In Japan, where women do five times as much housework as men, three male politicians have donned “pregnancy” vests in a campaign urging men to help out more at home.
In a video titled “The Governor is a Pregnant Woman”, the three men, who are all governors of southwestern prefectures, put on a 7.3 kg vest that simulates a woman who is seven months pregnant.
“I really didn’t understand,” said Tsugumasa Muraoka, governor of Yamaguchi and a father of three. “Now that I understand what my wife put up with for so many months, I’m full of gratitude.”
The video, launched on Tuesday, is the brainchild of the Kyushu Yamaguchi Work Life Promotion Campaign, which hopes to encourage the nation’s men to adopt a more balanced life and share household chores. This may be easier said than done, given the very strong corporate culture and work ethic of the Japanese.