①To comprehensively and effectively promote the measures to support raising next-generation children, the competent minister must establish guidelines (referred to below as the "guidelines for the formulation of an action plan") on the formulation of a municipal action plan stated in paragraph (1) of the following Article, a prefectural action plan stated in Article 9, paragraph (1), a general employer action plan stated in Article 12, paragraph (1), and a specified employer action plan stated in Article 19, paragraph (1) (referred to as the "municipal action plan, etc." in the following paragraph), in accordance with the fundamental principles.

②The guidelines for the formulation of an action plan are to prescribe the guidelines for a municipal action plan, etc. regarding the following matters:

③The competent minister is to promptly make changes to the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan when the minister finds it necessary considering the trends in the declining birthrate, changes in children's circumstances, and other factors.

④When the competent minister intends to establish or change the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan, the minister must hear the opinions of the Child and Family Council in advance, and deliberate with the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications on the parts related to a municipal action plan stated in paragraph (1) of the following Article and a prefectural action plan stated in Article 9, paragraph (1).

⑤When the competent minister has established or changed the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan, the minister must make those guidelines public without delay.

①In line with the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan, every five years, a municipality may formulate a plan concerning the implementation of measures to support raising next-generation children (referred to below as the "municipal action plan"), with regard to the affairs and services of the municipality, with five years as one term, including supporting childcare in the region, safeguarding and promoting motherhood and the health of an infant and toddler, creating an educational environment that contributes to a healthy mental and physical development of children, ensuring high-quality housing and a favorable living environment suitable for a family raising children, and improving the balance between professional and domestic lives of a worker.

②A municipal action plan is to prescribe the following matters:

③When a municipality intends to formulate or change its municipal action plan, the municipality is to take necessary measures in advance to reflect the opinions of residents in the plan.

④When a municipality intends to formulate or change its municipal action plan, the municipality must endeavor to take necessary measures in advance to reflect the opinions of employers, workers, and other persons concerned in the plan.

⑤When a municipality has formulated or changed its municipal action plan, the municipality must endeavor to make the plan public and must submit it to the prefecture without delay.

⑥When a municipality has formulated its municipal action plan, the municipality is to endeavor to make public the status of the implementation of any measures based on the municipal action plan approximately once a year.

⑦When a municipality has formulated its municipal action plan, the municipality must periodically evaluate the status of the implementation of any measures based on the municipal action plan, review the municipal action plan, and, when the municipality finds it necessary to do so, endeavor to change the municipal action plan or take other necessary measures.

⑧If a municipality finds it particularly necessary to formulate a municipal action plan and to implement measures based on the municipal action plan, the municipality may request an employer and other persons concerned to provide any cooperation necessary for conducting surveys.

①In line with the guidelines for the formulation of action plans, every five years, a prefecture may formulate a plan concerning the implementation of the measures to support raising next-generation children (referred to below as the "prefectural action plan") with regard to the affairs and services of the prefectural government, with five years as one term, including supporting childcare in the region, developing a nurturing environment for children in need of protection, safeguarding and promoting motherhood and the health of an infant and toddler, creating an educational environment that contributes to a healthy mental and physical development of children, ensuring high-quality housing and a favorable living environment suitable for a family raising children, and improving the balance between professional and domestic lives of a worker.

②A prefectural action plan is to prescribe the following matters:

③When a prefecture intends to formulate or change its prefectural action plan, the prefecture is to take necessary measures in advance to reflect the opinions of residents in the plan.

④When a prefecture intends to formulate or change its prefectural action plan, the prefecture must endeavor to take necessary measures in advance to reflect the opinions of an employer, a worker, and other persons concerned in the plan.

⑤When a prefecture has formulated or changed its prefectural action plan, the prefecture must endeavor to make the plan public and must submit it to the competent minister without delay.

⑥When a prefecture has formulated its prefectural action plan, the prefecture is to endeavor to make public the status of the implementation of any measures based on the prefectural action plan approximately once a year.

⑦When a prefecture has formulated its prefectural action plan, the prefecture must periodically evaluate the status of the implementation of any measures based on the prefectural action plan, review the prefectural action plan, and, when the prefecture finds it necessary to do so, endeavor to change the prefectural action plan or take other necessary measures.

⑧If a prefecture finds it particularly necessary to formulate a prefectural action plan and to implement measures based on the prefectural action plan, the prefecture may request a municipality, an employer, and other persons concerned to provide any cooperation necessary for conducting surveys.

①A prefecture is to endeavor to provide the municipality with necessary advice and other assistance regarding technical matters related to the formulation of a municipal action plan.

②The competent minister is to endeavor to provide the prefecture with necessary advice and other assistance concerning the formulation of a prefectural action plan and other important technical matters for the formulation of the prefectural action plan.

①Pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order and within the scope of the budget, the national government may provide the municipality or prefecture with grants to cover the expenses required for the implementation of measures prescribed in a municipal action plan or prefectural action plan.

②When a municipality or prefecture intends to implement measures prescribed in a municipal action plan or prefectural action plan, the national government is to endeavor to provide advice and other assistance necessary for a smooth implementation of the measures.

①An employer other than the national government or a local government (referred to below as the "general employer") with over 100 regularly employed workers must formulate a general employer action plan (meaning a plan concerning measures to support raising next-generation children implemented by a general employer; the same applies below) in line with the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan, and notify the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of that plan pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The same applies when an employer makes any changes to the plan.

②A general employer action plan is to prescribe the following matters:

③When a general employer prescribed in paragraph (1) intends to formulate or change the general employer action plan, the general employer, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, must ascertain the status of the use of childcare leave, etc. taken by a worker employed by that employer (meaning childcare leave prescribed in Article 2, item (i) of the Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver Leave, and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members (Act No. 76 of 1991), absence from work due to measures equivalent to the childcare leave system stated in Article 23, paragraph (2) of that Act, or absence from work due to measures taken pursuant to the provisions of Article 24, paragraph (1) of that Act (limited to the part related to item (ii)) in accordance with the childcare leave system prescribed in item (ii) of that paragraph, or any other leave specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as being equivalent to that leave; the same applies below in this paragraph) and the status of their working hours, analyze the circumstances to be improved to achieve the balance between the professional and domestic lives of the worker, and formulate the plan by taking into consideration the results of the analysis. In this case, the general employer must quantitatively determine the goals stated in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph by using the figures indicating the status of the use of childcare leave, etc. taken by the worker employed by that employer and the status of their working hours.

④When a general employer prescribed in paragraph (1) has formulated or changed a general employer action plan, the general employer must make that fact public pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

⑤A general employer with 100 or less regularly employed workers must endeavor to formulate a general employer action plan in line with the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan and notify the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of that plan pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The same applies when the general employer makes any changes to the plan.

⑥The provisions of paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to cases where a general employer prescribed in the preceding paragraph intends to formulate or change a general employer action plan, and the provisions of paragraph (4) apply mutatis mutandis to cases where the general employer has formulated or changed a general employer action plan. In this case, the term "must formulate" in paragraph (3) is deemed to be replaced with "must endeavor to formulate" and the term "must make public" in paragraph (4) is deemed to be replaced with "must endeavor to make public".

⑦If a general employer prescribed in paragraph (1) does not make a notification pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph or make the relevant facts public pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4), the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare may recommend the general employer to make the notification or to make the relevant facts public within a reasonable period of time.

①When a general employer prescribed in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article has formulated or changed a general employer action plan, the general employer must take measures to ensure that the worker is notified of that fact, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

②When a general employer prescribed in paragraph (5) of the preceding Article has formulated or changed a general employer action plan, the general employer must endeavor to take measures to ensure that the worker is notified of that fact, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

③The provisions of paragraph (7) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis if a general employer prescribed in paragraph (1) of that Article does not take the measures under the provisions of paragraph (1).

Based on an application from a general employer who notified the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare pursuant to the provisions of Article 12, paragraph (1) or paragraph (5), the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, may certify that the employer has formulated an appropriate general employer action plan in light of the guidelines for the formulation of an action plan, concerning their efforts to improve the employment environment, has implemented the general employer action plan, has achieved the goals specified in the general employer action plan, and conforms to other standards specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.