Through an exploration of intimate expectations, ideals, and male freeters' romantic relationships, this article examines the ways in which expectations and practices of intimacy are shifting in gendered ways in contemporary Japan. Whilst women's expectations of intimacy and marital roles have changed and expanded, many male irregular workers continue to practice more conventional ideals of intimacy and gender roles, rooted in notions of responsibility, obligation, and duty. This article argues that there is consequently a significant miscommunication between male and female desires relating to the practice of intimacy that is contributing to both a perceived difficulty in getting married, and, after marriage, considerable stress about what is constitutive of intimacy.

Work and masculinity are inextricably linked in postwar Japan. Although the employment system has changed in the last 20 years it appears that social attitudes of what men should do and be are changing at a slower pace. Men and women of varied ages continue to stress that men should be responsible breadwinners, husbands and fathers. Male freeters, many of whom are attempting to pursue and create alternative lifestyles, are often unable and unwilling to fill this normative role. This paper explores how male freeters negotiate dominant discourses of work, masculinity and maturity in their attempts to create alternative lifestyles whilst simultaneously expecting to fail. Furthermore, it argues for a deeper analysis of women's effects on the construction of masculinities in Japan. I've been a freeter for seven years now, since I was seventeen. When I started this job I was nineteen years old and I thought that working here would be really good, but these days I don't feel that. The pay is really low and the job is not so secure. A couple of months ago I had an accident and had to take some time off and of course I couldn't get paid for the time I wasn't here, so I had a hard time paying my rent and bills. It was really stressful. This month I took the exam to become a full-time employee but I failed it again. They have a set number they can accept and I'm the youngest to take it so far so each time they pass me over. Anyway, I had to take time to study for the exam so this month I only earned 76,000 yen so it's really tight again. I'm starting to think I should try something else instead. I want to get married and have a family in the future but working like this it'll never be possible… Interview with K-san, July 2007 Emma E. COOK is an Adjunct lecturer, Hosei University, Meiji Gakuin University and can be reached by e-mail at emecook@ yahoo.com. *With sincere thanks to Mr. Yutaka Sakai whose help was vital in organising a place of employment for my fieldwork, and to the three anonymous peer reviewers and Editors of SSJJ whose comments were of great benefit during the revision process. 1. In 2009 the percentage of irregular workers rose to 37.8% in Japan (Weathers 2009). Since 2011 the figure purportedly hovers at around 35% (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications 2012).

No abstract

No abstract