In Japan 50% of men give all their money to their wives and get a monthly allowance
In Japan, there’s the salary you get from your company. And if you are a married man, there’s the salary you get from your wife. It’s called “okozukai”, which is sometimes translated as “pocket money”. Think of it as a husband salary.
Traditionally, Japanese women control a family’s finances. Even if the wife works, she still is supposed to manage the household’s money.
Japanese law does not allow joint or family accounts (only individual accounts!); so when it’s said that the wife controls the money, that’s exactly what it means.
The average okozukai last year was 39,600 (US$396). That includes the husband’s cell phone bill, which in Japan is usually a little over a hundred bucks. It also includes other things, such as eating out and booze or cigarettes for those who drink and smoke. What’s more, if you are into video games, music, or books, well, that comes from your husband salary, too. Want a new game? Use your allowance. Want a haircut? Well, take it out of your pocket money. Need new clothes? Use your okozukai.
