Japan's labour woes begin before birth as nursery teachers flee

Tokyo

AFTER 6 1/2 years as a nursery school teacher, Saki Sasamoto had had enough. Her pay barely covered necessities and the stress of the job made her quit without even thinking what she would do next. "I couldn't stand it," she said. "It was absolutely draining."

Ms Sasamoto joined the ranks of some 760,000 qualified nursery teachers in Japan who have opted to do something else. Low pay and a tangle of government regulations are keeping them away from a profession that is vital to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to encourage mothers to return to work and replenish the nation's dwindling workforce.