The recent upswing in the divorce rate in Japan is both a blessing and a curse. Sure it is a blessing that unhappy people can separate, but the effects on children are all too clear (vis a vis, US trends.) All things being equal, if this is another step towards gender equality in Japan (in the sense of women taking more power from men), however small, I can view it as positive, even if the actual effects of divorce are obviously negative.
As stigma fades, Japanese divorce rate increases [seattletimes.nwsource.com]
