"I want my future spouse to earn enough, because I want to devote myself to housework and raising children," said a 21-year-old university student in Aichi Prefecture, describing her vision for the future.

Although full-time housewives now account for only about one-third of working-age couples in Japan, a notable number of female university students seeking jobs still aspire to become homemakers. One of them is "Misuzu Watanabe" (a pseudonym), a student majoring in social welfare. With stylish nails and multiple earrings, she looks like any typical modern student, yet she finds it difficult to picture herself working after graduation. Conversations with close friends often turn to the same conclusion: "If I get married, I want my partner to be financially capable of supporting the family."

Many of the students in the years above her have gone on to work in child care or nursing after graduation, and she initially vaguely imagined a similar career path. But now she says, "I'll probably work after graduating just for social experience, but once I get married and have children, I plan to become a homemaker."

According to a lifestyle survey of university students graduating in 2027 by job information company Mynavi Corp., 9.2% of 1,391 female university and graduate students who responded expressed a preference for becoming full-time homemakers. Overall, the share has been gradually declining but slightly increased compared with the previous year -- the first uptick since 2019.

When asked why she would pursue homemaking after completing a four-year university degree, Watanabe replied, "I can't balance work and child-rearing."

Watanabe spent her childhood in the Shikoku region of western Japan. Her parents divorced soon after she was born, and she and her brother were raised by their mother and grandmother. Her mother worked while managing household duties without compromise, a memory that remains vivid for Watanabe. Despite the family's circumstances, she never felt deprived and was able to pursue her passion for swimming through high school.

During a child care practicum last year, she visited a day care center. While she found the children adorable, what stood out to her was the demanding workload of the child care staff. In the infant class, workers hurriedly ate lunch while children napped. They were constantly on the move, cutting colored paper for the next activity and drawing up child care plans. In the preschool class, they remained constantly alert as they ate alongside the children, making sure they were chewing properly and not stuffing too much food into their mouths.

She particularly noticed how busy a staff member who was also raising her own child appeared. Though on reduced hours, she rushed in apologetically in the morning, focused intensely through the day, and left in haste after finishing her duties, saying, "Sorry, I have to go."

On social media, Watanabe also saw anonymous posts by day care workers complaining about so-called "monster parents" and poor compensation. Though she believed she could handle a tough job if it was rewarding, what she witnessed only deepened her anxiety about working.

Her decision to seek "a financially stable partner" was also influenced by her surroundings. In Aichi Prefecture -- home to Toyota Motor Corp. and numerous affiliated companies and parts makers. At the izakaya pub-restaurant where she works part-time, she often encounters high-earning male customers employed by such companies. She sometimes has opportunities to drink and talk with them at the invitation of the manager.

"They seem comfortable in life and value their families," she said. "I began thinking I'd like to marry someone like that."

The Mynavi survey found that top reasons for wanting to be a homemaker were "to focus on housework and child-rearing" (43.2%) and "to work as little as possible" (24.3%). Chikara Ishida, a researcher at Mynavi's Career Research Lab, suggested that increasing exposure on social media to the difficulties of juggling work and child care has led some to wish to "focus on parenting." He also noted a rise in students who "simply don't want to work," among whom the option of becoming a full-time homemaker or househusband is gaining recognition.

Watanabe says she wants to let her future children pursue whatever interests them. "That's why I'll look for someone who can earn enough," she said. Starting her final year of university this April, she admitted it is hard to stay motivated for job hunting.

(Japanese original by Yuko Machida, Chubu Centrair International Airport Bureau)