My research project proposes to examine family policies which support working mothers in contemporary Japan and the United States. It will analyze how family policies in the two countries affect women's work profile and their strategies of reconciling family responsibilities and paid employment. My research will (1) examine the historical-institutional development of family policies in Japan and the U.S., (2) investigate the impact of parental leave policies on the work history Japanese and American women, and (3) present case studies of work organizations which offer varying degrees of child-care support. My conclusion will have implications for policies concerned with the changing fertility rate and women's labor force participation in Japan and the United States.