KUALA LUMPUR: A heavily pregnant Japanese woman thought she was doing the right thing when she prepared 30 dinner meals at one go for her husband.
But the social media response to her efforts was anything but praise.
She was scheduled to deliver the baby on May 21, so she prepared the meals and put them in the freezer.
She said she did this because her husband came back late from work and he was always supportive and understanding during her pregnancy, the 'South China Morning Post' reported.
She posted a video on X of her preparing the meals.
Users on the platform were critical of her husband and her.
They said she was perpetuating a culture that produced immature and domestically inept men.
"What kind of husband allows his heavily pregnant wife to prepare a month's worth of dinners? Does he usually do nothing at home? Isn't it just spoiling him?" one commenter said.
"Is your husband a junior school kid? Can he not prepare his own meals?" another user asked.
The criticisms did not just come from people in her homeland, but also from China.
"This Japanese woman is really bizarre. She is pregnant and acting as her husband's maid. How did her husband eat before he married?" asked one person.
"So, guess why she is going back to her parents' home to rest and recover after giving birth?" another one wrote.
But at least one X user came to her defence. He highlighted a broader cultural context of men's lack of involvement in domestic tasks.
"Isn't it the same in all East Asian countries? When my mum came to stay with me to help with the baby, she forgot to prepare meals for my dad. He survived on steamed buns and noodles for three months, even losing muscle mass," the man commented.
