Former Nippon TV Announcer on Needing Support as a Young Carer at 18
One day, she suddenly became a young carer.
“None of us—neither my mother nor my family—ever imagined that such a fate was waiting for us. I can’t even remember how we managed to cook meals. We were truly desperate. There was no internet, so we had no access to information.”
These are the words of Asei Machi (53), a former Nippon TV announcer who now works freelance. At the age of 18, Machi’s mother suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which forced her to take on the role of the mother in the family, managing all household chores. In an instant, she became a young carer.
In March 2021, a study published by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare revealed that one in 17 second-year junior high school students and one in 24 second-year high school students are young carers responsible for caring for a family member. This issue gained widespread attention.
Machi documented her experience of caring for her mother—who returned home as a person with disabilities—and later nursing her through cancer until her passing in her 2013 book Jūnen Kaigo (Ten Years of Caregiving, published by Shogakukan Bunko). In October this year, she published Juenryoku: “Kaigo ga Nichijō Jidai” no Ima Subete no Carer ni Todoketai Hontō ni Hitsuyō na Mono (The Ability to Receive Support: What Every Carer Needs in the Era Where Caregiving is Part of Daily Life, published by Hoken), which also serves as a practical guide.
In an ultra-aging society, where caregiving is no longer someone else’s problem, what should we do when the time comes? In Juenryoku, Machi reflects on her experiences in the 1990s—a time when there was no long-term care insurance and far less understanding of people with disabilities. The book details systems, organizations, and support groups that can provide guidance when you’re unsure where or how to seek help.
In Machi’s case, on the day her mother collapsed, her father told her, “You are the mother starting today.” Suddenly forced into the role of a mother, she faced countless challenges, from managing household chores to balancing the family budget, all of which were entirely new to her.
A profound sense of anxiety from not being able to see any path forward.
“Aunt Yamada (a friend of my mother who lived nearby) and my mother’s sister were kind enough to visit and express their concern. However, I couldn’t ask them to take over the household responsibilities in place of my mother. My father was constantly at the hospital with her, my younger brother was in middle school, and my little sister was still in elementary school. So, I had no choice but to handle everything myself.
I was desperate. There were so many things that had to be done every day, including visiting my mother at the hospital. I also had to take care of the medical payments and manage the household budget. I truly wanted someone to help me. But I thought there was no point in talking to my schoolteachers, so consulting them was never even an option for me.”
That said, the local government offices only assist with administrative procedures for public programs. They don’t come to you to explain available support systems. Fortunately, the hospital where Machi’s mother was admitted happened to have a medical social worker. Thanks to their guidance, she learned about programs such as the High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit System and medical expense assistance for people with disabilities. These programs saved her family from financial collapse due to medical expenses. However, the hospital’s payment counter provided no such information.
Although the family avoided financial ruin, Machi’s burden of daily chores remained unchanged.
“At that time, even cooking meals was overwhelming, and no matter how much I did, the laundry never seemed to end. Thinking about how my mother had managed all of this while working part-time made me truly appreciate her efforts.
I couldn’t even think about college entrance exams, so after graduating high school in March, I took a gap year. While my friends were moving forward—entering university or starting jobs—I was stuck, unable to see any clear path ahead. But as the eldest daughter, I couldn’t allow myself to cry in front of my younger siblings. My father didn’t help with anything, so the year my mother was hospitalized felt like a life-or-death struggle. I could only hope that God was watching over us somehow.”
Even after her mother returned home in a wheelchair, Machi bore all the responsibilities alone. At the time, there were no caregiving services available, and it was difficult to seek help from neighbors. This was partly due to her father’s personality.
“We were isolated, you know. My father was the type to put on a brave face and refuse to rely on others. Since he wouldn’t ask for help, as a child, I didn’t know who to turn to or what to ask for. Our neighbors were concerned, but my father hadn’t built the kind of relationships where we could ask for help with household matters or the kids.
My mother also had a speech impairment, so she couldn’t reach out for help either. In the end, it felt like it was up to just us as a family to manage everything. If caregiving services like those available today had existed back then, perhaps we could have used day services, allowing us to take a break and giving my mother a chance to expand her world as well.”
School teachers alone cannot solve family problems.
When Machi’s mother returned home and was able to help with household chores using one hand, her burden eased slightly. Her cooking skills gradually improved, and as she became more capable, her father’s alcohol-related behavior began to cause her further distress. When her father drank, he often made unreasonable demands and would sometimes even kick her out of the house.
“It would have been fine if my father could control his drinking, but it was difficult for a child to stop him. For young carers with parents suffering from mental illnesses or issues like alcohol dependency or tendencies toward violence, it’s hard to put things into words or consult adults. It’s because that would mean badmouthing their parents.
The most important thing is for parents to demonstrate the ‘ability to receive support’ when they are truly in trouble. And then, if the child can’t explain things on their own, the challenge is to connect them with the right adults who can provide support. It’s difficult for school teachers to intervene in family problems, and I don’t think my father would have listened even if a teacher had said something to him.
So, what can be done? Teachers need to build visible relationships with social workers, medical professionals, and relevant organizations in the community where they can refer students for help. Teachers should focus on taking care of the children, but it’s clearly impossible for them to also take care of the parents.”
There are many adults who can help.
Efforts are currently underway in various regions to help children share family-related issues and connect them with people in the community who can provide care. While caregiving for families is the job of professionals, school teachers play a crucial role in supporting children to ensure they don’t give up on their dreams. Many young carers, unable to consult adults about their future, end up giving up on it, and this has become a social issue.
Machi entered Japan’s Nippon Television in 1995 as an announcer, later moving to the news department where she covered medical and caregiving topics. After becoming a freelancer in 2011, she reflects, “Since leaving Nippon Television, I’ve had the opportunity to meet people working in caregiving and welfare, something I couldn’t do while working there.”
“I struggled alone, but I want to tell children in similar situations to the one I was in that the future is not something you should give up on. Don’t give up on your dreams or your future. There are many professionals and adults who can help. So, I want to make sure that those who are struggling and unable to speak up are aware of these people’s existence.
This book is both a message of encouragement for those working hard in caregiving and a tribute to the people who support families outside of the immediate family.
I’m still not good at asking for help from others. That’s why I hope both adults and children will learn the ‘ability to receive support’ so they can ask for help when they need it.”
PHOTO： Takehiko Kohiyama
