Yoko Furukawa, an employee at Nippon Yusen K.K., pushes a baby stroller during the morning commute in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, December 14, 2009. Japan's efforts to escape a deflationary spiral and sustain an economic recovery may hang on whether Furukawa's son finds a place in day care. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama wants to encourage working mothers such as Furukawa as a means to fuel household demand and help fund pensions and health care. The Dai-ichi Life Research Institute says a 0.6 percentage-point rise in Japan's female employment rate would boost consumer spending by 1.3 percent and increase the Nikkei 225 Stock Average by 3.2 percent. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Blomberg)
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