Japanese society has faced a serious economic recession since the mid-1990s. Husbands continue to be the main breadwinners and rarely participate in housework, even though their wages have become less secure. Wives contribute to the household finances to various degrees, in addition to shouldering almost all of the housework and caring for the family at home. Analysis of data obtained from 659 married women with small children in 2004 by the National Family Research organization in Japan revealed that fathers' emotional support increased the mothers' marital satisfaction regardless of the wives' income contribution. For wives with higher income contributions, marital ...