Abstract
The problem of long working hours in Japan has drawn international attention. This report aims to analyze the time spent on socio-cultural activities by urban male employees and their wives and their attitudes toward free time and their actual use of it.
In October 1985, we, the authors conducted a survey on time use among 150 employed married couples living in Tama New Town, Tokyo, over a period of 3 days, including one weekday, one Saturday and one holiday. The findings are analyzed here and the answers to questionnaires administered during that period, particularly on their attitudes toward free time are also discussed.
The men's time spent on socio-cultural activities on weekdays averages approximately 2 hr, and is greatly affected by the length of their paid work time. Estimates of weekly time spent on socio-cultural activities are 21-23 hr for men, and a broader range of different times for women, depending on their work status and type of employment. Unemployed wives are estimated to have 35 hr per week, and those fully employed, 17 hr. Time spent on socio-cultural activities is further divided into three categories : i.e., time spent on individual development, time spent with family, and time spent on community and society activities. The distribution ratios of these three categories for both men and wives showed a structural identity of 60-70, 20 and 10 %, respectively. The men, although possessing relatively little free time, on the whole also had a low demand for it.
