Half of Women Unhappy with Husband for Failing to Meet Standards

Jakarta – A majority of Japanese women are dissatisfied with the amount of domestic work their husbands put in, with more than 15 percent reporting that their partners don't do any daily household tasks at all.

A study conducted by the private research institution Shufu Job Shoken revealed that more than half, specifically 55.3 percent of Japanese wives, feel dissatisfied with their husbands' level of involvement in household chores. 

Nearly 40 percent expressed unhappiness because their partners provide only "little assistance," while 15.5 percent stated that their husbands never cook, clean, or take care of the children.

This dissatisfaction level is the highest recorded among Japanese women by the Tokyo-based institution since the research began three years ago. About 16.7 percent of the 510 respondents said their husbands do "enough," and they are satisfied with their efforts, while 28 percent said their partners do "a little, and I don't complain."

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Similarly, satisfaction levels among Japanese wives were noted to be the lowest. "My husband doesn't cook, doesn't wash, and never cleans the house," said Fumiyo Hayashi, a 51-year-old resident of Yokohama. 

"I admit he takes out the trash every morning, but he still does it when he's about to leave the house."

"I wish he would do more, but at least we don't argue about housework," she said. 

Hayashi's husband works long hours at a large car factory, but he also holds two part-time jobs to supplement the family's finances, often coming home tired. He then has to prepare dinner and tidy up.

"On the positive side, if I tell him I'm tired after work, he always says we should go out for dinner so I can take a break," she added.

Complaints listed in the Shufu Job Shoken study range from very specific issues - "he doesn't unroll his socks and leaves them on the floor instead of putting them in the washing machine" - to more general accusations, such as not tidying up or neglecting childcare duties.

Some women said their husbands are "less aware" of the household work that needs to be done, meaning these tasks are overlooked until their wives intervene. Another source of conflict is men failing to meet their wives' standards.

Sumia Kawakami, a lecturer at Yamanashi Gakuin University focusing on women's and gender issues, said there is a gradual shift in family attitudes in Japan, and younger generation couples are better at sharing responsibilities at home.

"In the past, women typically fell into the 'career track' or 'mommy track,' prioritizing family over a career and finding themselves working at home and raising children," she said. 

"But I am optimistic that this will change,"

"I see teenage sons doing more at home and picking up children from daycare, something that wouldn't have happened a few years ago." She believes differences in attitudes don't just occur based on generation but that the amount of money couples earn is also crucial.

"People with high-paying jobs can afford to take time off, but many are stuck in low-paying positions, coming home from one job and immediately having to move on to the next. These people often don't have the time or energy to do household chores."

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"I wish he would do more, but at least we don't argue about housework," she said.