TOKYO - The proportion of working men in Japan taking parental leave rose to a record 50.9% in the last fiscal year, exceeding 50% for the first time, according to a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey. The rate increased 10.4 percentage points from the previous year among men employed by companies and other organizations. The most common period of leave was between one month and less than three months, accounting for 30.3% of cases. A ministry official attributed the increase to companies taking a more active approach to encouraging men to take parental leave, as well as strong interest in using the system among younger workers. The parental leave take-up rate among women rose 1.7 percentage points from the previous year to 88.3%.