Japanese fathers of preschoolers and their involvement in child care

We examine how relative resources, time availability, gender ideology, living arrangement, child-care demand, and job satisfaction are associated with the levels of younger Japanese fathers' involvement in child care for preschoolers. A theoretical model that includes these factors is tested using 1994 data collected from Japanese fathers and mothers with preschool children (N = 442 couples). We find that practical considerations such as fathers' shorter work hours, mothers' full-time employment, fewer adults and more children in households, and younger ages of children are associated with higher levels of paternal involvement. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of attention to ways to encourage Japanese men's sharing of child-care responsibilities with their wives.