One of my Japanese conversation teachers at SOAS used to tell us, “This general impression of Japanese women being subservient to — and walking three paces behind — their husbands is a myth. On pay day, after removing his shoes in the genkan, the Japanese man will go on his knees and shuffle towards his wife, pay packet held above his head with both hands. Every morning, she will dole out what he needs for the day, which is usually his train/bus fare, and lunch if she doesn’t make him a lunchbox. If he wants to go out drinking with his colleagues or mates after work, he’ll have to ask her for the extra money, so there’s no room for last-minute impulses.”
*genkan (玄関): traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building—something of a combination of a porch and a doormat.
(London, 1978)
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