There is definitely some sort of listlessness, some sort of malaise, that has overtaken Japanese society in the past 30 years. I think it is a product of several factors:
1. The stifling control and restrictions placed on people as a result of societal rules and etiquette.
2. A deeply pervasive corruption in public and government life where the big companies are in cahoots with the government, and you can't get ahead unless you play ball. The small business owner faces real hurdles.
3. A loss of fighting spirit and martial virtue made possible by decades of pathetic dependence on American military power to protect Japan. Too much peace rots away the soul of a people.
4. The increasingly difficult financial costs to raise a family and get along in Japanese society.
5. A sense of comfort and ease promoted by a social structure that seeks to coddle everyone from the cradle to the grave.
6. Too much affluence, too much stability, and too much material wealth.
There are other factors here, and they have been very well described by one of the most articulate observers of modern Japan, Alex Kerr. His two books "Dogs and Demons" and "Lost Japan" are very perceptive and should be required reading for anyone trying to diagnose Japan's malaise. I recommend them.
All this is very sad for those of us who love Japan, appreciate the role it has played in our lives, and care about its people. But I do feel cautiously optimistic about the future. No one should ever count the Japanese out. They have a resilience to them, and have shown a willingness to bite the bullet and do what's necessary to fix their problems. But they really, really need to wean themselves away from the US. That's the crux of the problem.
1. The stifling control and restrictions placed on people as a result of societal rules and etiquette.
2. A deeply pervasive corruption in public and government life where the big companies are in cahoots with the government, and you can't get ahead unless you play ball. The small business owner faces real hurdles.
3. A loss of fighting spirit and martial virtue made possible by decades of pathetic dependence on American military power to protect Japan. Too much peace rots away the soul of a people.
4. The increasingly difficult financial costs to raise a family and get along in Japanese society.
5. A sense of comfort and ease promoted by a social structure that seeks to coddle everyone from the cradle to the grave.
6. Too much affluence, too much stability, and too much material wealth.
There are other factors here, and they have been very well described by one of the most articulate observers of modern Japan, Alex Kerr. His two books "Dogs and Demons" and "Lost Japan" are very perceptive and should be required reading for anyone trying to diagnose Japan's malaise. I recommend them.
All this is very sad for those of us who love Japan, appreciate the role it has played in our lives, and care about its people. But I do feel cautiously optimistic about the future. No one should ever count the Japanese out. They have a resilience to them, and have shown a willingness to bite the bullet and do what's necessary to fix their problems. But they really, really need to wean themselves away from the US. That's the crux of the problem.