Dilemmas and Accommodations of Married Japanese Women in White-Collar Employment

In the 1970s much of the literature on the role of married Japanese women presented a picture that roles should be clearly demarcated and segregated by gender. ¹ According to this ideal a man’s main role is to earn a living, whereas a married woman’s primary role is to run the household, manage the family finances, and look after the welfare of the family. Fundamental to this gender role segregation was the notion that women had a natural aptitude for matters relating to the home and to the family, and that a woman’s most important and rewarding role was that of nurturing her family. This view lies behind the complete interdependence and role complementarity that characterize the Japanese husband-wife relationship.