Two years ago, an online rant about the lack of day care in Japan went viral on social media and seemingly started a movement, prompting working mothers to stage demonstrations in which they demanded the government take them seriously and offer more child care.
Since then, there¡¯s been little progress: Though thousands of day care slots have been added, they¡¯ve filled up quickly and long waiting lists remain, keeping women at home even if they want to go back to work. This illustrates the depth of the ¡°returner mom¡± issue in Japan, which can ill afford to turn women away as it fights a persistent labor shortage and as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushes women-friendly workforce policies.
¡°There is more day care in Japan, for sure, but it¡¯s a cat-and-mouse game and the waiting lists are getting long,¡± said Tsukiko Tsukahara, president of Kaleidist K.K., a Tokyo-based research and consulting firm.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.