What's a working mom to do with her kids in Tokyo?

Childcare

An entrepreneur in central Tokyo, is up in arms. One of her Japanese assistants is about to have a baby and wants to continue working afterwards. But so far her assistant has been unable to find public child-care facilities for children under the age of 2.

She has been to the Shibuya Ward office, also the office in Ikebukuro where she lives. Neither can help. "It means women are forced to sever their careers," Meriel fumes. "How many companies are willing or able to re-hire a female employee -- any employee for that matter -- after a two-year gap? Why are there no government subsidized nurseries?"

Well, there are. But you have to put your name down in December for the following April (the beginning of the new fiscal year), and even then there is no surety of getting a place.