Like many full-time working mothers in Japan, Eriko Soyama, 36, had a tough time getting her children into day care to continue her career.
Soyama, a resident of Tokyo's Suginami Ward, had her first child nine years ago. When her boy was 5 months old, she tried to place him in government-authorized day care to no avail, and ended up leaving him in the hands of an unauthorized facility.
Last year, while seeking day care for her daughter, Soyama was forced to extend her maternity leave for another six months because a spot for her child was unavailable. Adding to her stress, Soyama's employer, a Tokyo-based IT firm, was apparently unsympathetic to her plight.