Much like Uniqlo’s commercial featuring an LGBTBQ+ couple a couple years back, Suntory’s advertisement for their Premium Malt’s drink is creating a buzz not so much over the actual product, but for the story it tells. Titled “Silent Fathers” (็ก่จใฎ็ถใใก; Mugon no chichitachi), the CM shines a spotlight on the dads raising their kids while balancing work, and the interesting camaraderie, or lack thereof, between fellow dads.
The humorous commercial follows the daily life of a working father, portrayed by comedian Abareru-kun (ใใฐใใใใ). He drops his kid off at school, bikes to work on a mamachari, falls asleep in a department store, and plays at the park.
None of the other fathers portrayed talk to each other. But the looks exchanged between them, wavering between understanding and bashfulness speaks volumes โ raising a kid isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s worth it. This lack of outspoken unity among them is best juxtaposed by the group of mothers chatting happily away while the dads walk off in different directions.
The commercial ends with the couple cracking open cans of Suntory Premium Malt after the father successfully puts their child to sleep [1].
All Too Relatable
The commercial drew positive responses on X (formerly Twitter), with the company’s tweet garnering over 62,000 likes and numerous comments like “I can totally relate.” One comment read, “I teared up a bit at the last scene.”
Others were quick to dismiss the notion that there’s no camaraderie between dads. “I take fellow preschool dads out to go drinking, and have them over to my house for barbecues,โ one user wrote [1].
Users were also surprised the CM never once showed a child, despite the focus on fatherhood and child-rearing. Turns out there’s a good reason for that. Japan’s Alcoholic Beverage Advertisement Screening Committee (้ ้กใฎๅบๅๅฏฉๆปๅงๅกไผ) has a rule prohibiting minors under 20 years of age from appearing in advertisements promoting anything booze-related [2].
Abareru-kun, himself a real-life father, found himself relating to each and every scene. “The department store scene in particular, where I appear to nod off, was something Iโve experienced before, so I totally got it,” he said [1].
A Suntory spokesperson spoke to Netorabu about focusing on fathers for this project:
We have both mothers and fathers on our team, and over the course of numerous discussions with them, learned about the characteristic awkwardness in how fathers approach child care, or when theyโre with other fathers. Even after listening to opinions from mothers, we thought this would be something that not only fathers, but also the mothers who encounter this, could sympathize with [2].
Yuka, who not only plays the main wife in the commercial but is also Abareru-kun’s real-life wife, commented, “I had to laugh because the emotional and physical distance between the dads sending their kids off to kindergarten is so accurate. I chat with the other moms, but not so much with the dads. Yet there’s a sense of shared understanding when we do say a few words to each other.”
More of This, Please
The commercial is undoubtedly a reality more mothers would love to see from their husbands. A new survey on housework reported only 9.4% of men surveyed helped with child-rearing. A controversial pamphlet aimed at new mothers shows that some dads still expect their wives to do the brunt of the work raising children while still meeting their (often selfish) needs. And for the fathers who do take time off work to be with their kids, they may find themselves subject to paternity harassment in the form of a job transfer.
The emotional and physical distance seen between dads in the CM also touches upon another reality: making dad friends isn’t as easy as it seems. In a 2021 survey by Papa Shirube, 56.1% of respondents agreed with the importance of having fellow dad friends, but over 52.6% said they didn’t have many, with 14% not having any friends at all [3]. For those with dad friends, 30.7% met at their kids’ schools.
Clearly, there’s a need and drive for tight-knit dad groups. But how to foster more of that when the government already has a dismal track record of encouraging couples to even have kids?
Certainly, as the CM shows, raising kids isn’t easy. But Japan could do a lot more to make it easier for all parents.
What to read next
Survey: Japanese Women (Still) Do All the Housework
Sources
[1] ใๆๅพใฎใทใผใณๆณฃใใใใใใใใฟใๆทฑใใใใใฐใใๅใๆผใใใใใๅๅฃซใฎ็ตถๅฆใช่ท้ขๆใใๆใใใฆใงใCMใ่ฉฑ้กใซ. HuffPost Japan.
[2] ใใ่ฆใใจๅญใฉใใ1ไบบใๆ ใฃใฆใชใโฆโฆ๏ผใใใฐใใๅใฎโใใฌใขใซโๆฐCMใ่ฉฑ้กใใชใใใใชใฃใใฎใ่ใใฆใฟใ. Netoraba.
[3] ใใๅใฏ9ๅฒใๅฟ ่ฆใจๅ็ญ๏ผใใๅใฎไฝใๆนใใกใชใใใฏใฉใใชใจใใ๏ผ. Papa Shirube.
