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The Mainichi
10-06-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Japan kindergartens change Father's, Mother's Day to 'family day'
TOKYO -- Father's Day this year in Japan is on June 15. But many kindergartens and day care centers are now having "family day" instead of Mother's Day and Father's Day. This change is because families in Japan are different now. There are many single-parent families. In Japan, about 10% of families with children have one parent. Parents shared their feelings about "family day." One person wrote online, "We don't have a dad at home, so I was happy about family day." Another person said, "They think about each family's situation, so I was really glad." Asahi day care center in Ube city changed to family day three years ago. In the past, children made gifts for Mother's Day and Father's Day separately. Now, they celebrate only one special day in late May. Children make gifts and give them to someone important like their parents, grandparents, or family friends. The Poppins Nursery School group, which has many day cares around Japan, also has family day events in May or June. Children make gifts for family members and sometimes show family pictures. But not all places agree. Some kindergartens and day care centers still have Mother's Day and Father's Day. Single parents also have different feelings. One mother wrote, "My child made a gift and drew my face for Father's Day. It made me happy." Another parent said, "I'm a single parent, but I like Mother's Day and Father's Day separately." Some libraries and shops are also changing. Omori-Minami Library in Tokyo used to show children's drawings for Mother's Day and Father's Day. Now, it has a "family portrait exhibition" instead. A library worker said, "We changed because there are many kinds of families now." (Japanese original by Shuji Ozaki, Digital News Group) Vocabulary single-parent family: a family where children live with one parent celebrate: to have a special day or event for a happy reason gift: something nice you give to another person portrait: a drawing of a person's face
The Mainichi
07-06-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Some child care facilities in Japan replacing Father's Day, Mother's Day with 'family day'
TOKYO -- Father's Day, which falls on June 15 this year in Japan, is approaching. However, an increasing number of day care centers and kindergartens across the country are establishing "family day" instead of celebrating Father's Day and Mother's Day. This shift seems to be driven by the diversification of family structures, including the rise in single-parent households. "I was really happy that they were considerate of each family's situation," and, "Since we don't have a dad, it was appreciated," are some of the posts from single parents on social media expressing gratitude for the switch to family day. Asahi Hoikuen day care center in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, transitioned to family day three years ago. Previously, for Mother's Day in May and for Father's Day in June, children would handcraft items such as keychains and magnets with portraits of their parents and present them as gifts. Now, these activities are combined and held in late May, between Mother's Day and Father's Day. The switch was prompted by the need to revise events and activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The day care center explained, "We have both single-mother and single-father households. We considered the recent diversification of family situations. The children create gifts not only for their parents but also for their grandparents, relatives, and even mom's friends, whoever is important to them." 10% of households with kids are single-parent families According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of single-parent households increased from 947,000 in 1993 to 1,399,000 in 2003, a 1.5-fold rise. Since then, the number has stabilized between 1.3 million and 1.4 million, with 1,344,000 single-parent households in 2021. About 10% of child-rearing households are single-parent families. Poppins Nursery School, a nationwide day care chain, also has multiple facilities that have adopted family day. In late May or June, these centers organize activities such as making gifts for loved ones and displaying family photos. Meanwhile, some child care facilities continue to observe Father's Day and Mother's Day. On social media, single parents have shared diverse opinions, such as "For Father's Day, my child drew a portrait of me (mother) and made a letter for me," and, "(Though I am a single parent,) I would prefer they stick to the traditional format without catering to minority family types." There are varied perspectives, and responses from day care centers and kindergartens seem to differ accordingly. Some commercial facilities and libraries that traditionally displayed children's drawings of their parents on Mother's Day and Father's Day are now moving toward displaying "family pictures" collectively. For example, the Omori-Minami Library in Tokyo's Ota Ward has integrated these displays for Mothers' Day and Father's Day into a "family portrait exhibition" starting in 2023. They showcase family drawings created by visiting children from May to June. A library representative said, "The change reflects the fact that there are now many different types of families." (Japanese original by Shuji Ozaki, Digital News Group)
