Over 55% of Married Women Feel More Tired During Obon Home Visits Compared to Daily Life, While Over 30% of Men Report the Same

Fuchigami Fines Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Yoshitsugu Fuchigami) operates the wedding dress shop 'JUNO.' The company conducted a survey titled 'Survey on Married Couples' Perceptions of Obon Holiday Home Visits' targeting married men and women aged 20s to 50s who have previously returned to their or their spouse's hometown during Obon. The survey revealed insights into their plans for Obon visits and the physical and mental burdens associated with these trips.

<Background>

As of 2026, dual-income households are increasing, leading to more equal role-sharing between spouses within the household. However, during traditional Japanese events like the Obon holiday home visits, old familial customs and role expectations remain deeply entrenched. Wives often face significant mental and physical burdens beyond daily routines—such as packing, helping with housework at their in-laws' home, managing family interactions, and parenting in unfamiliar environments—leading to exhaustion. In contrast, husbands, feeling at ease in their hometowns, may remain unaware of these burdens and instead perceive the trip as refreshing. To clarify these differing perceptions, Fuchigami Fines Co., Ltd. conducted this survey.

<Survey Summary>

• Approximately 60% of married men and women aged 20s–50s who have visited their or their spouse's hometown during Obon plan to do so again this year.

• Over 45% of these individuals feel that visiting their hometown or in-laws' home during Obon is more tiring than daily life.

• Over 40% believe that their spouse finds the Obon visit more tiring than usual.

• The main sources of stress and fatigue during the visit include 'emotional strain from interacting with in-laws and relatives' and 'sleep deprivation and lack of private space due to unfamiliar environments.'

<Survey Overview>

Survey Period: June 22–23, 2026

Method: Online survey

Target: Married men and women aged 20s–50s who have previously visited their or their spouse's hometown during Obon

Respondents: 438 (218 men, 220 women)

Data Provider: RC Research Data

*Due to rounding to the nearest hundredth, total response rates may not sum to exactly 100.0%.

Approximately 60% of married men and women aged 20s–50s who have visited their hometown or in-laws' home during Obon plan to return this year.

When asked, 'Do you plan to visit your or your spouse’s hometown this Obon holiday?', the top response was 'No plans' (30.1%), followed by 'Plan to visit my own hometown' (22.4%), 'Plan to visit both hometowns' (21.5%), and 'Plan to visit spouse’s hometown' (15.1%). Although 'no plans' was the most common response, combining responses 2 through 4 yields 59.0%, indicating that nearly 60% of respondents plan to visit a hometown this Obon. Looking at gender differences in destination, men most commonly selected 'plan to visit both hometowns' (27.5%), while women most often chose 'plan to visit my own hometown' (26.8%), revealing a difference in return patterns between genders.

Over 45% of married men and women aged 20s–50s who have visited their hometown or in-laws' home during Obon feel the visit is more tiring than daily life.

When asked whether the Obon visit is more tiring or more refreshing compared to daily life, responses were: 'Slightly more tiring than usual' (32.7%), 'About the same as usual' (24.9%), 'Slightly more refreshing' (16.2%), and 'Overwhelmingly more tiring' (13.7%). Combining the top and bottom responses gives 46.4%, showing that over 45% feel the Obon visit is more tiring than daily life to some degree. When broken down by gender, the combined 'overwhelmingly' and 'slightly more tired' responses were 36.2% for men and 56.4% for women, indicating that women are significantly more likely to feel fatigued during these visits.

Over 40% of married men and women aged 20s–50s believe their spouse finds the Obon visit more tiring than daily life.

When asked whether their spouse finds the Obon visit more tiring or refreshing compared to daily life, responses were: 'Slightly more tiring' (30.6%), 'About the same' (29.9%), 'Slightly more refreshing' (19.4%), and 'Overwhelmingly more tiring' (13.0%). Combining the top and bottom responses gives 43.6%, showing that over 40% believe their spouse experiences the visit as more tiring. This perception was consistent across genders, with both men and women showing over 40% in the 'more tiring' category, indicating no significant gender difference in this regard.

Main sources of fatigue during Obon visits include 'emotional strain from in-laws and relatives' and 'lack of privacy and sleep due to unfamiliar environments'.

Finally, when asked about specific situations causing stress or fatigue during the visit, the top response was 'emotional fatigue from managing in-laws and relatives' (42.5%), followed by 'sleep deprivation and lack of private space due to different living environment' (31.3%), and 'no particular stress or fatigue' (24.7%). This shows that emotional labor and environmental discomfort are the primary burdens. Gender breakdowns reveal that men most commonly reported emotional fatigue (35.3%), followed by 'no stress' (29.8%) and environmental discomfort (25.2%). Women, however, reported emotional fatigue at a much higher rate (49.6%), followed by environmental discomfort (37.3%) and 'pre-trip preparations such as packing and gift selection' (29.1%). These results indicate...