Eric Takabayashi <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message news:<3F06CDC1.84713A54@yahoo.co.jp>...
> "John W." wrote:
> 
> 
> > I find it an interesting comment, though. No
> > mention of women getting employment so they aren't on the dole
> > anymore.
> 
> However, in Fukuyama where there is
> ample day care for children down to six weeks old, even 24 hour care 
> available, there is not much to
> discourage women from working. There are women who suffer discrimination who 
> could probably sue for such
> explicit statements by employers as they do not want the women because they 
> are too old, or will get
> married/have children and just quit, but there is also the vast majority of 
> women, about two thirds, who
> actually do quit when they have children, and more who quit when they plan 
> on getting married,  and those
> who do not consider a career in the first place thinking they will live off 
> their husbands or maybe
> parents.

Well, in the case of my sister-in-law she fits into the wanted to work
until she had kids category, mainly because from the get go she pretty
much figured there wasn't much chance of a career (and she is just as
strong willed and determined as my wife, and she would have *liked* a
career). This view was solidified after she graduated near the top of
her class from a good junior college in Osaka (don't know which one).
Her first job was with a nice prestigious bank's Himeji branch. While
there was some equality in terms of job, at least at the beginning;
there were men categorized exactly the same as her. Yet she HAD to go
to work 15 minutes early every morning to get coffee/tea ready, and
HAD to make coffee/tea for every meeting of her group, along with the
other token ladies on the "career" track. After a year or so it was
obvious that this situation wasn't going to change, so she decided to
settle down and be a mom. I tell this story because I feel it's a damn
shame that Japan lost a very, very, very intelligent, dedicated, and
capable member of the work force simply because her company's male
employees were incapable of making their own damn tea. Note that this
male mindset is the reason that I most likely will never get to
permanently live in Japan again, because my wife knows she can succeed
faster and more easily in America.

John W.