A government advisory panel on gender equality called on the nation Tuesday to change the male-oriented work culture based on the outdated family model in which men work long hours while women take care of the home.
In an 82-page report submitted to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the panel said Japan's notoriously long working hours and frequent job relocations that took root during the postwar boom need to be fundamentally reviewed.
The outdated corporate culture has made it difficult for women to fully execute their abilities, or for men to participate in homemaking and child rearing, the report says.