They don't feel the taste of success after they start working. There is mass pessimism.
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Hisakazu Matsuda, the 55-year-old author of the book “Ken-Shohi Sedai no Kenkyu” (Research Into the Anti-consumption Generation), on the changing spending habits of the post-bubble generation.
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-1
MaboDofuIsSpicy
What?
0
kaminarioyaji
And who could blame them? What with the labour law (non) abiding, bullying bosses, lame government that fails to do anything to properly ensure workers work-to-live rather than live-to-work, bugger-all pension when they get to that age, whilst subsidising other people's pensions for their entire working lives (see lame government again)... I could go on.
5
tkoind2
I am sorry Matsuda-san but you are missing the forest for the tree here. But to your credit you are on the right path.
The reason the young people of Japan are checking out of both consumerism and the path of "successful" work is simple. They do not want to be like their parent's generation.
Let's look at the facts.
The question is simple. What person in his or her right mind would desire this path of labor slavery?
Consumption and materialism clearly did not make the previous generation happy. They had lots of nice stuff, but were still unhappy. Look to manifestations of this in alcoholism, divorce, suicide etc... A lot of young people have come to realize this. They value things like time and friendship more. And why shouldn't they?
Success. Well, it is really a question of how we define this isn't it? A good job, good money, a wife/husband, nice clothes, big tv etc... was the previous definition of "success". But many young people now see success as the ability to do what they want to do. To have time for their passions. To have time for people.
Perhaps what we are really seeing here is the shift in how success is measured. Measured in time, in freedom and in the ability to live a wage slave free existence may well be overshadowing the old notion of success. And that may well be what you are seeing.
Pessimism? In the existing expectations and systems, YES absolutely. But in general. I don't think so. Call it thinking differently and you are closer to the mark.
-3
tmarie
Well said you two. Exactly what I was thinking - you saved me from typing it out!
0
Johannes Weber
Worse yet - they might even start questioning the "Japanese Way" and "Japan Inc"...
I guess they are very optimistic as they still have dreams. They hope for the ideal partner, an interesting and fulfilling work-life balance and so on. If You look at the bubble generation, they didn't even have the courage to try to find real love (though unsuccessful as most of us are most of the time), just abiding by social expectations. Now who is the pessimist, Matsuda san?
0
gaijinfo
Some may say it's pessimism as they are consciously rejecting "Japan Inc." and all that it stands for. I say they've been coddled their whole lives, and now they've actually got to work for a living. They don't like going to work and being told what to do by some boss. It's unfair. They'd rather live in the protective bubble of university where everything is supplied to them and all they have to do is feel special.
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