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In the Japanese news, the Meiji Yasuda Life insurance company yesterday released the results of a survey carried out in July on 1,032 married-with-children Japanese people aged 20 to 59 where they were asked how much a parent should earn per year for raising a child if they were to be paid for it.

38% of respondents responded with a figure between 1 and 3 million yen (approx. USD 9,000 - 27,000, at today's exchange rate) and 6% with a figure between 5 and 10 million yen (USD 45,000 - 90,000). The average "appropriate salary" given by women averaged 2.38 million yen (approx. USD 21,500), and by men, 2.36 million yen (approx. USD 21,300) - a barely significant difference - for an average of 2.37 million yen (USD 21,500).
However, while the number of women who replied "0 yen" was 3%, the number of men who gave that response was 11%. This prompted Meiji Yasuda Life's chief economist, Yuichi Kodama, to speculate that "although there has been an increase in ikumen [men who stay home and raise children], there is still a deep-rooted tendency among men to belittle the task of childrearing."

To put the "recommended average salary" of about 2.37 million yen in perspective, the average salary in Japan in 2016 (the latest figure I could find) was 4.11 million yen (approx. USD 37,000). However, most people raising children in Japan are in their late 20s or in their 30s, and, even if working in a company, would probably be earning les...