Japan: Where the Level Required for Home Cooking is Too High, and the Husband's Allocation of Housework is At a Standstill
1. [+501 / -12]
Looking at the data, we can see that Japanese males have an extremely low ratio of responsibility for meal preparation. A survey conducted by ISSP (International Social Survey Programme) in 2012 investigated the role distribution between married women and their husbands. 94.9% of Japanese wives in dual income households answered "I do everything myself". Only 5% answered "My husband does equal or more".
Only recently has "time-saving" and "easy" been recommended for meal preparation. The amount spent on frozen food has increased (figure 2). The share of curry (the national meal) bought in ready-to-eat form has also increased. Time-saving menus for dual-income households are also popular and the food industry has begun to focus on this area.
Home economics textbooks teach an elaborate way of cooking, however, it would be fine if "time-saving" and "easy" techniques were taken up. In the beginning, men's lack of skill was viewed as the problem, but one could call to question whether the fundamental problem lies elsewhere.
Figure 2: Annual Expenditure Per Household
x-axis: Year
y-axis: Yen
Blue line: frozen food
Orange line: curry roux
2. [+1674 / -32]
I'm off to Sweden o/
3. [+2968 / -17]
Even cooking rice or washing dishes is too much of a bother for them
4. [+104 / -336]
Stop putting together this sort of thing already
These statistics have no credibility
5. [+1448 / -12]
I'm fine with just tamago kake gohan so cook up
*Raw egg and soy sauce mixed with cooked rice
6. [+1093 / -10]
The worst by far
7. [+1433 / -27]
I'm not asking for much~
I'm fine with just yakisoba
*Fried buckwheat noodles
11. [+1894 / -6]
>>7
He told me that he can't even make that
>>7
He told me that he can't even make that
15. [+801 / -41]
>>11
Okay, then fried vegetables
Instant noodles heaped with ingredients is fine too
>>11
Okay, then fried vegetables
Instant noodles heaped with ingredients is fine too
8. [+2974 / -17]
When I watch overseas TV shows, a lot of them just take a paper bag with a sandwich and apple in it to school lol
I wish I could do that in my own dear home
23. [+143 / -9]
>>8
Why not just do it?
>>8
Why not just do it?
9. [+2833 / -104]
Men who complain even after making us prepare food for them are detestable
10. [+842 / -10]
Is that so?
I've always cooked easy recipes but my husband never cooks
12. [+460 / -22]
Nothing but excuses
13. [+2402 / -52]
I don't care if they don't cook. Men cooking is bad for cost-effectiveness. Do other housework apart from cooking.
17. [+1013 / -10]
>>13
That's true. It's fine if they just do the cleaning up, etc.
>>13
That's true. It's fine if they just do the cleaning up, etc.
14. [+1874 / -10]
When you use ingredients you can buy cheaply to cook at home
it takes and requires a surprisingly long time and labour.
It seems like there's also some misguided perception with food like croquettes and sandwiches
It's not something you can understand unless you actually try making it yourself.
16. [+1159 / -9]
In the beginning, my husband could only make crappy scrambled eggs
Even though he lived alone
Now he's grown so much he can make pork miso soup
18. [+1027 / -13]
Nowadays, very few women even use home economics textbooks to cook.
19. [+2171 / -7]
Stop waiting for rice to magically appear when I'm sick.
20. [+52 / -244]
What's the point in comparing what other countries and other households do?
It's unproductive...
21. [+279 / -827]
The fried eggs my husband made.
I swore to never let him do it again.
25. [+835 / -17]
>>21
That would still taste delicious though.
>>21
That would still taste delicious though.
36. [+628 / -20]
>>25
I'm #21.
He smashed the egg and then drowned it in vinegar. I wanted to tell him to stop.
>>25
I'm #21.
He smashed the egg and then drowned it in vinegar. I wanted to tell him to stop.
42. [+701 / -7]
>>36
Eh, why vinegar... lol
>>36
Eh, why vinegar... lol
46. [+556 / -20]
>>21
It's not burnt and it's not raw. If that was his first time, it seems like he would've improved if you had praised him.
>>21
It's not burnt and it's not raw. If that was his first time, it seems like he would've improved if you had praised him.
22. [+2441 / -15]
Several years have passed since we got married but he SERIOUSLY doesn't do anything anymore.
At first, he helped out a little bit. I wondered what changed, and then I realised it was because his parents were watching.
It would be disastrous if we went to a funeral or something in the countryside. All the men sit down and don't budge an inch.
24. [+801 / -8]
It's all excuses
They just don't want to do it. They're just lazy.
26. [+1560 / -18]
How has gender equality in Northern Europe progressed so much? Amazing
43. [+624 / -13]
>>26
Is the opposition for new values too strong in our country?
We still use stamps and cash.
>>26
Is the opposition for new values too strong in our country?
We still use stamps and cash.
27. [+2003 / -9]
The things that men find bothersome, women find bothersome too. The fact that they never consider that shows the quality of the male brain.
28. [+2458 / -15]
We both work in my household (our salaries are roughly the same as well) and my husband is in charge of cooking, but if I let that slip out in public, I'm heavily criticised by other women. They say things like 'your husband is enduring it', or 'if you keep that up, you'll soon be divorced'.
If even women are like this, there's no way men will do it (cook).
29. [+1779 / -19]
I know, right?
In overseas TV shows you see them take out normal peanut butter sandwich from a paper bag, take a bite and then go 'phew.'
It gives you the feeling that they've magnificently completed some difficult task.
I think that's great.
30. [+1474 / -15]
He makes a smug face when he takes out the trash, like, 'Look, I'm doing a share of the housework for you.'
That's something a child could do.
31. [+570 / -209]
It's a shame you all chose guys who won't do anything.
People who will do it will do it.
32. [+1689 / -61]
Everyday meals in Japan aren't very delicious, and are also expensive. In countries overseas, they have exhaustive options for eating out and delivery, and it's cheaper than cooking at home. If Japan as a whole doesn't have that environment I think that things will never get easier for housewives.
33. [+1491 / -17]
It's normal to eat microwaved dinners overseas.
Having a full-time housewife or microwaved dinners
I want him to at least pick one.*
*Full-time housewife vs working wife
34. [+2441 / -17]
I hate TV shows that make fun of girls that can't cook.
Those laughing old men can't even cook.
37. [+919 / -5]
Men who do housework
Is it even 1 in 20?
38. [+739 / -18]
But then there are also households where the husband is the better cook, there really are. Yes, there may be fewer males who are good at cooking but dexterity and sense for cooking varies from person to person. It's not like every single woman is perfect at doing housework and sewing, and it's the same for men. You can't say that all of them can do office work well.
39. [+607 / -4]
They don't even have to cook, I just want them to clean.
41. [+1141 / -15]
When I tried to use frozen food,
he said, 'Don't think you can slack off'.
44. [+1127 / -3]
>>41
Yikes... What's with your husband...
>>41
Yikes... What's with your husband...
45. [+34 / -74]
Do that few men cook?
They can at least cook stir-fries and curry, surely.
47. [+774 / -7]
It's fine if men just make something at their level.
It's not like women were born with the ability to cook.
48. [+1256 / -11]
I have a friend who married overseas. First, her husband comes home at the same time everyday so both of them can prepare the meals. Her kid's lunch would be something like a peanut butter sandwich in a zip-lock bag.
Getting up early to make character bentos is a world in a different dimension.
49. [+1042 / -12]
The more you make, the more you have to wash. It's the worst.
I'm envious of foreign countries and their just cereal for breakfast.
50. [+1179 / -25]
Mothers who are raising boys. I'm counting on you.
We can only place our hopes on the young men of the Reiwa era.
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