During my maternity leave, I found childcare to be so much harder than I'd imagined; my view on it changed significantly from beforehand. As this was my first child, I had no "mom-friends" in the same situation to talk to, and it was a period of countless first-time experiences.

Although I used to work from morning to night, since I came back from maternity leave I have been working reduced hours so as to not put any burden on my family and children. My day isn't over when I finish work because after that I need to pick up my children from day-care, cook dinner and feed them, bathe them and put them to bed... Fitting everything in is a big challenge, and something I still find tough.

My family and I believe that health should always come first, and that our work stands on the foundation of the family. However, for the 3 years that I was on reduced working hours, I challenged myself to still achieve the same results as my full-time colleagues, something that was only possible with the help of the people around me. In the end, not only was I able to do this, but I was delighted to actually receive a promotion based on my results.

Sometime after I was promoted, I was transferred to a different department, and it was while working there that I took maternity leave for my second child. Following that, I was given the role of supporting others so that they can more work more comfortably and effectively. So now I'm focused on dealing with other people at work, and then dealing with my children at home. Although it's still quite tough, this fits my style, and it's worth it.

When your work has great meaning, it's only natural to want to work late to get it done. Of course, work is important, but if you also have a rich and fulfilled private life, you can adapt what you learn there to improve your work life too-it's a virtuous cycle.
If you'd like to continue working after having children, I would advise to continue to prioritize your family. My motto is that if you're not healthy you can't work or play well, so it's essential to maintain both you and your family's health, which will then allow you to be most effective in your work.
Perhaps it's because it's Otsuka that everyone is health conscious. For example, colleagues understand the situation if my child has a fever and I have to leave work early to go and pick them up. I really appreciate that.