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I feel sad reading this article but understand where the women seem to be coming from. It basically seems like two choices 1) get married and because your husba

I feel sad reading this article but understand where the women seem to be coming from. It basically seems like two choices 1) get married and because your husband works all day, you get zero assistance managing kids and housework and aging relatives. There’s no safety net there, unlike in the US where, in many cases the husband could take time off or work from home to help out when the wife needs 2) don’t get married and be encumbered to all that. But have to forgo intimacy and the joys of kids.

watwut 7y ago
Note that given expected hours from salaried man in Japan, men don't get to experience joys of kids at all, no matter whether they marry or not.
- hurrdurr2 7y ago
  Yeah the salary men culture of Japan is not one of moderation. I mean they even have a specific term for being overworked to death: "karoshi". ...but I wouldn't hold my breath on the NYT writing an article on how rough Japanese men have it.
  - johnny22 7y ago
    they sure have. in 1980 even. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find-out-if-salarymen-are-working-themselves-to-death.html https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find... The problem hasn't changed much.
  - johnny22 7y ago
    they sure have. in 1980 even. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find-out-if-salarymen-are-working-themselves-to-death.html https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find... That was just the first link, I'm sure there are more, but i'm not going to do your homework for you.
freetime2 7y ago
> There’s no safety net there, unlike in the US where, in many cases the husband could take time off or work from home to help out when the wife needs A lot of people in the US (both men and women) do not have the flexibility to take time off from work whenever needed. Also in terms of “safety net” - Japan offers affordable (and soon to be free) daycare for households where both parents work full time. The long work hours Japan is famous are a strain on families to be sure. But with the government actively working to change the culture and also the sheer necessity due to a large percentage of households where both parents work, I think things are changing quickly. As others have noted, the US is experiencing similar declines in marriage and birth rates. And unlike in Japan where the government is actively working to address the issue, the US government does not seem capable of making necessary reforms to social welfare/child care systems right now and is even actively making things worse by discouraging immigration.

watwut 7y ago

Note that given expected hours from salaried man in Japan, men don't get to experience joys of kids at all, no matter whether they marry or not.

hurrdurr2 7y ago
Yeah the salary men culture of Japan is not one of moderation. I mean they even have a specific term for being overworked to death: "karoshi". ...but I wouldn't hold my breath on the NYT writing an article on how rough Japanese men have it.
- johnny22 7y ago
  they sure have. in 1980 even. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find-out-if-salarymen-are-working-themselves-to-death.html https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find... The problem hasn't changed much.
- johnny22 7y ago
  they sure have. in 1980 even. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find-out-if-salarymen-are-working-themselves-to-death.html https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/19/world/tokyo-tries-to-find... That was just the first link, I'm sure there are more, but i'm not going to do your homework for you.

freetime2 7y ago

> There’s no safety net there, unlike in the US where, in many cases the husband could take time off or work from home to help out when the wife needs A lot of people in the US (both men and women) do not have the flexibility to take time off from work whenever needed. Also in terms of “safety net” - Japan offers affordable (and soon to be free) daycare for households where both parents work full time. The long work hours Japan is famous are a strain on families to be sure. But with the government actively working to change the culture and also the sheer necessity due to a large percentage of households where both parents work, I think things are changing quickly. As others have noted, the US is experiencing similar declines in marriage and birth rates. And unlike in Japan where the government is actively working to address the issue, the US government does not seem capable of making necessary reforms to social welfare/child care systems right now and is even actively making things worse by discouraging immigration.