Fathers are doing more child care in East Asia

For years Ito Tsubasa never questioned his family life: he worked long hours while his wife did all the housework. So it came as a shock when his wife, pregnant with their second child, suggested he take parental leave so she could focus on her career. After a heated argument, he eventually gave in, taking six months of parental leave. His experience of staying at home has transformed his understanding of what it means to be a father. “I used to think I was a great dad just because I played with the child on the weekends,” says Mr Ito (pictured), whose children are now eight and four. “I couldn’t have been more wrong.” Today, he and his wife share the housework evenly.