Heard of 'weekend marriages'? Japanese couples are adopting this arrangement while still living like singles

We all understand that married life comes with unique challenges, and in Japan, couples have devised a way to navigate around them.

"Weekend marriages", as the name suggests, allow couples to live separate lives and they come together for a day or two on the weekend.

In an interview, Japanese matchmaking consultant Tamako Sawaguchi pointed out that there has been a rise in dual-income households, with women not willing to give up their careers.

These days, women have their own established lifestyles and the idea of living together with their husband may not seem appealing for some. 

The interview also highlighted a survey where 86.7 per cent of women in their 20s and 30s were aware of weekend marriages, while only 23.3 per cent of men in their 20s knew about this arrangement.

Meet the Takeda family

Weekend marriages gained international attention in February when the BBC featured a couple who embraced this lifestyle. 

In an eight-minute video, the Takeda family, consisting of husband Hidekazu, wife Hiromi and their toddler, shared their reasons for living separately.

The main reason is the differences in their daily routines. Hiromi, a fitness gym owner and instructor, starts her day at 4am.

She begins with a meditation session, checks her schedule, updates her social media and replies to emails. Then, she takes care of household chores like ironing, cleaning the house and preparing lunch for their son.

By then it’s 7am, and that’s when Hidekazu wakes up and goes to his work desk in his pyjamas.

He's a business consultant and spends most of his time on the computer, mentioning that the only household chore he handles is laundry.

He usually prepares simple meals or buys ready-to-eat meals from supermarkets.

He also noted how his wife is always busy when she's awake, and he would "feel guilty lounging around" if they lived together.

Hiromi expressed that she might not be able to do what she wants if they shared the same space, and she enjoys being "free from that kind of stress".

Living an hour's drive away from each other, the couple sees each other two to three times a week, with Hidekazu rarely staying over at her place.

Another phenomenon from Japan

 A Japanese man, Jackie, made headlines last September for identifying as a "trans-age" individual.

Appearing on a reality show, Jackie mentioned that he identifies as a 28-year-old even though his biological age is 39.

The turning point for him had to be when he was feeling stressed by a work incident seven years ago, sharing that his boss once asked him: "How can you not know how to do this at your age?"

Not wanting to feel the pressure from work and societal expectations tied to his biological age, Jackie decided to navigate life as a 28-year-old instead.

ALSO READ: 'Might be too spicy': 92-year-old Japanese grandma tries nasi lemak for first time

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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