The challenge that is unique in Japan is that domestic help is not as available as it is in Hong Kong and Singapore. That is a very big factor in terms of how easy it is for women to work and have kids. We don’t have that in Japan. That’s a problem.

You do realize that the domestic help in Hong Kong is mostly Filipinos that have extremely long working hours and terrible living conditions. It is borderline abuse. You should look for a better model than Hong Kong.

The domestic help in these countries are essentially indentured servants with little or no rights, work long hours and are vulnerable to abuse.

Those 2 "small" countries have lured and taken advantage of international workers. Not a moral model to follow.

So import the labour from the same sources (you don’t have to treat them as serfs, with decent conditions they will still be a cheaper labour force and will undermine the slave labour systems elsewhere), if there are a shortage of day care spaces why is the market not expanding to fill the need?

Make Foreign Women Caretakers Again!

Most of Europe seems to have got round this problem without hordes of exploited Filipino maids. Ms Murakami should look at what those countries do rather than Hong Kong and Singapore.