Japanese Football Fans Criticized for Domestic Chores Inequality

Tokyo. After the World Cup football matches ended, Japanese football fans, who have been receiving worldwide praise for years for cleaning the stadium, have faced severe criticism in their own country this time. The Japanese women have raised questions about their double standards after pictures of Japanese supporters cleaning the stadium seats while putting the accumulated garbage in bags were made public this week. Criticism has started, saying that men who pick up garbage in public places leave the burden of all household chores on their wives' shoulders.

A post on social media has become very viral regarding this issue. In the post, a picture of a man picking up garbage in the stadium is placed on one side, and on the other side, the same man is seen lying on the sofa at home, using his mobile, with a laundry basket full of clothes nearby, and his wife washing dishes. The post reads, 'Japanese men should do more household chores, as the time they spend on household chores is among the lowest in the world.' The post has been liked by more than 60,000 people on social media X.

One user commented, quoting American writer PJ O'Rourke, 'Everyone wants to save the world, but nobody wants to help Mom with the dishes.' Another user wrote, 'Among these men picking up garbage in the stadium, there must be some men who have left their young children and wives alone at home and come to watch the World Cup.'

Cleaning public spaces and managing one's own garbage is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. However, when it comes to household chores, Japanese men rank last among developed countries. According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2021, Japanese women spend more than three hours a day on unpaid domestic work, which is five times more than men. Japanese men spend only 47 minutes a day on household chores.

This inequality is even more evident in young families. According to a government survey in 2021, in families where both husband and wife earn and have children under six years old, women spend more than 7 hours a day on household chores, while men spend less than 2 hours. Some social media users have even called this 'hypocrisy,' saying that while they pick up garbage abroad, public spaces in Japan are filled with garbage after major events.

However, while the dispute over the division of household chores is escalating, many have also argued that the Japanese fans' habit of cleaning the stadium should be encouraged rather than discouraged. One user wrote, 'What's embarrassing about this? It's much better than news coming out that Japanese people spread garbage abroad.'

This habit of Japanese fans has also influenced fans from other countries. In a recently released video, Portuguese fans were seen collecting garbage in the stadium with large plastic bags, imitating the Japanese.