Japanese Parenting Styles
As you might guess, Japanese parenting styles are quite distinctive from those common in the United States. Perhaps the biggest difference is that Japanese parenting styles often encourage children to develop more dependence on their parents, which is the opposite of the tendency of much U.S. parenting.
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Features
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Japan parents often operate with a different mindset from American parents. Japanese parents encourage their children to put others first, themselves second. In Japan, for instance, it is considered rude for a student to ask questions during class because it is thought to interrupt the lesson. Compare this with American classrooms, in which children are encouraged to ask questions.
Misconceptions
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Discipline is not as emphasized among Japanese parents as you might believe. In fact, Japanese school teachers are often the primary disciplinarians of children, which is one reason so many Japanese parents enroll their children in preschools.
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Considerations
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Like many American fathers, Japanese fathers who work full-time often spend less time with their children than do Japanese mothers. One study estimated that about half of Japanese fathers spend about three hours with their children per day.
Japanese Parenting Today
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One problematic trend in Japanese society is increasing truancy among children. Many social scientists believe this is because the mother-child relationship in Japan is so dominant that it causes a child to become dependent on that relationship. Another possible explanation is that the Japanese school system is strict, while the family environment is more lenient.
Significance
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Japanese parenting styles are shifting because of today's more internationalized climate. One major change is that children and teenagers are spending more time with their friends than with their families, which is a huge step away from Japanese custom. Even though many Japanese families strive to honor tradition, that attitude is receding in younger generations as globalization becomes more rampant.
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