C ______ atchphrase from 1986, apparently is still well-understood today. I just had this phrase explained to me earlier and I quickly had to research its meanings. The basic idea is that if your husband is healthy and out of the home, it's better for you so you can relax and enjoy your life. It's a sentiment on how distant two loved ones can become in a marriage. I was pretty surprised when I researched deep into this phrase the prevalent issue in Japan of seemingly loveless marriages. To me, it is sad (although I'm not married so I don't know) that this results in the popularity of dramas like Hirugao
亭主
元気
で
留守
が
いい
teishu
genki
de
rusa
ga
ii
husband
spirited
(and)
absence
(subj particle)
good
Originating Commercial
This phrase is from the following 1986 commercial. The commercial is for a product called タンスにゴン (tansu ni gon) which is a product for keeping away bugs out of your clothing dressers and linen closets. See if you can recognize 亭主元気で留守がいい in this commercial.
What does this commercial have to do with husbands? Well the product is "Tansu Ni Gon" which is similar enough to “Teishu Ni Gon" which means husbands be gone. The commercial is obviously trying to appeal to housewives which was probably a huge success.
Is It Really That Bad?
Yes, it seems there used to be a big bug problem! These varmints would eat your delicates and ruin your clothing! Also, sexless marriages seem to also be an issue. I think they solved the bug problem though!
Anecdotally, I've seen this lack of sex and passion problem stated in many different countries across many different cultures. It used to be a very common topic among my American coworkers. Unfortunately, you won't be able to find any cross-cultural studies anytime soon, as the best I could find were from Dr. Phil. I'm not saying it's not a problem, I'm just saying it's most likely not isolated to Japan.
