TL;DR In the past when many were farmers or were self-employed, wives used to help out with the work while taking care of the family. During the postwar economic boom (late 1950s–early 1970s), many men became corporate “salarymen” while women took charge of household duties by become full-time housesives. At its peak in 1975, about 60% of married women were full-time housewives.
After the 1973 oil crisis, however, husband's income was no longer enough, prompting more wives to work. The number of full-time housewife households dropped from 11.14 million in 1980 to 5.08 million in 2024. Meanwhile, number of dual-income households surpassed households with full-time housewife households in the 1990s and reached 13 million in 2024.
1985 Equal Employment Opportunity Law and the 1992 Childcare Leave Law expanded opportunities for women to work. Today, over 70% of students say they want dual-income marriages, citing financial necessity and gender equality as a reason.
by MagazineKey4532