Japan is slated to revise its divorce law in April 2007, making women entitled to receive up to half of their spouse’s pension payments. Until now, a woman who divorced her husband could receive only a basic pension up to a maximum of 66,000 yen a month. Because of this, many women who endured life with their husbands to avoid financial after retirement, now will be able to live relatively comfortable lives on their own.

Some think that this new revision and the opening up of more opportunities for working women as the economy improves will be the death knell for a large number of marriages that have held together only because the woman had no other choice open to her. Though the number of divorces has been on the decline for a number of years, some feel that this is the result of women waiting until the timing is right.

Hiromi Ikeuchi, author of “Jukunen Rikon no Son to Toku” (“The Costs and Benefits of Divorce in Middle Age”), is convinced the decline since 2002 does not mean married couples have become more content.

She believes many unhappy spouses have been biding their time since 2001, when discussions on changes to the pension system began. The revision was passed in 2004.

“Men have just recently begun learning about the new law that divides their employee pensions, but housewives have been aware of the change since around 2001,” Ikeuchi said.

It remains to be seen whether the new law will result in an increase in the number middle age divorces.