Abstract
It can be said that work-family balance (hereafter referred to as WFB) is an important political issue for welfare states in order to realize a healthy and fulfilling life for their citizens. The Japanese national government adopted a Work-Life Balance Charter in December 2007, but the emergence of WFB related policies has not altered the core of the social structure premised upon the gender logic that defines men as earners and women as carers. Japan appears to be a country with a prominent gender gap in WFB compared with the advanced countries of the EU. Using macro data derived from national surveys and micro data collected from face-to-face interviews with 104 employees (51 women and 53 men) from dual-earning nuclear families with preschool children, this paper highlights outstanding characteristics of WFB in Japan compared with countries of the EU such as Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, and suggests directions for change. We have observed that there exist several gaps with regard to WFB in Japan: a gap between women and men, a gap between WFB policies and their implementation, and a gap between the ideal and the actual practice. The latter gaps can be considered to be caused in large part by gendered working patterns. Not only Sweden but also the Netherlands and Germany have taken steps towards the dual-earner family model. Therefore, it is critical to draw up an agenda for a gender-equal policy with the premise that the family is constituted of "dual earner/dual carer". It is also important to promote "decent work" as a measure in order to achieve a better WFB.
