Japan

Motherhood Traditions

Traditionally, the relationship between a mother and a child is particularly close, and many fathers do not participate much in everyday child rearing. Gender roles at home are clearly defined: men work outside the home as breadwinners, and women manage domestic responsibilities and raise children. It is often hypothesized that the Japanese traditional value of “good wife, wise mother” (Ryosai Kenbo), which is characterized as loyalty to her husband and a significant level of devotion to her children, brought Japan to its miraculous success after World War II. Since the 1960s and 1970s, men have focused primarily on their work, spending long hours away from their families. Similarly, Japanese mothers' attention to their children's educational success was apparent. Acting like academic coaches and supporters, mothers helped with their children's [Page 601]homework and found the right tutors for them. Household resources and planning were primarily organized around investing in children. During this time, fulfillment through devotion to children was emphasized rather than personal accomplishment.

An increasing number of Japanese women have started to redefine the traditional idea of motherhood, which has started to change in the last two decades as Japanese society has transformed. During that time, a growing number of women started to question the concept of ideal motherhood. Gradual changes in motherhood values became evident in the later marriages and in a sharp decline in the fertility rate. There are many possible explanations for these shifts, such as increases in women's educational attainment and their participation in the labor force.

Education and Women in the Workplace

Rapid economic growth and modernized values brought from Western culture encouraged women to enroll in higher education. This trend became noticeable around the mid-1980s. In 2004, 75.1 percent of the female population who were 18 years of age entered a higher educational institution. About the half the students entered four-year colleges and the rest attended junior colleges or special training colleges, which used to be the major choices for women in the previous generation.

An increasing number of Japanese women choose to enter the workforce compared to previous generations. After the Equal Employment Opportunity Law came into effect in 1986, a large number of college-educated women entered the workforce with the promise of receiving the same working conditions and benefits as men. In reality, however, women reported that expectations for them were often more demanding and challenging since their responsibilities at home did not adjust accordingly. Moreover, there is a widespread belief that a mother must be the primary caretaker of a child until the child turns 3 years of age. As a result, many Japanese women tend to choose to stay home for the first three years of child rearing and have fewer children, or no child at all, in order to pursue professional careers.

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