KOBE -- Hatsue Okada, a 33-year-old nurse, works between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. three days a week at a day-care center for elderly people in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture.
Okada is happy working shorter hours because her 4-year-old child is being taken care of at a nursery during the day.
"I once quit my job as a nurse when I got married. But, as my little one is now 4 years old, I was looking for a job that is not full time," Okada said. "I did not think that I would be able to find work that meets my needs -- flexible working hours and compatible with my skills as a nurse."