaches one year of age, the scheduled end date for childcare leave (or either of the scheduled end date for childcare leave for the worker or the scheduled end date for childcare leave for the spouse if the two dates are different); the same applies in paragraph (3) of the following Article)"; the term "the changed scheduled end date for childcare leave; ... the following paragraph" in Article 9, paragraph (1) is to be replaced with "the changed scheduled end date for childcare leave; the same applies in the following paragraph (including cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1)) (or, in cases where the scheduled end date for childcare leave falls after the period of days elapses from the scheduled start date for childcare leave, which are obtained by subtracting from the number of days for which childcare leave may be taken (the number of days from the date of birth of the child subject to childcare leave to the date on which the child reaches one year of age) the number of days for the childcare leave taken (meaning the total number of days of the leave taken by the worker pursuant to the provisions of Article 65, paragraph (1) or (2) of the Labor Standards Act (Act No. 49 of 1947) and days of the childcare leave and the parental leave specified in paragraph (1) of the following Article taken by the worker for the child on and after the date of birth of the child), the day on which the period elapses; the following paragraph (including cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1))"; the term "or one year and six months of age with regard to childcare leave for which an application was filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (3)" in Article 9, paragraph (2), item (ii) is to be replaced with "or one year and two months of age with regard to childcare leave for which an application was filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1), one year and six months of age with regard to childcare leave for which an application was filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (3) (including the cases where applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1))"; the term "paragraph (4) of the same Article" in Article 9, paragraph (2), item (ii) is to be replaced with "Article 5, paragraph (4)"; the term "one year of age (" in Article 24, paragraph (1), item (i) is to be replaced with "one year of age (or one year and two months of age in cases where that worker may file an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (1) as applied by replacing terms pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-6, paragraph (1),"; and any other necessary technical replacement of terms are specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

②The provisions of the preceding paragraph does not apply to cases where the scheduled start date for childcare leave under an application filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (1) in cases where an application in the preceding paragraph falls after the day following the date the child subject to childcare leave child reaches one year of age or before the first day of the period of childcare leave taken by the spouse of the worker in the case referred to in the preceding paragraph.

With regard to the application of the provisions of Article 5, paragraphs (3), (4), and (6) as well as the preceding Article, a request made, or childcare leave taken based on that request, by the spouse of a worker pursuant to the provisions of Article 3, paragraph (2) of the Act on Childcare Leave of Diet Officers (Act No. 108 of 1991), Article 3, paragraph (2) of the Act on Childcare Leave of National Government Employees (Act No. 109 of 1991) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 27, paragraph (1) of the same Act and the Act on Temporary Measures concerning Court Officers (Act No. 299 of 1951) (limited to the part pertaining to item (vii))), Article 2, paragraph (2) of the Act on Childcare Leave of Local Government Employees (Act No. 110 of 1991), or Article 2, paragraph (2) of the Act on Childcare Leave of Judges (Act No. 111 of 1991), is considered to be a filed application, or childcare leave taken based on the application, pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (1), (3) or (4), respectively.

An employer must not dismiss or otherwise treat a worker disadvantageously due to the worker having filed an application for childcare leave (meaning the application for childcare leave and the application for parental leave; the same applies hereinafter) or having taken childcare leave, or not having filed the application pursuant to the provisions of Article 9-5, paragraph (2) or not having given the consent referred to in paragraph (4) of the same Article, or such other causes related to the provisions of paragraphs (2) through (5) of the same Article as specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.