| A growing number of Japanese women are giving up | | | | have put off marriage until well after 25 years of age - |
| on their male counterparts, and taking a gamble that | | | | known as a woman's " 'best before' date" - show that |
| looking abroad for love will bring them the qualities in a | | | | economic independence is key to the change. |
| partner that seem rare at home. | | | | As most Japanese women have their own income, |
| Mr. Right, as the hope goes, is often an American or | | | | marriage is no longer a financial necessity and women |
| European, a man appreciative of a wife's career and | | | | want to find companionship in a husband. |
| more of a partner in daily tasks. | | | | That is where Japanese men have come up short. |
| "They treat you like equals, and they don't hesitate to | | | | There is "a wide gap in men's and women's attitudes |
| express mutual feelings of respect - I think Western | | | | and expectations toward marriage" vis-à-vis traditional |
| men are more adept [at such things] than Japanese | | | | gender roles, says Sumiko Iwao, professor of social |
| men," says the 36-year-old Ms. Mizuguchi, who works | | | | psychology at Musashi Institute of Technology in |
| at a top trading firm. "They don't act like women are | | | | Yokohama. For instance, coming home later than your |
| maids - I think they view women as individuals." | | | | Japanese husband is a no-no. |
| Underscoring that Japanese women are losing hope | | | | Having ruled out an old-fashioned Japanese husband, |
| with the local boys, dating agencies to help snag a | | | | many women here think the solution is a Western |
| Western husband have sprung up in Tokyo, some with | | | | man. Indeed, some seem so enthralled with the idea |
| branches in the US and Europe. Such companies | | | | that they are willing to spend thousands of dollars to |
| rigorously vet their clients, screening for education, | | | | inspect the wares personally. |
| family background, occupation, and life goals. | | | | Of the more than 2,000 women on the books at one |
| The kind of women who sign up for such services | | | | large matchmaking agency, about 200 travel to the US |
| include doctors, lawyers, and other professionals - | | | | or Europe each month to meet prospects. |
| women who have delayed marriage to concentrate | | | | Sentimental projections have recently been extended |
| on careers and who aren't keen to give up hard won | | | | to Korean men also, due to romantic Korean soap |
| gains to become a housewife, as many Japanese | | | | operas. In 2003, Japanese women marrying American |
| men expect. | | | | or British men outnumbered Japanese men marrying |
| Japanese women have come to consider traditional | | | | American or British women by 8 to 1. |
| marriage roles as "disadvantageous in terms of time | | | | The total proportion of Japanese marrying foreigners |
| resources - they have to carry the burden of | | | | each year has crept up from around 3.5 percent in |
| domestic chores as well as lose their free time," says | | | | 1995 to just over 5 percent. |
| Chizuko Ueno, a professor of sociology at Tokyo | | | | Japanese men are actually more than three times as |
| University. | | | | likely as the women to take a foreign spouse, but this |
| Normally, married Japanese women have not only to | | | | is mostly rural men marrying less well-off Chinese and |
| look after their own parents during old age, but also to | | | | Filipino women. "Such cases are elderly farmers not |
| care for their parents-in-law. | | | | popular among young Japanese women," says Yuriko |
| When it comes to raising kids, "they can't expect much | | | | Hashimoto, a local government employee in the |
| cooperation from their partner" because of the long | | | | remote northern prefecture of Iwate. |
| work hours required at many Japanese corporations | | | | To be fair, not all the blame for female angst here can |
| and because of established gender roles that assume | | | | be laid on Japanese men. The government has been |
| that the woman does the child-rearing, Ms. Ueno adds. | | | | slow to enforce equal opportunity laws, and both pay |
| A generation of women who are now entering their | | | | and the glass ceiling in most Japanese corporations |
| 30s don't want to give up single life unless prospective | | | | remain low for women. |
| partners are willing to break from traditional gender | | | | Recession has hampered longer maternity leave and |
| roles. | | | | other family-friendly policies. |
| Government polls conducted to find out why women | | | | |