Shoko Kawata, the 35-year-old mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, plans to take maternity leave as she is due to give birth in September, in what the city said could be the first case of maternity leave taken by an incumbent mayor in Japan.The country's youngest female mayor is also considering taking child care leave, following maternity leave of six to eight weeks before birth and eight weeks after, she told reporters Thursday.During her leave, the city's deputy mayor will serve as acting mayor, while Kawata plans to handle important matters online, she said.Kawata said she is preparing …READ FULL ARTICLE
