Every morning, Yuko, a 33-year-old resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, gets up at 4 a.m., does the housework, prepares the evening meal, takes the three children to a nursery, and then goes to work.
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Since separating from her husband five months ago, Yuko, not her real name, has been walking a tightrope, balancing work, household chores and child-rearing.