Children and care work: political perspectives about young carers in Japan

Studies on YCs have been conducted in the global north and global south whereas in relation to the former studies from the UK have gained dominance. However, studies about YCs from the perspectives of East Asia have yet to develop. Research available about YCs in Japan written in English tends to be limited; hence, the research aims to contribute to the studies on YCs to make the topic known among non-Japanese speakers. The topic of YCs have been recently gaining momentum in Japan with the introduction of support laws in 2024. The main research question is through what dynamics and in what form (i.e. representation and conceptual form) is the issue of children as carers emerging as a policy topic in Japan? The paper answers the question through the use of textual analysis of looking at the sessions in the Diet (Parliament of Japan) and other governmental bodies along with the use of interviews. The findings show that changes in Japanese society, such as the rise of nuclear households, the high dependency ratio and discrepancies of support between the national and local governments act as a need for the government to respond to such changes. A welfare regime that combines both governmental and community support seems to be the solution to support YCs.