6 Mar, 2026
Defying Convention ispace-Japan Achieves 100% Male Parental Leave Rate Averaging a 53 Days of Leave
TOKYO–March 6, 2026–ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, released a video of CTO Ryo Ujiie and Cultural Development Manager Maki Fukuda, commemorating International Women’s Day and speaking about how ispace Goes Beyond Convention.
An image from ispace’s video commemorating International Women’s Day 2026 featuring Maki Fukuda, Cultural Development Manager (right) and Ryo Ujiie, CTO of ispace.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s 2024 survey, an analysis of large domestic corporations, Japan’s male childcare leave utilization rate has remained at approximately 40 percent. The government has set targets of 50 percent by fiscal year 2025 and 85 percent by fiscal year 2030. The survey also indicates an average leave duration of 46.5 days.
ispace’s results significantly exceed both benchmarks. During Fiscal Year 2024, 100 percent of eligible male employees registered with its Japanese corporation utilized childcare leave, with an average leave duration of 53 days.
As an aerospace startup, mission development relies on engineers with deep expertise and cutting-edge technology, combined with the speed and international collaboration unique among Japanese startups. Consequently, the workload is never light. Despite this, ispace has developed a sustainable organization where every employee can confidently balance life events with their career. Childcare leave, a shared responsibility between parents, is not a special program but is positioned as one of the natural options available to staff.
To recognize International Women’s Day, CTO Ryo Ujiie, a parent himself, spoke with ispace’s Cultural Development Manager Maki Fukuda to discuss workplace equality. International Women’s Day was established to honor women’s achievements and call for action toward gender equality. However, gender equality is a theme that concerns everyone. The two discuss a father’s role in childcare, the nature of gender equality and the importance of fairness regarding individual circumstances in the workplace.
Excerpt of Discussion with Ryo Ujiie, CTO, ispace about shared childcare responsibility
“First, understanding the gender gap is crucial. When someone simply comments on the gender equality issue, I believe it’s not possible for men to correctly understand what it means just from those words alone. That’s precisely why the gender gap exists. Therefore, by taking childcare leave, and actually spending time with my wife and child, I came to understand the reality of the challenges that exist. Whether it’s finding childcare, preparing each and every meal, or changing diapers, I came to understand how demanding these tasks were and what challenges they present, and how much time they require. Sharing time together like that deepens understanding of the gender gap.”
ispace continues to actively encourage the use of childcare leave, including by managers, to foster an environment where employees can balance life events with professional challenges. Supporting our major endeavors toward the development of the Cislunar economy requires an environment where every employee can build their life in a resilient organization with the strength capable of withstanding change.
Statement of Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace
“The driving force behind our ongoing development and sustainability as we are preparing for our next mission is our people. We believe encouraging childcare leave utilization, including by men, is not merely about following protocols, but an initiative that strengthens our organization. Gender equality is not solely an issue to be taken up by women. When men proactively engaging in childcare becomes the norm, both workplaces and society will be transformed. Precisely because ispace is a company going into space, we want to develop a corporate culture that supports our people.”
ispace’s International Women’s Day Video can be found here.
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About ispace, inc. (https://ispace-inc.com)
ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, “Expand our planet. Expand our future.”, specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.