Japan’s Late-Life Divorces Hit a Record Share. Why Are Women Calling It Quits?
When a 50-year-old bar owner in Osaka came home one day last year, he discovered that his wife of more than 20 years had moved out. She had taken her belongings without explicitly telling him she wanted a divorce. Now, he told Kansai TV, the apartment feels empty, the laundry piles up and he eats […] The post Japan’s Late-Life Divorces Hit a Record Share. Why Are Women Calling It Quits? appeared…
In Japan, the number of late-life divorces has reached a record high, with couples who have been married for at least 20 years accounting for 24% of all divorces, according to government statistics. Despite the total number of divorces declining since their peak in 2002, the trend of marital dissolution among older couples is on the rise.
Atsuko Okano, a divorce counselor, estimates that women are responsible for initiating 70% to 80% of these late-life separations. Traditionally, the full-time housewife, or sengyo shufu, was expected to manage the household and care for the family, including the husband's aging parents. However, the economic landscape changed in the postwar era, with more women entering the workforce and dual-income households becoming the norm.
Despite this shift, women still bear the brunt of domestic responsibilities, leaving them vulnerable when their husbands retire.
In 2006, a pension reform allowing divorced spouses to claim a share of employment-related pension benefits led to an increase in divorces, as some financially dependent wives found it easier to leave their marriages. The changing dynamics of retirement and shifting perceptions of marriage are prompting couples to reconsider their long-term commitments, even after decades together.
Written by urgent.news from Tokyo Weekender's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
