#Japan #Shinagawa #Hourly Wage #Pairwork #mediba

Mediba's Groundbreaking Home Task App: PairWork

In a notable advancement for shared domestic responsibilities, Mediba, a KDDI Group company based in Shinagawa, Tokyo, has developed and patented a unique technology within their home task sharing application, PairWork. This innovation focuses on visualizing the invisible labor of household tasks by converting the value of domestic work into an hourly wage format. The patent, awarded as Patent No. 7717209, demonstrates a significant step in recognizing the fair distribution of household responsibilities among couples.

Background of the Initiative

The rise of dual-income households in Japan has soared, reaching approximately 70% of all households. However, research indicates that women still engage in housework for 3.58 times longer than their male partners. This disparity in domestic labor falls behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5.4, which advocates for the recognition and valuation of unpaid domestic labor. To bridge this gap, Mediba created a system that allows couples to understand and communicate their household contributions better.

Details of the Patent Acquisition

• - Invention Title: Information processing device, information processing method, and program
• - Patentee: Mediba, Inc.
• - Patent Number: No. 7717209
• - Patent Acquisition Date: July 24, 2025

Features of the Newly Patented Technology

Mediba’s patented technology encompasses several key features that enable couples to establish a clearer understanding of their domestic contributions:
1. One partner requests a desired hourly wage for housework.
2. The other partner either accepts the request or proposes a new amount.
3. This negotiation continues until both partners reach an agreement.
4. Once agreed upon, the hourly wage for household tasks is set.
5. The app logs daily household activities and the time spent on each task, automatically aggregating this data monthly.
6. Based on the agreed hourly wage, the app calculates and displays a monthly simulation of contributions in monetary terms.

These functionalities provide couples with an understandable metric to visualize their contributions, facilitating gratitude and proactive collaboration. This aligns with Mediba's goal of fostering harmonious communication and constructive discussions between partners.

Insight from the Product Manager and Inventor

Misa Kimura, the product manager and inventor of PairWork, shared that the inspiration for this feature emerged from her experiences when her partner was promoted at work, leading to an imbalance in household responsibilities. While she felt immense pride for her partner's achievements, the overwhelming burden of household chores without recognition led to frustration. Her desire to seek solutions, rather than direct complaints, motivated the creation of this innovative feature.

Kimura believes that visualizing the time spent on chores as an hourly wage establishes a fair acknowledgment of each partner's efforts, fostering a deeper appreciation and enabling better communication irrespective of the workload distribution.

Mediba's Future Plans

With this patented technology as a core component, Mediba intends to accelerate the service deployment of PairWork. Their mission is to support dual-income couples in balancing work and home life while creating a prosperous future together.

About PairWork

PairWork is designed to visualize the distribution of household tasks and promote smooth communication between partners. The app features over 150 types of household tasks, an hourly wage conversion feature reflecting contribution values, and shared shopping list functionalities—all tailored to assist dual-income households.

App Links

• - App Store
• - Google Play

About Mediba

Mediba operates various au-related services, such as Ponta Pass and au Wellness. They also engage in UX/UI consulting, BPO, and offshore development, providing users with necessary informational access. In pursuit of their mission to bring 'HAPPY' to people, Mediba continues to innovate and develop user-centric services related to media and technology.

Note: Company names and trademarks mentioned are those of their respective owners.