FOCUS: Costs, customs pose challenges in Japan's promotion of housework services

TOKYO - Japan is planning to introduce national qualifications for housework services to address the problem of people quitting caregiving jobs. However, experts are questioning whether formal recognition of skills alone can help to make the services more widely accepted.

While the government is considering offering financial incentives for service usage, such as tax deductions or credits, experts are concerned not only about the financial burden of using the services, but also about whether certification would ensure quality and encourage people to be more accepting of having strangers in their homes -- particularly in a country where hiring private housekeepers or babysitters has not been very popular.