More needs to be done for young carers in Japan

Japan’s world is changing quicker than some may realize. Although it was quite common in the past, there has been a reduction of adults who can care for the elderly, people with disabilities, and family members who become sick. It was once the responsibility of family members to take charge and care for kin who cannot do so themselves; however, this is beginning to change in Japan. One common problem that has gained national attention in Japan is the rise of young carers.

A carer is defined as a family member or paid helper tasked with caring for a child, sick, elderly, or a person living with a disability. Young carers, often under the age of 18, are now becoming more responsible for their family members within Japan. And this issue has become more severe over the past few years.

Currently, nearly 6% of second-year junior high school students are now taking care of a family member who might need extra help. This number is staggering and is sounding the alarm bells throughout Japan. Approximately 4% of second-year high school students are performing carer duties at home, and 45% of all young carers stated that they are carrying out these tasks to take care of loved ones daily. It may not be a large percentage to most readers, but imagine having to take care of a family member at such a young age. Moreover, let’s not forget all of the extracurricular activities, cram schools (after-school programs outside of school hours) that students in junior high and high school must carry out.

A change in family structure as a cause of rise of young carers

To understand why this situation has caught the eye of the public view, it is imperative to understand how Japan’s family structure has changed since the end of World War II. Japan’s nuclear family used to be much larger than it is now. The end of the war brought upon significant change within Japan’s family units. The idea of one breadwinner and a homemaker was considered the standard family unit in Japan up until 2004. When making a comparison, the single breadwinner household was the most common household type in 1972 at a percentage of 14.6%, but fell to 4.6% in 2017. The increase in both parents working and the rise of single parents throughout the country may have led to the rise of young carers.

Japan currently has a higher number of single-parent households compared to 30 years ago, and there are now approximately 1.23 million single mothers raising children on their own. This may be lower than other developed nations but still poses a problem in terms of young carers. Furthermore, let’s not forget Japan’s aging population. Japan has been selling more diapers for adults than infants since 2013, which should give you an idea of the severity of the issue.

These factors may lead to an increase in young carers throughout Japan, which ultimately negatively impacts the development of young children throughout the country. Approximately 10-20% of young carers are reporting about burnout or not having enough time to finish up homework. What can we do to provide proper care for ailing family members? And what protection for young children can we give, who are filling positions meant for adults or professionals?

More commitment needed to support young carers

The Japanese government has already taken a step in the right direction to identify this issue. Much of the research that brought light to this underlying problem was carried about by the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare. This survey on young carers uncovered the underlying problems that continue to become detrimental. However, more assistance needs to be provided to tackle this problem.

As stated earlier, many households are led by single parents who must have to work and rely on a single salary to provide for their children. Incidentally, a large proportion of young carers are taking care of their fellow siblings. Companies should step up and do their part to look after the well-being of their employees by providing daycare centers and or at least a substantial stipend to put children into a daycare center. Daycares can cost between ¥150,000 and ¥200,000 in Tokyo, which many single parents cannot afford. It could leave single parents in a bind by having their children look after themselves while they work. Although government initiatives such as making preschool education free have been implemented, this is not a one-size-fits-all solution many families need.

There must be a multi-faceted approach to provide proper solutions to this ongoing problem. Schools and the education system should be more involved in recognizing when a child may be in a position of a young carer. Children and teenagers spend most of their time at school or doing activities related to their education, so providing an outlet for young carers to express the hardships at home can help.

Furthermore, it may be worthwhile to thoroughly examine therapeutic solutions for those under the age of 18. However, this may be difficult because Japan is far behind other developed nations when tackling mental health. The stigma against seeking help for mental anguish in Japan is long due for a serious adjustment.

There are plenty of solutions to this current problem, but they may not be obvious until other underlying problems in modern Japanese society are addressed. However, this does not mean that the issue regarding young carers has no solution, and it is important that a first step has already been taken.