JPN-Journal.com News/Laws for Foreigners Working in Japan.

Secret Wishes of Working Women

by JPN-Journal.com editors
July 29, 2007

Twenty years ago, Japanese girls were told that marriage should be at the very bottom on their to-do-list after college. Many mothers of little girls believed, perhaps from a feeling of missing out on life by marrying too soon, that the first and foremost concern should be work and a career, as girls were placed in highly competitive college entrance preparation programs ("juku" or "yobiko") to attend well-famed colleges which increased their chances of being recruited into prestigious companies.

The word back then, and even till today, was housewife or homemaker ("sengyo-shufu"). These were women who committed to cooking, cleaning, child-raising, parents-nursing, and other house chores. Shunned though they were, there seemed to be an awful lot of sengyoshufu around.

Post-World War II Japanese society had shaped the culture in such a way that women didn't have the means or opportunity to work after marriage other than as part-timers at local supermarkets and retail stores. As a result, for a long time, the majority had no choice but to stay home and tend to the family.

As a result, for many women, marriage meant sacrificing personal freedom and a chance for independence in exchange for love, stability and the social status as a wife that ensured social respect.

But since the inception of Equal Employment Opportunities Law for Men and Women in 1986, women have gradually come to work just as much or even longer hours than men and are equally dedicated. Female bosses have emerged in the workplace, wielding the kind of power and taking on responsibilities that would have been unthinkable only a short while ago.

Such drastic changes, however, are causing fatigue and disappointment among many working women as they long for comfort and a life-long partner.

The tables are turning over the years as sengyo-shufu has become the Japanese working woman's secret wish.

Perhaps, this seemingly back-stepping has its own reasons. For one thing, this is a nation that has traditionally worshipped women in the household, as those that engage in housework ("kaji"), a vital role that supports men and their 16-hour workdays.

Many men, regardless of age or social status, claim they prefer their wives to stay home, rather than to share the burden of work. The reason: they want to have proper meals cooked.

It's also generally believed that the longer women work, the less attractive they become. The cute, stay-at-home wife, however unrealistic and illusionary it may be, is still an ideal for both genders.

After all, it was Junko Sakai, a brilliant female essayist/social observer who dubbed the term "losers" to describe single, childless women over 30. The "winners" then, were those that were married with kids and a home with a kitchen containing cake molds and cookie cutters.