Japanese fathers spend more time playing with kids: Survey

June 17, 2019

Tokyo--About half of all parents in Japan raising children think that today's young fathers spend more time playing with their kids than their own fathers did, according to a survey by a Japanese educational toy maker.

Although the survey revealed that fathers are taking a more active part in child-rearing in Japan, most young mothers still want their husbands to play more with their children.

The results of the survey by Bornelund Inc. are based on answers from 1,287 parents in their 30s whose children currently attend kindergarten or nursery school.

In the survey, 42.2 pct of respondents said that fathers play with their children two to three days a week, followed by 24.2 pct who play with their children every day and 14.8 pct who play with their kids four to five days a week.

In a question about changes in the amount of time young fathers spend playing with their children compared with their own childhoods, 50 pct of respondents said today's young fathers spend more time with their children during the holidays, while 40.4 pct said the same about weekdays.

Meanwhile, 86.9 pct of young mothers who responded to the survey said they want their husbands to spend more time playing with their children.

While 58.6 pct of fathers said in the survey that they play with their children when their wives are busy, 73.5 pct of mothers said they want their husbands to play more with the children when they are busy.

According to the survey, many mothers want their husbands to practice exercise or have experiences in nature with their children, saying that the fathers are more suitable for such activities.

The survey showed that over 60 pct of mothers are not satisfied with the way their husbands play with their children, with some 80 pct citing the use of smartphones, among other things, while playing with their children as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

While an increasing number of fathers are taking part in child-rearing, more and more mothers apparently want their husbands to improve the way they play with their kids instead of simply offering to help, an official of the toy maker said. Jiji Press