'Give Me a Vacation Over a Carnation' - Shufu Senryu 2026 Reveals 86% of Mothers Couldn't Rest on Mother's Day

Bstyle Media Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Masafumi Ishibashi), operator of the job site 'Shufu JOB' within the Bstyle Group, conducted an awareness survey on Mother's Day targeting 285 mothers. The results showed that while nearly half of respondents see Mother's Day as a 'good opportunity to express and receive gratitude,' 86% actually reported they 'could not rest sufficiently.' When asked what would truly make them happy on Mother's Day, items related to rest and personal time, such as 'not having to do housework' and 'time to spend alone,' topped the list. In the 'Shufu Senryu 2026' poetry contest, many entries related to Mother's Day also expressed the honest desire to 'take a break,' mirroring the survey results. ■ Survey Results Summary 1. Mother's Day is a good opportunity to express/receive gratitude: 46.7% 2. 'Could not rest' even on Mother's Day: 86.0% 3. Top reason for not resting: 'Housework and childcare occurred as usual' 4. What mothers want on Mother's Day is 'rest and personal time' 5. Shufu Senryu 2026 reveals Mother's Day truth: 'Rest over things' 6. Episodes related to Mother's Day Shufu Senryu 2026 [Mother's Day] Category Grand Prize An announcement event for the 'Shufu Senryu 2026' Grand Prize was held. Judges Yukiko Nonomura and Kintaro shared comments empathizing with the honest desire to rest. Yukiko Nonomura: 'You might manage to go out for lunch, but going out slowly for dinner with friends is difficult. Even if you get some time off, you end up tired after preparing food for the kids before leaving... True refreshment comes from a full day or two of complete rest.' Kintaro: 'It's like the saying "dumplings over flowers." While gifts are nice, the best present is practical time off and free time.' Shufu Senryu 2026 [Mother's Day] Excellence Award Yukiko Nonomura: 'Exactly! My husband (Shu-kun) helps out lately, but at first he'd ask "Should I help with something?" or "I'll do it if you tell me." I want him to find things to do himself without being told. Washing two or three dishes is much happier than a superficial "thank you."' Shufu Senryu 2026 [Mother's Day] Honorable Mention Yukiko Nonomura: 'Gifts are incredibly happy to receive. But mothers are working so close to their limit that they sometimes think, "Now I have to work again with this." There's no end to housework and parenting; the only way to get personal time is to sacrifice sleep.' Kintaro: 'I honestly understand the feeling of thinking "An apron again..." Mothers sometimes don't even have the mental capacity to prepare themselves to put on an apron. I want people to show appreciation through actions.' - Mother's Day / It's now the era / to cancel being a mother (Hiragundam, 38, Osaka) - On Mother's Day / I want to close shop / on chores and childcare (Tsu-chan, 29, Ehime) - For Mother's Day / I don't need a present / give me a break (Tabi, 33, Tottori) - On Mother's Day / What I really want / is time alone (Hiu, 28, Tokyo) A common theme in many poems was the plea for relief from burdens, such as wanting a day of doing nothing, wanting time alone, or wanting someone to take over chores. It appears Mother's Day is shifting from a 'gift day' to a 'day to let mothers rest.' 6. Mother's Day Episodes - My eldest son (1st grade) finally learned to write hiragana and gave me a letter saying "Mama, I love you, thank you." All the hardship and stress blew away in an instant. (30s / Parent of a preschooler) - My son gives me carnations or presents every year. He once gave me a handkerchief. It was the first time I got one and I was so happy. It was a flashy pink one with red roses, and I was nervous to use it because it was so cute. I still use it. Thank you. (40s / Parent of a college student or older)