One of the things that can suck about being a parent is feeling like you have no time for yourself. One rock band in Japan decided recently to do what it could to help out.
Livedoor News reports that band LUNA SEA announced on its official site that its upcoming concerts at the Tokyo Dome on February 23rd and 24th will host a daycare area. It’s not a new move: the band first did this back in 2014 when it sponsored a daycare facility for a concert at the Saitama Super Dome.
Other Japanese musical artists who have kids, such as MINMI and Angela Aki, have done this in the past as well. However, LUNA SEA is one of the few rock acts that have sponsored daycare facilities at their concerts. A few other acts, like GLAY, have also followed suit.
In the band’s case, this seems to be a case of “know your base.” Formed in 1989, most of LUNA SEA’s devout fans are now older, which means they undoubtedly count a fair number of parents among their audience.
A lack of support
Social media users heaped huge praise on the band for the move.
“A fresh new idea,” one user commented. “Even moms can enjoy the concert by leaving kids in a safe place. Rock star-level judgment!” another gushed. “I wanna work at that daycare,” yet another opined.
Japan is struggling with rapid population decline that’s changing the face of the country. Polls, such as a 2023 survey of Gen Zers by Biglobe, show the reasons aren’t economic, either. 52.3% of people polled in Generation Z said they didn’t feel confident they could raise kids. 45.9% said they just don’t like kids, while another 36% said they didn’t want anything impinging on their freedom.
There’s also evidence that, while Japan as a country wants more kids, people aren’t supportive once you have them. Childrearing in Japan is especially tough on moms. One survey found that 76.5% of working moms between ages 18 and 44 found balancing work and life difficult. Other surveys have found that working moms do the majority of housework on top of child-rearing and their full-time jobs.
There are also numerous cases of Japan’s desire for kids conflicting with the reality of its aging and increasingly single society. Daycares and parks in Japan have faced lawsuits and closures over noise complaints from (often elderly) residents. When a local lunch chain announced it would offer free baby food, it faced a backlash from online commenters who didn’t want to eat lunch next to “noisy” babies.
In other words, Japanese society has a lot of work to do if it wants to become more kid-friendly. LUNA SEA’s move is just a drop in the bucket. However, judging by public reaction, it’s a very welcome one.
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