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2014 January 8 - 14 TOP3 [LABOR]

Long working hours could trigger ‘post-childbirth crisis’ among married couples

Akahata “Current” column

A cold wind is blowing to child-raising parents in Japan, as indicated by the phrase “post-childbirth crisis”. This refers to a phenomenon in which a husband and wife lose the affection they used to have for each other after having a child. Since an NHK program came up with the new term, this trend in the present society has also been covered in books and articles.

According to an opinion poll cited in the NHK program, about 70% of women respondents said they love their spouse during pregnancy, but the rate dropped to 34% after their child turned two years old. What happened?

In addition to any physical damage they may suffer after giving birth, women tend to have anxieties over raising a child and returning to work. Meanwhile, men are not actively involved in housekeeping and child rearing. The amount of time Japanese men spend on these two family tasks is one-third that of men in Germany and less than half of that of men in the U.K., the U.S., and France. This is the cause of the so-called “post-childbirth crisis,” the TV program pointed to.

Behind the phenomenon is the long hours of work Japanese workers are enduring. A survey of men whose wife just delivered their baby shows that more than 30% of them work 11 hours a day. Another survey conducted in five cities in East Asia shows the largest number of fathers go home from work around 6 p.m. in Beijing, 8 p.m. in Seoul, and 11 p.m. in Tokyo. This takes away from Japanese fathers the time they can spend with their wives and children.

The birth of children should be a source of happiness, but in the present Japanese society it could cause friction between spouses. A step must be taken by society to redress this tragic situation.