How do families in Japan celebrate Father’s Day? Pizza Hut is on the job to find out.

Getting Ready for Father’s Day in Japan

Father's Day in Japan is the same as in many countries―the third Sunday in June―and along with a promotional discount, Pizza Hut is celebrating the holiday by releasing the results of a little Father's Day survey. Over four days at the beginning of June, the pizza chain found 300 families with a father, a mother, and children under the age of 15, all across Japan, and they asked the parents a few questions about how they celebrated Father's Day, and how they felt about the day in general. It seems like for quite a few of the families, there were some mixed feelings.

Mother’s Have a Hard Time

When asked if they had ever "wanted to do something for your husband on Father's Day, but felt it was a burden," a full 77% of mothers agreed with the statement. It looks like, for mothers, it's not all sunshine and roses on this special holiday. But when asked why the day was such a pain, the most common responses were really very simple. Both selected by 55.8% of survey-takers, two reasons were more common than any others, and it turns out that for quite a lot of mothers, the trouble with Father's Day is that "no ideas come to mind" and these mothers just "don't know what to give as a present." It looks like the hardest part of the holiday is really just figuring out what to do to celebrate the special day. On the other hand, 28.6% of respondents agreed that Father's Day was a financial burden, so it sounds like some fathers end up with fancy presents in the end!

Unfortunately for dads, though, that's not the only thing mothers were asked on the survey. Answers for another question revealed that about a third of moms hoped that they could finish up their Father's Day celebrations in under an hour, nowhere near a full day!

Father’s Don’t Actually Expect That Much

So, mothers of young kids in Japan tend to think of Father's Day as a troublesome occasion, but what do fathers think?

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many working situations changing and remote work on the rise, 67.3% of fathers surveyed said that they'd been spending more time with their families at home, and 56.4% of them said that they were looking forward to Father's Day this year. But when asked what they wanted their families to do for Father's Day, the most common answers were still all about spending time together, with common responses including shopping, eating, and traveling as a family. In fact, when asked "if your family is worrying and having a hard time figuring out what to get you for Father's Day, do you still want them to give you a present?", 74.8% of fathers said that they weren't all that concerned about getting a present, and only a quarter said that they definitely wanted something.

A Surprising Difference in Budget

Are you already feeling a little sad about all these negative survey responses? Well, another question asked each parent what they thought an appropriate budget for Mother's or Father's Day might be, and the answers are yet again a little revealing. The average sum given for celebrating Mother's Day was 5,324 yen (about 50 USD), but for Father's Day, respondents only wanted to use an average of 3,743 yen (closer to 35 USD). That means there's about a 1,500 yen difference in the expected budget for the two holidays!

But What Do Kids Think?

Pizza Hut's survey focused on each family's mother and father, without asking what the kids thought about the whole thing. I can't help but wonder, what would the children have to say about celebrating the holiday? Would they also give us slightly heartbreaking answers about celebrating their fathers each year? After reading the survey results and analysis, I felt like I might also need to rethink how I treat Mother's Day and Father's Day, and how I celebrate the two days with my parents every year. Maybe it's because I'm also a woman, but I also think it's easier to buy Mother's Day gifts! In the end, the COVID-19 pandemic has given most families quite a bit more time to spend together at home every day, even if it's not in the shape or form we all might have hoped for. Perhaps it will also give us the time we need to think more about our relationships with our parents and children!

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