UK Edition
App to ‘translate’ women’s feelings triggers fury in Japan
A Japanese app that claims to help husbands “translate” their wives’ behaviour has triggered a storm of indignation.
Ezaki Glico Co., one of the nation’s largest confectionery makers, released the Kope app in early February to encourage partners to share the responsibility of raising children. The free app enables users to exchange messages, access articles about pregnancy and share tips about raising children.
A website set up to promote the app prompted a swift backlash, however, when it explained that men and women can often be at cross-purposes because, “As the male brain and the female brain are different in terms of the structure of the circuits and signals, their output will differ even if they get the same input”.
Additional advice, described as “Translating mother’s feeling for father”, detailed eight potential patterns of behaviour when a wife becomes angry and “translated” phrases for a man to be wary of.
When a woman says, “It’s pointless for us to remain together”, she is really asking, “How do you feel about me?” the app claims.
And the comment “This is really hard” really means “You need to express appreciation for what I’m doing”.
Should a woman ask, “Which is more important to you, your job or your family?” the app advises a man to apologise, say “I’m sorry for making you feel lonely” and to quickly change the subject to the problems he’s having at work.
The app was created in-house by female staff at Ezaki Glico, the Asahi newspaper reported, but under the editorial supervision of Ihoko Kurokawa, the author of a number of books on relationships, including one titled, “Instruction manual on how to handle a wife”.
The app has been roundly criticised on social media, with one poster condemned the company for “openly displaying disdain for women based on the notion that you don’t have to take what women say seriously but show some sympathy or gratitude as a gesture”.
The Osaka-based company was unable to make a comment, but it has changed sections of the app and the web site. In a statement, it said, “We take customers’ opinions to heart and make efforts every day to improve”.