# Mayor's maternity leave sparks national debate - June 20, 2026

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/thetokyobill-japan-news-brief-7021133/mayor-s-maternity-leave-sparks-national-debate-june-20-2026
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/thetokyobill-japan-news-brief-7021133/mayor-s-maternity-leave-sparks-national-debate-june-20-2026.md
Podcast: [theTokyoBill Japan news brief](https://stenobird.com/podcast/thetokyobill-japan-news-brief-7021133)
Published: 2026-06-20T11:38:34+00:00
Episode link: https://thetokyobill.podbean.com/e/mayors-maternity-leave-sparks-national-debate-june-20-2026/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/dfstnzfyma2sxdi4/theTokyoBill_06202026.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/thetokyobill-japan-news-brief-7021133/episodes/mayor-s-maternity-leave-sparks-national-debate-june-20-2026
Duration seconds: 515

## Resource

In today’s episode: National Ballet of Japan wins prestigious UK Critics’ Circle award; Japanese firms have quietly exited World Cup sponsorship altogether; Japanese Wagyu beef faces tariff barriers in obsessed US market; Chicken prices hit record high, forcing changes to bento menus; Authorities investigate alleged ice cream cartel; Raccoons devastate watermelon farms across Chiba Prefecture; Japanese mayor’s maternity leave sparks unprecedented national debate

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## Transcript

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