European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 the stars and stripes january 1978 modern living a new crop of brides by Andrew Malcolm new York times wanted Young women must be willing work in Bouse and daily Cook also husbands Bath desire or Many children must be respectful of and obedient to taste for Long Winters away from town one Way airfare pro fluent japanese apply hokkaido Farmland Bride Galson through want pamphlets and group organizations in Rural Japan Are seeking to solve As Best they know How an increasing problem of Modem Day japanese that there simply Arent enough women in the Countryside to go in a society based on be extended family where each member has us or her assigned Many Young women Are choosing not to have a at least not on a they Are beading for the big and the single Tana boys left behind Are faced with a family less future void of heirs and free it is an extremely mortifying position socially for the men in this group conscious society and one that carries potential Lon term agricultural and sociological implications for where 80 percent of the 133 million Citi Zens already live in polluted Urban the population movement is also an indication of an in creased sense of mobility among women in Rural traditionally this nations most conservative in underdeveloped a main sized Island that is generally considered japans last the total population held remarkably steady in the last decade at but the islands Rural population dropped sharply by to million while Horkai Dos cities grew by the same to japans Urban migration began More than is years but the Strong movement of Young women away from the farms started Only in recent hokkaido officials estimate now that there Are five eligible men for every three eligible women and the Gap is for centuries won have been a Pam knt Fea Ture of the japanese farm scene Afung with plodding Straw roofs and mad dressed in hooded Sun bonnets and baggy and stooped almost double at the Waist from weeding and harvesting the farm wives worked Long hours with their husbands in the Fields and then put even More hours work into housekeeping Ait meal by some they often slept oily three or four hours a night to fulfil their their vivid memories of these on foals Are apparently quite Strong and play a crucial role i their daughters Farmer Toshiaki Kanechika and his Yoshiko no longer alone in the decision to choose another now that a degree of affluence has placed things like a College education in the City within their economic were trying to Tell the mothers that their work is a lot easier on the farm said one Yoshi hide thanks to i dont need to depend on oxen anymore but its very difficult to change the women Many of hokkaido 213 communities organized committees of men to combat the dearth of potential but none could handle the problem on an Island wide so the hokkaido Farmland Bride Liaison Bureau was formed to Deal with this labor throughout Urban Japan the group places want ads and distributes posters in a japanese gothic style showing a Fanner holding a Pitchfork and standing by a there is no with Bow and the title Why dont Yon come and sweat with us in hokkaido the committee paid expenses for a women Magazine reporter to travel there to write about All the eligible husbands available in one some farm association officials Are sent South to address Large gather Ings of single female textile workers in big air fares for some City women Are paid to allow them to live for a month or so on a where they ask locally Shock ing questions what is Hay Large groups of unmarried women Are even flown to hokkaido in group Tours to see the sights almost by drop in on a Rural campfire where a Large group of unmarried Farmers has happened to it is a very successful Masao a the Bride bureaus who is in three years the Bureau has arranged 54 other local groups have arranged another but this is lust a drop in the bucket compared to the farm bachelors the Bureau counts on the at the said a farm association president near the Rural Hamlet of we could use at least Iso new wives not Long ago his association Drew up a local marriage list of single Young men Over the age of realizing the importance of the the association didst bother to ask the men if they wanted to be listed or that is our problem is due to says the children decide they want a College that Means they must go to the very Tew College graduates come Back to this we dont have the factories or the jobs for their Suguru a Rice signed on to the Bride search list two years ago after his Mother and Many friends told him it was time to i know that stay ing unmarried at this age is close to being a crippled i dont care if Shes Beautiful or but a wife would be More fun to work and talk so ichihara remains alone in his but another 30yearold Toshiaki three years while working Winters in a Southern he met a 22yearold Tokyo school teacher named Yoshi their letters built a relationship until Kanechika asked the farm association to Send someone with him to Tokyo to arrange their married last they live with his parents in a Modem six room House with a console Crow ave oven and Spring they own a a two combines and share a tractor with six other from her the Young Bride is learning All about farm including the compared to my life in the old says the elder hers is a at Busy times the family rises at s and works until s except for which the new wife must she must also make dinner and prepare hot Baths for the 1 have a lot to learn so i expected being a Farmers wife was Tough says the Young a and it there will be additional demands when the baby comes next but there is also the slower Pace and clean air that comes with life in a Rural does she enjoy her new life As a farm wife she so at wits end by Ermo a woman in the neighbourhood who has chosen to remain childless announced the other Day that she and her husband had found a solution to their empty since children Are so expensive and make such de mands of your weve decided to adopt a after they do everything a baby does and you dont have All the fuss and we stared at her in is it possible someone could be so naive i i dont know Bow to Tell you Bat dolls today Are not your soft Hoghaue Cousie ii that you take off All their clothes Ana Sling under the dolls today and and nag and nag and theres baby when you Tarn her arms she walks Bat when the arms Start going up she returns to you with arms outstretched and theres baby Tel foam who a until you squeeze her to shut her theres baby wont Lego that grabs people until her batteries and do you want to fall Over Crater crunchers and drive Over ultrasonic scoot ers in the driveway baby alive eats and fills her diapers All Day her brother comes with All the parts and youll have to worry about their playing theres also baby who comes with Stethoscope and a thermometer and is sick All the and theres the baby that blows bubbles and Slob Bers All Over and another called baby pretend that hangs on the phone All wait until you see Tippy tumbles who stands on her hands to get your attention and the Masharon when you reach out to strike the legs and head fall Kay thought for a ill get an older you wanta foot the Bill for Chers wardrobe and her dressing room with an american Indian Motif or suntan tuesday who tans but comes with three or pick up the Tab for barbies interchangeable beads or Dannie and Marie Osmond own to How Are you going to run a Home with a bionic Man and woman running around with their bionic bionic Eye and bionic Arm not to mention the Micro naut Bio Iron who converts to a believe Kay youre asking for trouble when you adopt super Joe command press his Back and he delivers a Quick left or a right my husband wants a Farrah face majors i didst know Kays marriage was that c mid