Divorce​—Where East Meets West

By Awake! correspondent in Japan

“LET ME retire from my work too.” These words came as a surprise to an executive retiring from a major Japanese trading company. His wife wanted to retire from being his mate and homemaker. Their country is experiencing an upsurge in its divorce rate, which, surprisingly, engulfs the middle-aged and older. Among those in their 50’s and 60’s, the number of divorces has tripled in 20 years. Giving up on their marriage seems to have become their last opportunity to find a happier life.

At the other end of the age scale, younger couples who become disillusioned with each other during their honeymoons decide to have a Narita rikon (Narita divorce). Narita is Tokyo’s international airport, and the expression refers to newlywed couples who say good-bye to each other and their marriage when they arrive back at Narita. In fact, 1 out of 4 or 5 couples seek divorce in Japan. They view divorce as the door to a happier life.

Even in Hong Kong, where old Chinese values are still strong, the divorce rate more than doubled in the six years between 1981 and 1987. In Singapore, divorce among both Muslims and non-Muslims increased almost 70 percent between 1980 and 1988.

The influx of Western ideas, however, is transforming the way that Eastern women view marriage and married life. “The ‘liberation’ of women,” observes Asia Magazine, “is implicitly the single-most important factor in leading to the rising divorce rate in Asia.” Anthony Yeo, director of Singapore’s Counselling and Care Centre, said: “Women have become more assertive of their rights and more conscious of their dignity. They are no longer willing to sit back and take things quietly. Today’s women have more options and less tolerance of neglect and abuse. And divorce is a real option for those who cannot find marital happiness, especially when the stigma surrounding it has been largely lifted and is not what it used to be 25 years ago.”

Western countries too have undergone a profound change during the past quarter century. Samuel H. Preston called the change “the earthquake that shuddered through the American family in the past 20 years.” In 1985 almost a quarter of all homes with children under 18 were single-parent homes, mostly because of divorce. It is forecast that 60 percent of children born in 1984 may be living in a single-parent home before they reach 18.