Eiko Toyama had waited 32 years to leave her husband.
Throughout their marriage, she said, she did all the housework and childcare in their Japan home, as well as supporting the family financially. Her husband “wanted to control everything,” from her social life to professional ambitions, leaving her feeling trapped and miserable. Still, she stuck it out for their two children.
That finally changed when she turned 60. Her adult sons no longer needed her, and her husband was healthy – not yet so old that he needed a caretaker. It was a precious window of opportunity, and she took it.
“I was nothing but happy (after the divorce). That was my only emotion,” she said. “I was so happy I wanted to run around all over the place.”
Stories like hers are increasingly common around the world as the number of “gray divorces” – splits among couples aged 50 and older – rises each year. The trend has been seen in countries like the United States and elsewhere, but takes on particular significance in Asia, where people generally live longer.
