At that time, I was living in Osaka, where my husband had been transferred for work.
It was an unfamiliar place, my family was far away, and my husband worked in sales, often coming home late into the night.
It was what you would call a “one-person operation.”
My young son often had fevers.

That day, I was incredibly sleepy.
My husband had come home late the night before, and the housework stretched into the early hours of the morning.
Even though he told me, “You can sleep,” I stayed up, waiting for him to come home.

My son, who had been napping, woke up.
I think he was around three years old.

“Mom, wake up! I want to go on the slide!”
I was too sleepy and replied, “Just a little more sleep,” but he insisted, “Ken-chan isn’t sleepy. Let’s go for a walk.”

I said, “There’s pudding in the fridge,” and my son ate it skillfully, then came back to persuade me again.
I still wanted to sleep, so I said, “My head hurts. I think I have a fever. Watch the Tomica video.”
In reality, I didn’t have a headache or a fever. I was pretending to be sick.
My son became quiet and left my side.

Just when I thought I could sleep for another 20 minutes, I felt something cold on my forehead.
“Mom’s head, ‘Itai no itai no tondeike!’ (Pain, go away!) This will make your fever go down!”

My son had taken a cooling pad from the fridge and placed it on my forehead.
There was a small chair in front of the fridge.
I could picture him saying, “One step, two steps,” as he carefully carried the chair and stretched up to grab it.

Tears quietly fell. The mix of guilt and emotion over his growth moved me deeply.
“Ken-chan, thank you! I’m better now.
Let’s go for a walk. I’ll get ready right now, so wait for me.”

My son, who had been waiting by the door with his shoes on, muttered,
“Mom, you’re so slow! How long are you going to make me wait?”
That was exactly my husband’s tone.
I burst out laughing.

Children observe their parents well.
I held his small hand and we went outside.
My son, who will soon turn 29, is likely to become a father soon.
I’m sure he’ll be a kind father.
But please, take your time while your wife gets ready.

by Masae Matsuda / age: 58 / Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#Essay
#ThankYouforthePainRelief
#PresentToTheFuture
#MotherAndSon

The post Oyako Day Essay Contest 2025 Award-Winning Essay: “Thank You for the Pain Relief” appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

The relationship between Oyako Day and The Mothers’ Industry Newspaper goes back many decades.

And throughout the years, it has been Bruce Osborn’s photographs of parents and children that have graced the newspaper’s covers.

In the early years, the editors selected images from Bruce’s existing collection of OYAKO portraits. Later, the covers featured photographs of families who had participated in the Oyako Day Super Photo Sessions.

There was also a period when special photo sessions were organized specifically for The Mothers’ Industry Newspaper, with Bruce photographing mothers together with their children.

Today, the covers feature fathers and their children.

Every photograph captures a moment unique to that particular parent and child, and the words that accompany each portrait are just as moving.

Featured on the cover of this month’s issue are Rio Segan and his son, Ka’imi.

Along with their portrait came this beautiful message from father to son.

To Ka’imi, from Dad

To love someone is more than simply being together.

It means giving your time to the person in front of you, being present, and continuing to truly see them.

To me, that is love in its most beautiful form.

I grew up without my father always by my side, and there were many days when I felt lonely.

Now that I am a father myself, there is something I understand more deeply than ever.

What a father can give his son is more than words.

It is the simple assurance of his presence—the feeling that “I will always be here for you.”

And so, I want to make sure you always have a place you can come home to, no matter what happens.

It’s okay to have days when things don’t go well.
It’s okay to be different from everyone else.

Whoever you are, my love for you will never change.

Someday, there may come a time when you choose your friends over me, or when you don’t want to hear what I have to say.

Even then, I will always be your father.

As you grow from a boy into a man, I want to be there beside you for as much of that journey as I possibly can.

The fact that you came into this world is a gift more precious to me than anything else in my life.

Ka’imi, you are the son I always dreamed of having.

All I ask is that you simply be yourself.

I will love you always.

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#MothersDay
#FathersDay
#PresentToTheFuture
#GladToBeBorn

The post The Mothers’ Industry Newspaper appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Yae | Half-Farmer, Half-Singer / Singer-Songwriter

Our guest for the 51st Oyako Day Online Talk Live is Yae.

Her father was the late Toshio Fujimoto, who devoted his life to taking action and speaking out on issues that mattered to society.

Her mother is singer Tokiko Kato, who has continued to share her messages with the world through music.

Yae has inherited that powerful spirit of expression. As a “half-farmer, half-singer,” she follows two paths—farming and music—while continuing to communicate the values and ideas that are important to her.

Rather than simply preserving what she has received, she nurtures it and passes it on to the next generation.

In this edition of the Oyako Day Online Talk Live, we look forward to hearing about Yae’s way of life and exploring how her journey resonates with the values at the heart of Oyako Day—what we receive from one generation, how we nurture it, and what we pass on to the next.

The post 51st Oyako Day Online Talk Live — September 24, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. (JST) appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

A photograph capturing a precious moment between parent and child.
A story of family told through carefully chosen words.

Through each and every entry, we had the privilege of discovering the many different forms that OYAKO—the bond between parent and child—can take.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated.

The judging process will now begin, and the results will be announced at a later date.

The photograph accompanying this post was taken after the Oyako Day Super Photo Session in 2014.

Although we were unable to hold the Super Photo Session this year, the same joyful energy we felt that day continues to live on, nurturing and inspiring Oyako Day today.

Thank you for your continued support of Oyako Day.

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#PhotoContest
#EssayContest
#OyakoStories
#PresentToTheFuture

The post Submissions for the Photo & Essay Contests Are Now Closed appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their wonderful photographs with us. We truly appreciate all of your submissions!

The post Photo Contest 2026 appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their heartfelt stories with us. We truly appreciate all of your submissions!

The post Essay Contest 2026 appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has entered.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, August 31.

If you’ve been thinking, “I haven’t sent mine yet!”—there’s still time!

You have until the end of today, so please don’t forget to send in your entry.

We’re looking forward to receiving your special OYAKO photographs and stories right up until the deadline.

The photo accompanying this post is one of our own summer memories, taken with our daughter and grandchild when they came home for their summer vacation.

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#PhotoContest
#EssayContest
#OyakoPhotography
#ParentAndChild
#FamilyStories
#FamilyMemories
#PowerOfPhotography
#PowerOfWords
#PresentToTheFuture

The post Photo & Essay Contests — Today Is the Final Day! appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

We invite you to enjoy Bruce’s photography alongside Adan’s wonderful food and warm hospitality.

Below is a message from Isaku Kawachi, owner of Adan.

The post New Bruce Osborn Exhibition Installed at Adan in Sengakuji, Tokyo appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

The post Super Photo Session 2026 appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Thank you to everyone who cast their vote and helped us select this year’s parent-and-child pair!

The post Oyako Taisho 2026 appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.