Women and Family in Contemporary Japan (review)

Women's employment opportunities and status in Japanese society, combined with cultural views of motherhood and the availability of support for child-rearing, have had a profound effect on the country's fertility. In her book, Women and Family in Contemporary Japan, author Susan D. Holloway explores the social and cultural milieu that shapes the gendered structure of marriage and parenting in Japan. In interviews with Japanese mothers, Holloway asks what it is like to be a wife and also to raise children in a country where caretaking has long been considered solely women's work, and men's involvement in family life is negligible. While a few studies have pointed out that a lack of women's workforce opportunities, as well as the gendered burden of familial responsibility, are major factors that have promoted Japanese women's postponement of marriage and reproduction, Holloway's book takes a closer look at mothers' dissatisfaction, anxiety, isolation and their limited prospects for social change.

The book draws on data from interviews with 16 women who lived in Osaka, selected from a larger sample of 116 women surveyed. Each woman was interviewed four times: twice when her child was in preschool, once when he/she was in first grade, and once when the child was in second grade. Holloway skillfully blends cultural and historical analysis with a structural explanation of gender in her accounts of marriage and parenting in contemporary Japan. She argues that cultural and historical discourses of Confucianism, modern gender ideologies and Zen traditions of discipline continue to shape Japanese women's child-rearing. Such practices as emotional self-denial, self-restraint and watching children from a distance rather than directly intervening in situations constitute attempts to approximate the ideal mother. However, the women Holloway interviewed are also concerned about overindulgence and overprotection of their children. Even though self-reflection seem to be a common practice among these women, with the goal of attaining assertiveness and confidence in their parenting, their lack of social networks and community support generate significant anxiety and a sense of uncertainty.

The book also explores Japanese women's dissatisfaction with their husbands' lack of involvement in family life, especially with regard to housework and childcare. In contrast with the stereotypical depiction of Japanese marriage, with its lack of verbal communication as a symbolic embodiment of harmonious or unspoken oneness, Holloway argues that women's silence may also mask resignation, depression or fear. She addresses the point that many women remain in such marriages rather than divorcing their husbands because of their lack of adequate financial means. Japanese mothers are also highly susceptible to openly critical husbands and mothers-in-law. Furthermore, friendships among mothers can be superficial, limited to the exchange of information about their children. Yet, regardless of their dissatisfactions and unhappiness with family life, Holloway observes that the Japanese mothers' belief that mothers should be homemakers and men should be breadwinners remains strong. This persistent gender belief, evident in the mothers' more modest educational aspirations for their daughters than for their sons, reinforces the Japanese gender gap in education.

What kinds of changes should take place in order to make marriage and parenting more attractive to the younger generations, and in particular to younger women, in Japan? Holloway argues that, because of the lack of a powerful feminist movement and collective remedial resources in Japan, Japanese women are inclined to feel more comfortable in searching for individualistic solutions rather than pursuing collective means of resistance. Thus, only limited change is likely. Along the lines of individualized solutions, Holloway suggests that the private and structured opportunity for self-exploration that is provided by a therapeutic relationship might be an option for some women, potentially providing psychological support and an opportunity for individual growth. The book also argues for the necessity of changes to the traditional employment structure in Japan. Holloway's suggestions for improving women's employment are consistent with the recommendations contained in recent sociological studies on Japan that suggest...