Education and the Gender Division of Labor in Japan: Trends in Paid and Unpaid Work From 1991 to 2016

Abstract

This paper develops a nuanced understanding of how educational attainment is associated with time allocation trends of Japanese men and women by examining the gendered division of labor in Japan between 1991 and 2016. The analysis reveals that while university-educated men and women led a slow shift toward greater equality in housework sharing during these years, overall traditional highly gendered patterns persisted. Husbands continued to spend considerably more time on paid work and wives took care of most housework and childcare. There is no evidence for convergence in paid work or childcare for any educational group. In childcare, both men and women across educational groups increased their time investment. Even in families where wives have university education and see themselves primarily as workers, I document only limited shift away from the traditional division of labor between 1991 and 2016. I conclude that the transformation of employment practices in addition to changes in individuals' beliefs and state work–family balance policies may be necessary for a more meaningful social change.