Japan parental leave case puts spotlight on workers' rights

FILE PHOTO: An employee of Asics Corp, who requests anonymity and avoids showing his face in pictures, poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Ritsuko Ando

TOKYO (Reuters) - A male employee is suing sportswear maker Asics Corp <7936.T> for alleged mistreatment after taking paternity leave, a case that has shone a spotlight on gender equality and workers' rights in Japan.

The lawsuit filed by a 38-year-old man - who says he was harassed by his employer after taking parental leave in 2015 and 2018 that is legally available to all workers but rarely used by men - is scheduled to begin in a Tokyo court on Thursday.