育児(いくじ)

いくじ
noun
childcare; child-rearing
1. childcare; child-rearing; parenting
The care, raising, and nurturing of children, especially young children and infants.
育児(いくじ)は大変(たいへん)な仕事(しごと)だ。
Childcare is hard work.
育児(いくじ)休暇(きゅうか)を取(と)った。
I took parental leave.
育児(いくじ)と仕事(しごと)を両立(りょうりつ)させる。
To balance childcare and work.
夫婦(ふうふ)で協力(きょうりょく)して育児(いくじ)をしている。
The couple is cooperating to raise their children.
初(はじ)めての育児(いくじ)は分(わ)からないことだらけで、毎日(まいにち)育児(いくじ)書(しょ)を読(よ)んでいた。
My first experience with childcare was full of unknowns, and I was reading parenting books every day.

USAGE: Refers specifically to raising young children. Often discussed in context of work-life balance in Japan.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 育児(いくじ)休暇(きゅうか)/休業(きゅうぎょう) (parental leave)
  • 育児(いくじ)ノイローゼ(のいろーぜ) (parenting stress/burnout)
  • 育児(いくじ)支援(しえん) (childcare support)
  • 育児(いくじ)書(しょ) (parenting book)

SOCIAL CONTEXT: Japan has been working to encourage paternity leave (男性(だんせい)の育児(いくじ)休暇(きゅうか)) to promote shared parenting.

RELATED:

  • 子育(こそだ)て (child-rearing, broader term)
  • 保育(ほいく) (childcare services/daycare)

Related Words

Related: 子育(こそだ)て (child-rearing)
core
Added 2026.1.13 16:50 · Revised 2026.3.3 8:56
03500/03998_ikuji