Young Women in Japan Not Returning to Rural Areas: Govt Report

Tokyo, June 13 (Jiji Press)--Young women from rural areas in Japan are increasingly deciding not to return to their hometowns after moving to cities, a Japanese government report said Friday.
 

In its 2025 white paper on gender equality, approved at a cabinet meeting the same day, the government stressed the need to eliminate the "fixed sense of gender roles" in rural communities and create environments in which women can play active roles.
 

The white paper featured a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office last December, covering 10,000 men and women aged 18 to 39.
 

The survey revealed that the primary reasons for both men and women moving from rural regions to the Tokyo metropolitan area were the lack of opportunities for education and employment.
 

The next most common reason given by women was that they wanted to leave their hometowns. This response was given by 26.8 pct of female respondents, far outnumbering the 15.0 pct among men.
 

Of the women who responded that they wanted to leave their hometowns, many said they wished to do so because they wanted to escape from meddling by parents and surrounding people, and because their communities were unlikely to accept diverse values.
 

Respondents also cited the prevalence of gender roles in their hometowns, such as the beliefs that housework, child care and nursing care are women's jobs and that women are responsible for preparing meals and serving tea at community or family gatherings.
 

Meanwhile, 58 pct of women reported feeling a sense of attachment to their hometowns, surpassing the 51.6 pct among men.
 

"The fixed sense of gender roles may be a psychological barrier (for women) to return to their hometowns," the white paper said.
 

It emphasized the need to transform rural areas into "regions to which those who have left would want to return," warning that the outflow of women could lead to weaker communities, an increase in unmarried people and a lower birthrate.
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