I’m Misato Inoue, 35. I live with my husband Kotaro (40), our son Sosuke (6), and daughter Mashiro (1.5). I got married at 28, but our life together turned out nothing like I imagined. Kotaro says things like “marriage is about covering for each other,” yet leaves all the housework to me. Early on, I tried many times to talk about sharing responsibilities—but nothing changed.
I knew marriage would come with some bumps, but I believed we could work through them by talking and supporting each other—just like Kotaro used to say before we married. “Cover each other’s weaknesses, build on strengths,” he said. But in reality, he avoids anything inconvenient. After countless failed efforts to encourage him, I gave up expecting him to help with housework.