Masato Yamada was a typical bureaucrat. He worked late, usually missing the last train home, and sometimes put in all-nighters. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the demanding job.
That all changed in 2004 when his wife, Atsuko, also a bureaucrat for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, told him the child she was carrying would be too much for her because she was already too exhausted from raising their twin 2-year-olds and doing her job.
Yamada realized it was his turn to care for the children.