Working dads and an expectant dad share the “realities of parental leave today” | SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Dads’ Roundtable (Part 1)

SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP, which handles PR and communications for a wide range of products and services, introduced a super-flex system with core hours completely abolished across the entire group in 2025.

To enable our diverse members to create “fun commotion,” it is essential to provide an environment where each person can work and live in a way that suits them. Since knowledge gained in private life can also lead to ideas, enriching personal time is also important for delivering high performance.

Parental leave is also one of the systems that supports diverse ways of working. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the male parental leave take-up rate in FY2024 is said to have reached 40.5%, up 10.4 points from the previous fiscal year.

In other words, these days, two out of every five working men take parental leave. At SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP, an environment is in place where anyone can take parental leave regardless of position if they wish, and the number of employees taking leave has been on the rise in recent years.

This time, we held a roundtable discussion with three members in total: two who have taken parental leave and one who plans to take it soon. We will share their candid thoughts on balancing childcare and work in a two-part series.

In this first part, they discussed their honest feelings about parental leave and how they worked at the time they took it.

What is the work style of dads at SUNNY?

—What kind of work are you currently doing? Please tell us, along with your experience to date.

Tsuruzono:I serve as the General Manager of Division 2, Department 4. As a manager, I support members by managing their work and condition and helping them generate ideas for new proposals, while also handling day-to-day work as an account lead for clients.

I joined SUNNY SIDE UP as a new graduate, and this year marks my 11th year with the company. When I first joined, I spent about three years in the Media Relations Department (now the Social Relations Department), where I built expertise in media promotion, and then transferred to a client-facing department like Department 4, where I am currently assigned.

Public Relations Business Division / Department 4 / Division 2 General Manager Tomoki Tsuruzono (Tomoki Tsuruzono)

Shimizu:I joined mid-career in 2016, and I am currently the Deputy Director of the Corporate Planning & Marketing Office in the Corporate Strategy Department, working to develop and strengthen relationships with lead clients.

For about eight years after joining, I worked as a planner. I thought it would create an interesting chemical reaction if I applied the organizational skills I developed as a communications planner to our mission of marketing, so since last fiscal year I have been taking on the challenge of my current department.

In my previous role at an advertising agency, I planned and executed campaigns, but I transferred to SUNNY SIDE UP because I wanted to work on projects with a broader range of solutions I could propose and that could directly influence society.

Corporate Strategy Department / Corporate Planning Marketing Office Deputy Director Takuma Shimizu (Takuma Shimizu)

Harashima:I belong to Division 2, Department 2. I joined mid-career in September 2023, so it will soon be two full years.

Before transferring to SUNNY SIDE UP, I worked as a barista and coffee roaster. When launching a new store, I became responsible for PR and realized the need to attract customers through social media and the media. That sparked my interest in PR and led to my career change to my current role.

Public Relations Business Division / Department 2 / Division 2 / Group 1 Kota Harashima (Kota Harashima)

—Mr. Tsuruzono and Mr. Shimizu are already fathers, and Mr. Harashima is an expectant father with a baby due soon. How have you been working recently?

Tsuruzono:Since we moved to a super-flex system with no core hours, I have been able to work even more flexibly at my own discretion than before.

My wife is currently on postnatal leave, so she supports me a great deal at home. Even so, I can adjust when I go into the office and meeting times—for example, visiting daycare centers and then heading to work. Within the division, including myself, we are able to work while being considerate of each other’s circumstances and respecting one another in various situations.

Shimizu:I am in charge of taking our two children to daycare. Every morning I wake them up, feed them, get them changed, and drop them off at daycare—by around 9:00 AM. Then I go to the office.

I am the type who switches into work mode more easily when I go in, but I also have remote-work days. What I always keep in mind is that no matter how busy I am, I make sure to be home by around 10:00 PM, when the children go to bed, to say “good night.” Like Tsuruzono, I feel I am able to work with a high degree of freedom, guided by my own sense of balance.

Harashima:My home is somewhat far from the workplace and even farther from the nearest station, so I am very grateful to have an environment where I can choose between going into the office and remote work.

If I leave early and come home late, it becomes difficult to secure family time and I tend to fall short in my role at home. Working from home resolves that issue, which helps a great deal. Of course, since I cannot communicate face-to-face with members, I think it is necessary to be creative—for example, being more mindful of the speed of reporting, communicating, and consulting than when in the office.

—I understand that both Mr. Shimizu and Mr. Tsuruzono have taken parental leave to coincide with your partner’s childbirth.

Shimizu:I took time off five years ago, and I am not sure whether it technically fell under the social system of “parental leave,” but… A senior colleague had taken a few days off to be present for a family member’s childbirth, so I naturally had the sense that “this is a company where you can do that.”

My wife returned to Kyushu for the birth, and when I consulted my manager at the time, they readily said, “Go ahead.” Since it was far away, I took about a week off. Because there was precedent within the company, I felt it was easier to take a block of time off.

Tsuruzono:I took three weeks of parental leave. The reason was simple: I wanted to be present for the birth, and I wanted to do what I could for my wife, who was risking her life to give birth.

Of course, I hesitated. I had various concerns, such as whether I would inconvenience clients and internal members. However, contrary to my expectations, the reactions around me were very positive, and I felt truly fortunate.

—Mr. Harashima, I understand you are planning to take parental leave soon.

Harashima:Yes. I think I naturally came to the mindset of taking parental leave when we found out we were expecting because of the atmosphere and culture at SUNNY SIDE UP—people say, “Are you taking parental leave? You have nothing to worry about.”

At the moment, I am thinking of taking leave for about a month and a half after my wife gives birth. In terms of preparation, it was just the basics: consulting with HR, my manager and team members, explaining it to clients, and ensuring a proper handover internally.

It was so smooth that it almost made me a little uneasy (laughs).

During parental leave, focus on home without worrying about work

—For the two of you who have taken parental leave, do you have any advice for those, including Mr. Harashima, who are considering taking it?

Tsuruzono:When it comes to childbirth and childcare, there is truly so much to research… And there are quite a few systems you cannot find unless you look very thoroughly. Even public support such as subsidies varies by municipality, so I believe it is the husband’s role to research and manage that. After giving birth, the wife is in no position to deal with that, including taking care of herself.

During this period, I think it is best to set work aside for the time being and focus properly on your family.

Shimizu:I agree. I also thought I was doing various household tasks—like preparing clothes and meals—to support my wife after childbirth as much as possible, but from her perspective, she pointed out that “you were often missing the point”… (laughs). She said, “Rather than doing all sorts of things, I want you to leave me alone; I want some time to myself; I just want you to let me rest.”

What she truly wanted from me was: “I want some time to myself, so please take the baby for a walk, even if it is only for a short time.”

During my leave, I tried to sense the distance my wife needed and shifted to a way of supporting her that ensured she could have time to herself. I believe I was able to realize that and put it into practice because I had “parental leave”—time to focus on home.

Tsuruzono:My wife kept telling me, “Increase your childcare resolution!” As a husband and a father, I was thinking, “I need to support my wife and take care of the home and finances,” but more than that, she wanted me to understand what the newborn’s condition is right now, what will happen next, and to act by working backward from that.

Before, even if I saw small children in town, I had no idea how old they were. But after my own child was born, I started to be able to estimate, like “maybe around two,” which I think is also a result of increasing my childcare resolution.

However, when it comes to hands-on care, I cannot compete with my wife, who researched far more thoroughly than I did. There are many things only she can do, starting with breastfeeding.

In our case, rather than clumsily stepping in to do what my wife could do and getting in her way, it seemed to suit us better for me to handle regular household chores. We had already shared chores at home, so we adjusted the balance.

Shimizu:I may have heard “increase your resolution” for the first time outside a business context (laughs).

Harashima:Since what each partner wants differs, it is important to communicate, identify it properly, and cooperate accordingly. During parental leave, I was only thinking, “I will just do housework,” so I will work on increasing my resolution as well!

A culture of supporting dad and mom members has taken root

—What is the support system from colleagues and the workplace atmosphere like when working while raising children?

Tsuruzono:I constantly feel that members in my division cover for me a great deal. Both my manager at the time my child was born and my current manager shared the same stance: “Family comes first—please do take parental leave.”

In fact, long before I became a manager, there was a time when I thought, “Rather than taking parental leave, you should work and contribute to your family.” Because SUNNY SIDE UP’s attitude of valuing both work and family is clearly conveyed to members, it has led to the current atmosphere where parental leave is easy to take, and I believe that is why I was able to take the step and take leave myself.

Shimizu:Across society as a whole, I do feel that workplace environments are improving. One symbolic change is that there are now almost no female members who resign due to childbirth. Ten years ago at my previous company, it was common for people to leave after giving birth, but recently I hardly hear of it.

New ways of working such as online meetings and remote work have also become established internally, which I think makes it easier to welcome back those returning from maternity and parental leave. Another major change is that a shared understanding has been fostered among surrounding members to support dad and mom members.

Harashima:My direct supervisor works reduced hours after returning from parental leave and is very understanding, so it was an environment where I could easily consult about various things even after we found out we were expecting. In addition, many supervisors are dads or moms, and they are all people who show understanding about balancing childcare and work. That is why I can take parental leave with peace of mind.

I am very grateful to be able to work in such an environment.

Tsuruzono, Shimizu, and Harashima differ in department, position, and years of fatherhood.

Even Tsuruzono and Shimizu, who are usually very well prepared, find that not everything goes as planned—this is the difficulty of childcare.

In Part 2, they spoke about SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP’s support system for working dads and moms, as well as the three men’s outlook as working fathers.

Please look forward to the next installment!