Shibuya, an area of Tokyo that seems to be forever being rebuilt, with gleaming skyscrapers packed with offices, shops and restaurants; it’s the kind of place that makes it easy to forget that poverty exists in Japan. Perhaps the ideal location for a screening Those who stay: The plight of single mothers in JapanThis documentary explores an often overlooked aspect of a broader issue that is underreported.
Japan’s overall child poverty rate is higher than the OECD average, with nearly half of the 1.4 million single-parent families living below the poverty line, although about 85% of these single-parent families are employed.
Inevitably, the film isn’t always easy to watch. Some mothers recounted escaping abusive husbands, and all recounted the difficulties they faced or were still facing.
Single motherhood is no walk in the park in any country, and Australian director Leon McAvoy doesn’t pretend otherwise, but exposes the Japanese shadow of the phenomenon.
Suffering without complaint is still highly valued in Japan, a tendency that can have negative consequences when people get into real trouble.
“Those Who Stay: The Dilemma of Single Mothers in Japan”
“There’s a tremendous amount of pride in refusing to ask for help, not wanting to ask the government for money,” McAvoy said. The Hollywood Reporter.
Even the vast majority of nonprofits and other volunteer groups working in the field did not want to appear in the documentary, said McAvoy, who also fought to get single mothers on camera.
“But since the movie was made, I’ve received a lot of emails from single moms who are happy that the movie highlights the issue. Some said just watching the trailer made them cry,” McAvoy said Report.
people left behind It has already won 17 awards at film festivals and opened at K’s Cinema in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in November, but McAvoy is still working on national and international distribution.
Attending the screening in Shibuya in late September were the British and Norwegian ambassadors, as well as several ministers at the time and Taro Kono, a candidate for prime minister (who was defeated in the vote a few days later).
After the screening, Kono acknowledged that the Japanese government needs to do better, identifying the gender pay gap and the difference in pay between regular and informal employees as major factors.
“I believe the first step in solving this problem will be to make more people who watch the film aware of the problem and take action to correct it,” Kono said. “Although we call them single-parent families, there is a clear difference in income between single-father families and single-mother families in Japan.”
Some of the experts quoted in the film cite the UK as an example of how to tackle child poverty. However, British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom noted that the country she represents has regressed since Tony Blair’s government helped lift 1 million children out of poverty in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She points out that child poverty rates in the UK are now similar to those in Japan.
On the surface, McAvoy seems an unlikely filmmaker on this subject. A lifelong martial artist – the reason he first came to Japan – his dream was to become an action star. He spent a decade on Japan’s colorful professional wrestling circuit, where he competed under the moniker Rionne Fujiwara and still makes occasional appearances.
When the director had to leave Japan due to visa issues, McAvoy found himself behind the camera of a short film showcasing his action skills. Another major breakthrough came when Japan closed its borders during the coronavirus pandemic, leading the BBC to hire his production company for a project. He has a series of plans people left behind The next film aims to explore the subject of child suicide, which continues to rise despite a decline in the number of suicides in Japan.
