- The following is content from the press release -
Panasonic Corporation Life Appliance Company ("Panasonic") and Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture ("Hirakawa City") have agreed to work together to create an environment in which the younger generation can raise their children with peace of mind, with the aim of creating the "number one easy place to raise children. Based on this agreement, from January 27, 2025 to April 20, 2025, they jointly conducted a demonstration experiment for households raising children in Hirakawa City, with the aim of reducing the burden of housework and creating a domestic environment that encourages male participation in housework.
In this demonstration, we investigated the impact of the use of dishwashers and dryers (hereafter referred to as "dishwashers") on child-rearing support and the promotion of household chore sharing. The goal was to improve the quality of life of households raising children by increasing the efficiency of household chores and encouraging a reassessment of the division of household roles.
Main Results of the Demonstration Experiment
1. contribute to the enhancement of child-rearing environment
Satisfaction with the reduced burden of housework was as high as 85%*, contributing significantly to the creation of time for communication with family and children.
2. contribution to participation in household chores (housework sharing)
During the implementation period, 52% of the monitors felt that dishwashing by their partners increased. In addition, 44% of the monitors reported an increase in their partner's participation in housework and childcare, confirming a change in partner behavior.
Panasonic and Hirakawa City will continue their efforts to create a sustainable community by exploring ways to provide community-based childcare support.
*Satisfaction levels are based on the results of the demonstration participant questionnaire.
Dialogue on the Demonstration Experiment
Through a conversation between Panasonic employees who conducted this demonstration experiment and Hirakawa City officials, we reviewed the effects of the experiment and the feedback from the public.
participant
Mr. Hideyuki Fukui, Future Strategy Office, General Affairs Department, Hirakawa City Hall
Dishwasher SBU Business Strategy Planning Department, Panasonic Life Appliance Company
Hideki Sadakata, Kenji Kumakura, Solution Planning Section
The goals of Panasonic and Hirakawa City coincide. A common desire to "improve the quality of life".
■Mr. Fukui (Hirakawa City)
As the outflow of young people continues, promoting the settlement of the child-rearing generation is an important issue. In addition to economic support such as free medical care and school lunches, citizens have been asking for measures to alleviate inconveniences in their daily lives.
When Panasonic proposed the idea of "reducing the burden of housework and increasing time with family through dishwashers," the goals of both parties were aligned. The two companies agreed to conduct a demonstration experiment, based on a shared understanding of wellbeing and sustainability.
■Jotsukata (Panasonic)
Dishwashers are products that not only improve the efficiency of household chores, but also contribute to more leisure time and reduced environmental impact. In Japan, the penetration rate is currently low at about 30%, but we wanted to seek a new opportunity to promote the use of dishwashers through collaboration with local governments that are aiming for the same goals, such as creating more leisure time in the home. Thanks to Mr. Fukui's enthusiasm, the agreement was concluded in a very short period of time.
2. the many small changes in our lives created by dishwashers
■Mr. Fukui
With the acceleration of the nuclear family, the burden of housework and childcare is concentrated on the individual, and we have felt that there is an increasing sense of stress and isolation that is difficult to see. Dishwashers are expected to be a catalyst for sharing household chores and a tool for improving the quality of life. About half of the monitored households reported that their partner's participation in household chores, such as washing dishes, had increased.
Reason for winter implementation:
Prevention of roughness of hands due to cold water unique to snow country
Many citizens say that their rough hands have actually decreased.
■ methods
It was found that the introduction of the dishwasher had a positive impact on the family relationship, as it increased parent-child time, such as "I can now listen to my children properly" and "I can take a bath with them. Participation in housework and childcare increased in 44% of the families.
The operation required to load the dishes into the dishwasher and start it may have created a sense of "participating in the household chores," which may have spilled over into other household chores. As a result, some episodes of gratitude were generated between the couple.
Kumakura (Panasonic)
Increased involvement of the entire family, such as children taking an interest in the dishwasher. The value of the dishwasher was realized as more than just a "convenient appliance. Many expressed their excitement at being able to spend time with their children and keenly felt the significance of the initiative.
Significance of private x government collaboration
■Mr. Fukui
Hearing the real voices of citizens was a major benefit. Some said, "The administration was there for the household," and the fact that we were able to realize a new form of support for daily life issues gave us a great deal of confidence. At the same time, it was an opportunity to reaffirm that housework is not just a problem for families, but a lifestyle issue that the government should be involved in.
I was impressed by Panasonic's business stance, which does not see the dishwasher as a mere convenience appliance but rather as a social mission, and realized that collaboration with a company can improve the quality of life of citizens from a perspective that the government does not have.
■ methods
We would like to raise the need for efficient support for the "virtue of doing one's best in housework," a value that still persists in Japan. Through cooperation with local governments, we aim to improve people's lives as a whole.
■Kumakura
I think the success of the project was due to the fact that the private sector and the government were able to work together, taking advantage of their respective strengths.
4. changing the image of the dishwasher as a mere convenience appliance, and making it a partner in the home
■ methods
The dishwasher has become "indispensable" to the extent that customers say they don't want to return it, even after a short period of time. The company feels that this is an achievement and a positive response to the new fans it has acquired.
■Mr. Fukui
Through my own hands-on experience of installing a dishwasher at the time of the birth of our fourth child, I have found that the hurdles to participation in household chores have been lowered. When I had a conversation with my wife after this demonstration, she revealed to me that it has actually helped her. My boss, who had never used a dishwasher before and started using it after the birth of his child during the demonstration period, said, "It's like buying time," and I recognized the value of the dishwasher once again.
As we felt from the comments of the citizens we monitored, we realized that the dishwasher is the kind of device that, if you have the opportunity to use it, you will never want to let go of it.
5. future prospects
■Mr. Fukui
We will widely disseminate the results of this project to citizens and continue to study and implement ways to support households raising children. Furthermore, we hope that the collaboration with Panasonic will serve as a model case and spread to other municipalities and companies. We hope to create a society in which ease of doing household chores becomes the norm.
■ methods
We will expand the results obtained in Hirakawa City to other municipalities nationwide and propose to enrich people's lives with dishwashers. We would like to work to become the best partner for people's lives.
With Panasonic Corporation Life Appliance Company
Panasonic Corporation's Life Appliance Company develops, manufactures, and recycles home appliances, and aims to create inspiring products and services that will last for the future of people and the Earth.
