[njwi332]

Minor correction, it's 就職活動 (shuushoku katsudou) not seishoku. And the age of starting families here is older than you mention at close to 30 [1], especially in recent years. That's not to say it doesn't happen, just that Japanese couples don't, on average, get married much younger than in the west.

You're right about paying people differently based on life circumstances - but this generally happens in the form of substantial tax cuts for couples with a non/part time working wife (e.g. [2]), rather than by paying them more (although there are some government benefits like a child allowance).

Mostly nitpicking here! Appreciate your contributions to this thread, you're right on the money for the most part

[1]: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00759/ [2]: https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-JRTB-17152