Being a mother in Japan can be miserable. You must give up everything you ever loved and confine yourself to a small apartment and a local park. You're no longe

Being a mother in Japan can be miserable. You must give up everything you ever loved and confine yourself to a small apartment and a local park. You're no longer allowed to be an intellectual being or a participant in public life. Women don't want it, because women are people, human beings who want to live a full life. If having a child is the end of your life, it's not a good bargain for many women. The US is deeply imperfect -- but no one will tell you that having had a child you can never, ever go back to your profession.