The Japanese word applied to discussions about childrearing and early training is shitsuki... English translations of the word include 'breeding', 'upbringing, 'training' and 'discipline.' This translates into English as 'The boy became depraved from lack of family training,' 'Children are plastic in the hands of parents,' and 'Home instruction is of the first importance in nurture of a child.'... In the literal translation... the meaning is said to be 'the putting into the body of a child the arts of living and the good manners in order to create one grown-up person.'... The business of child rearing is thus associated with some of the most important elements of Japanese culture... The creation of people is no less important to the continuity of the culture [than the cultivation of rice and the raising of bonsai] and, in the Japanese case, is seen as another skill to be cultivated with a good deal of time and careful attention.

A child in the family: The emphasis placed on childrearing is no doubt related to the high value children are accorded in other ways. A married couple without children is rare in Japan, and most families have their first child fairly soon after marriage... One of the chief purposes of marriage is often stated to be to have descendants...

This is a part of the traditional ideology in Japan that a family is less a unit in its own right than part of a continuing entity known as the ie (house or household)... Each generation is obliged to the previous one for its existence and upbringing and therefore expects to reciprocate by carrying out the rites on behalf of the ancestors, caring for the living seniors in their old age, and providing for the subsequent generation.

... Even in the case of nuclear families, a marriage is seen as much more secure once children are born to the union... Once a child is born, a husband and wife may see themselves as related more permanently through the 'natural' vertical relationship that each have with their child... Thus children in Japan have these important extra roles to play - to provide the vital continuity to the ie and to cement the relationship between the parents. Not only is the child essential to the well-being of the family and valued as a treasure and gift to its caretakers, it also represents a responsibility for them to mould it in a way which will be acceptable to the wider society...

The expectation of attention for children: Traditionally, mothers took babies into their own bedding or provided a small mattress beside their own for a young child... It is usually customary for an adult to lull a baby to sleep before placing it in the cot, and pick it up again if it should wake up... the baby [should] experience as little anxiety as possible... When the child grows up a little, it is usual for a caretaker to lie down beside it at bedtime until it falls asleep... The employment of baby sitters is a Western custom that is largely rejected in Japan. Mothers may leave tiny babies with neighbors or family members for short periods during the day, but an evening out with her husband by hiring a relative stranger is not a priority... in three-generation households, a couple could leave children 'with their grandparents.

On a more practical level, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has developed a comprehensive range of child welfare services... Pregnant mothers are required to register at their local health center where they may be examined free of charge... Public health nurses and midwives conduct home visits during pregnancy, childbirth and soon after the baby is born... low-income families receive free milk for a period of nine months. All children under six years of age are provided by law with vaccinations for smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough and polio. At three years, children are called to attend a medical, dental and psychological examination during which early disorders may be detected and treatment recommended.