Sometimes it's hard not to despair at the gender roles in Japan. Women are to a very large extent expected to not have great careers, and the very least to retire or semi-retire once they have babies.
Yes, babies. Not as soon as they marry, at least. Which it turns out, is a major improvement. Progress HAS been made in the last 30 years or so, at least judging by this 1980 interviewer who doesn't understand how Karen Carpenter might be able to maintain a career at all after being married:
What's really great is that she asks RICHARD not Karen, how she can keep her "activities" (nice way to refer to a top of the pops showbiz lifestyle) going after marriage. You can just see how in her mind she is wondering, "But what about the o-bento? Who will make Tom-san's o-bento when Karen-chan is on the road?" The grown-up Japanese lunchbox (bento) being a rather more intricate affair than a bologne sandwich and a flask. It usually consists of rice and various little bits of meat, fish, and salad, freshly cooked by the woman the same morning.
I have colleagues, very liberated and seemingly pretty feminist Japanese women, who all to a T get up at 5.30 am to cook their husband's bento. Bear in mind that these women are teachers, who get their own lunch ready-made at school. But you can't ask your husband to make his own damn bento. First of all, he is a man, and can't really be expected to cook. Secondly, the bento is a sign of love. And you do love your husband, don't you? Enough to cook everything fresh. Don't you?
Oh and about that. "I can see that you're happy together!" Nice. But not as nice as her farewell suggestion to Richard: "Maybe you should come to Japan to find out your girlfriend!" Indeed.