1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910746283103321

Titolo

Changes in work and family life in Japan under COVID-19 / / edited by Shigeki Matsuda, Hirohisa Takenoshita

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Singapore : , : Springer Nature Singapore : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2023

ISBN

981-9958-50-4

Edizione

[1st ed. 2023.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (vii, 113 pages) : illustrations (some color)

Collana

Population Studies of Japan, , 2198-2732

Altri autori (Persone)

MatsudaShigeki <1970->

TakenoshitaHirohisa <1971->

Disciplina

305.2

306.87

Soggetti

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- - Influence

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- - Social aspects - Japan

Families - Japan - History - 21st century

Labor - Japan - History - 21st century

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di contenuto

1.Introduction (Shigeki Matsuda) -- -2. Who can become a teleworker during the COVID-19 pandemic? The inequality structure and access to telework in Japan (Jae-Youl Shin, Hirohisa Takenoshita) -- 3. The Division of Domestic Labor During the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan (Junko Nishimura, Jihey Bae, Kota Toma) -- 4. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family formation in Japan (Ling Sze Nancy Leung, Takayuki Sasaki, Shigeki Matsuda) -- 5. Conclusion (Hirohisa Takenoshita).

Sommario/riassunto

This book describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way of work, the division of household labor, and family formation in Japan. One of the characteristics of Japanese employment practices is a stable employer–employment relationship and seniority-based wage system. In return, long working hours, especially for men who are called “salarymen” (salaried workers, or “company men”), are required. The pandemic has led to an expansion of telework and has reduced their working hours, which has made them return to their homes to work. In contrast, non-regular employees, who are mostly women, has become more unstable in employment and their incomes fell. This tendency has



become even stronger under the pandemic. Compared with conditions in Western countries, in Japan wives have a greater responsibility for domestic chores. In the pandemic, as children's classes shifted to online and childcare support facilities were temporarily closed, the burden of housework and child-rearing increased for wives. However, husbands who worked from home shared a part of the housework, and popular home delivery services helped to reduce the burdens on wives. Japan is one of the developed countries with low fertility rates. Under the pandemic, many Japanese postponed starting a family, which further shrank the country’s birthrate. There was a remarkably significant tendency to postpone having children among economically disadvantaged and socially isolated families. This book provides a portrait of Japan’s experience regarding the notable impacts of the pandemic on work and family life.