Half of the public favors the conventional notion that wives should stay at home to care for the family while their husbands work, according to the results of a recent government poll.
In its latest poll Saturday, the Cabinet Office said support for the view had surged to 51.6 percent, up 10.3 points from the previous survey in 2009 and the first rise since 1992, when it hit 60.1 percent. Support for the traditional idea had been on the decline.
"This reflects the trend where people value family ties more after the Great East Japan Earthquake," a Cabinet Office official said.
According to the poll, the number of women and men who agreed that women should stay at home rose in all age brackets — particularly among those in their 20s.
Those opposed came to 45.1 percent, down 10.0 points, it said.
A higher portion, 69.8 percent, said they view men as receiving preferential treatment in society, while 24.6 percent said they believe both genders were being treated equally.
The government conducted the nationwide interviews in October and drew valid responses from 3,035 people aged 20 or older.