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In Japanese society, adult men are largely judged by their degree of professional success. Japan smiles and proudly nods when discussing men who are owners of prosperous businesses or high-flying employees of prestigious companies, as thriving economically is often equated with intelligence, dedication, and responsibility, all traits the country greatly admires.
But does the esteem for wealthy men extend to the dating pool? Internet portal My Navi Woman recently polled 133 women between the ages of 22 and 34, asking them if they could be in a serious romantic relationship with a man who earned less money then they did.
The majority of respondents, 63.2 percent, said that no, they couldn’t date a man, long-term, if he had a lower income. That “long-term” qualifier seems to have been a critical distinction for the survey participants, as some of them said they’d be worried about their household finances if and when they became pregnant. While some working Japanese women take pregnancy/maternity leave, it’s far more common for them to stop working entirely when having a child. Many don’t return to the workforce until several years later, if at all, and prioritizing child rearing means the family would have to rely on her partner’s earnings.
Also, as mentioned above, Japanese society tends to see a strong connection between a man achieving success in his professional field and his being worthy of respect. “I think I’d start to look down on him,” theorized one respondent who said she couldn’t date a guy who made less money than she did.
Still, a sizeable majority, 36.8 percent of respondents, said that they’d be OK earning more than their boyfriend. “Money’s not everything,” one such participant reminded researchers.
However, that doesn’t mean that the women in this group relish the chance to financially support a man. In their explanations for their choice, many alluded to the fact that they’d still expect a lower-earning boyfriend to pitch in economically, such as the woman who said “I want to work too, so if we pool our earnings, we should be OK.”
Source: Nico Nico News via Jin
Read more stories from RocketNews234. -- No doctors or hairdressers! Survey asks Japanese women what professions they don’t want to date -- Survey asks Japanese women if they could marry a man who’s rich but ugly -- Survey reveals that secretaries in Japan say ‘no’ to these types of husband
© Japan Today
14 Comments
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kurisupisu
I know a few women with toy boys and they seem fairly happy....
Jonathan Harston
But I've got enough to live on, I don't want to be slogging my life away desperately trying to get more money, I want to live my life doing what I want to do.
MsDelicious
Women should not quit working immediately after tricking a guy into impregnating them.
BurakuminDes
I can't speak for the whole globe, but it certainly is not the case for my male friends in Australia and the UK - a good many of whom have a female partner/wife earning a higher salary. Salary difference has never been an issue for them from my knowledge - most have been together long-term.
With very big salary differentials and high percentage of temp contracts, etc - Japanese women seem way more dependent economically on a partner - unless they have a high-paying professional job. Kind of reminds me of Australia/UK back in my parents day. I hope things change.
Hanatsuki
"Yet this article only puts the spotlight on Japanese women." Uh... because it's an article which focuses on Japan? o_0 My apologies, but you sound very much like one of those people who approaches almost every situation you encounter looking for some possible offense. And as so many of that type routinely prove, you manage to find it even where it doesn't exist. Had this article presented itself as speaking towards a global issue and then gone on to focus only on Japanese women, you might have a leg to stand on, but its focus was on women in Japan, and seeing as it was authored by a Japanese news outlet, that seems only natural. No racism here, so relax and cool your outrage. You'll live longer.
nfijapan
I gueass it is pretty much like this almost everywhere on the globe! actually Id say itd be more prodominant in societies that dont give women or make it difficult to be financially independent and give equal opportunities as men. where Japan ranks in this area is open for debate.
Tamarama
It's just a pragmatic decision in a patriarchal society. Especially for the life of your kids.
And I don't figure the men can have much cause for complaint, to be honest.
TigersTokyoDome
But the subject in point distinctively singles out one race of women and makes allegations that can be made of any nation or continent in the world. The very reason why this is racist is because of that and because the editors of the piece are extremely aware that women in Japan are indeed always way behind on career salaries and earnings. They are aware of the sexism in this country yet they concoct an article making allegations of Japanese women being money grabbers. It reeks of racism.
You are tripping over your own confusion. Yes, this article indeed "makes no comparison to or even a mention of women from other countries". The subject is recognised as being a global topic, even in countries where women have equal pay rights. Yet this article only puts the spotlight on Japanese women. Make your mind up.
katsu78
Saying something you dislike is not enough to make that something tasteless or racist.
Actually, the article insinuates nothing of the kind. It's a somewhat data-driven fluff piece about the opinions of Japanese women who responded to an online poll. While that's a poor methodology for real research, it's hardly reasonable for you to claim the article insinuates "only" Japanese women date for money, particularly when the article makes no comparison to or even mention of women from any other country.
On the other hand, while the article doesn't make any claims to how Japanese women compare with other countries with regards to their attitude toward men and money, I think we'd all agree that evidence for Japanese women having an equal or more progressive attitude towards breadwinner gender roles compared to most western countries is very thin on the ground.
browny1
Reminded me of a case in oz.
The vice-principal (woman) of a school I was part-timing at, married the school groundsman (gardener, maintenance, cleaning etc). Both were nice jovial types and the marriage didn't raise any eyebrows. I'm guessing she was earning at least double or more of his salary.
The chances of this happening in Japan - for any number of reasons - is probably between zero and extremely slight.
But you never know...???
sf2k
if it leads to more mixed income households and appreciation for women in the workforce then it's fine. If it's a matter of wages then join the club. Time to organize
TigersTokyoDome
As already touched upon with the first two posts, this is a tasteless racist article insinuating that only Japanese women date for money.
Roberto Martinelli
I gueass it is pretty much like this almost everywhere on the globe!
borscht
Considering that many women earn a barely-survivable salary as OLs, it's not surprising they wouldn't want to date some man long-term who made Even Less!