Man Loses Suit Over Wife's Refusal to do Housework

	TOKYO, 1 Aug 97  -- A Japanese court has ruled in favour of a
	33-year-old woman who divorced her husband after he demanded that she do
	all the cooking, cleaning and laundry even though she held a full-time
	job, court officials said on Friday.
	
	The woman's husband, a 35-year-old public servant, filed a lawsuit
	demanding his wife pay 4.5 million yen ($38,100) in damages for refusing
	to live with him soon after their marriage and ultimately divorcing him,
	media reports said.
	
	The Tokyo District Court on Thursday turned down the husband's demand
	for damages but ordered the wife to return a one million yen ($8,400)
	betrothal gift and her wedding ring.

	"There was a reason for the wife to take passive action against the
	marriage," said Presiding Judge Hiroto Waki.
	
	The husband demanded that his wife cook breakfast every morning, iron
	his trousers and clean the house although she had a full-time job,
	according to the ruling.
	
	It said the woman argued that the couple needed to live near her office
	in order for her to be able to do all the housework the husband asked
	for, but he had turned down all nine houses suggested by a real estate
	agent.
	
	The names of the couple were not disclosed.
	
	($1-118 yen)