Asking Japanese Teens What They Think about Their Fathers

Source: Nationwide survey of 963 teens by Lifemedia (June, 2013)

Easy to get angry
He is inflexible (or stubborn)
Won’t listen to me
Doesn’t do household chores
Nothing in particular
Cares about our family
Is gentle
Can depend on him
Works hard
Knows lots of things

When teenagers around Japan were asked what they liked most about their fathers, the most common replies were “Works hard,” “Knows lots of things” and “Cares about our family.” On the negative side, the most common reply was “He is inflexible (or stubborn),” followed by “Nothing in particular” and “Easy to get angry.” From the surprisingly large number of “Nothing in particular” responses it would seem that teens don’t harbor that much dissatisfaction with their fathers. In response to the question, “What do you do for your father on Father’s Day?” the most common reply was “Give him an article of clothing or accessory.”