Japan's Lost Generation: Freeters, Net Cafe Refugees, Satori Generation, Parasite Singles, and Monster Parents

When the Japanese "bubble economy" finally popped in the early nineties, Japan experienced a massive shockwave to the their economy and overall, society.  The economy was in turmoil.  Companies lost almost of all of their value.  People were losing jobs or working long hours of overtime in order to compensate for the reduction in the workforce.  This was a major change for the Japanese people to deal with.  Prior to the burst, people were accustomed to lifetime employment schemes that their companies had employ.  The main tenet of this scheme was that you would work long hard hours at the company and the company would reciprocate by providing their employees a stable job with good pay and benefits. 

In the turmoil of the 1990's, sociologists and economists have termed this period "the lost decade".  Japanese companies and its workers were struggling to once again find their footing in the global market.  While Japanese economy is slowly recovering, there are some in Japanese society who are not feeling affects of these changes.  These people are part of the "lost generation" of Japan.  This generation mainly consists of young Japanese people who are struggling to find their place in society and older Japanese people who after years of slaving away at their works have given up and left the Japanese corporate rat race.  The changes that these individuals were experiencing in the "lost decade" were detrimental to their lives.  The people who fall in this categorized as "freeters", "net café refugees, and the "yutori and satori generations". 

Freeter (フリーター) are the underemployed or unemployed people of Japan.  This term was first used in the late 1980's to describe people who deliberately chose not to become salary-men.  The freeter supposedly comes from to two words: "free" which comes from freelance in English and "ter" from the German word, arbiter, or laborer.  Freeters are people who lack full-time employment.  They usually work as low-skill temp workers.  According to the Japanese Institute of Labor in 2000, the average salary of a freeter who works 4.9 days a week earns on average \139,000 a month.  They earn a little more than the poverty line in Japan that is set to 1.22 million yen a year (about \101,667 a month).

Why would someone want to become a freeter?  The Japanese Institute classifies freeters into three categories.  First, there are "moratorium" freeters who wants to enjoy life and deliberately chooses not to pursue the Japanese salary-man's lifestyle.  The second category of freeter is the "dream pursuing" freeter.  These people hold specific dreams and ambitions that are not compatible with the standard Japanese work-styles.  The last category is named "no alternative".  Individuals who fall into this category could not find a decent a job after high school or university.

Also, there are a plethora of problems that come with choosing the freeter lifestyle.  These individuals are unlikely to start their own households and starting a household.  If you are middle-aged Japanese person, it can be difficult to find a decent paying job because most companies are looking to hire young Japanese who came out of high school and university because they are easier to mold into the company frame of thinking.  These individuals also cannot continue their family line.  This is problematic in a society that is structured around the family.  The last problem that these people will face is that they will be forced to work in the "age of retirement".  Most freeters are unable to pay into the pension or pay little amounts towards retirement. 

Freeters who fall into the "moratorium" and "no alternative" categories are most likely to become net café refugees (ネットかフィ難民).  These so-called refugees choose to live in Internet cafes instead of trying to find a permanent residence for various reasons.  Some of these "refugees" work as day laborers or on short-term contracts.  Since many of these people receive low wages, it would be a daunting task to find affordable housing especially in large cities where housing costs can be extremely high.  There are other refugees who that trying to find an apartment and a good paying job is troublesome.  There is a lot of pressure and stress that is associated in working as an office worker in Japan.  Long hours and high housing costs will cause many people to break down in stress.  In addition to these individuals, there are people who feel that having this lifestyle is refreshing and life changing.  Many of these refugees worked in large Japanese companies in which they had to work long hours of overtime and had to a lot of stress to complete their projects on time.  Many of these net café refugees are walking a fine line between destitution and being productive members of society.

 

Some young freeters nowadays are part of a recent new phenomenon called the "satori generation" (悟り時代).  The "satori generation" is made up of young who do want anything or hold any ambitions.  These individuals typically do not drive, refuse to wear brand name clothing, don’t dream for a better life, don’t travel, aren’t interested in sports, and don’t fall into love.  They have given up on the social pressures of life (employment, courtship, and family).  They turn away from materialism not for spiritual reasons but because they can.  They want to lead to an un-stressful and unremarkable life.  They feel that they are enlightened in some fashion.  Afterall, satori can be translated to enlightenment in English.

The term "satori generation" has its roots in the popular Internet chat site "2channel".  Members of that site were discussing the book, "Hoshigaranai Wakamonotachi (欲しがらない若者たち)" by Taku Yamamoto.  The title means "The Young People Who Don't Want Anything" in English.  In the book, Taku Yamamoto traces the "satori generation" to the "yutori" education model in the 2000's.  Yutori education (ゆとり教育) means "pressure free" education.  Students were encouraged to not take their exams so seriously.  Also, there was a lot leeway given to them in the classroom.  Also, these same students saw the economic conditions of the 2000's.  Many companies were not hiring and the economy was still tepid.  So, there was no ambition for these students to care about their future.  There is a similar situation happening in South Korea in regards to the "satori generation".  South Korea has created its own "sampo generation".  The "satori generation" and the "sampo genration" are very similar in terms of their outlook on life.

Besides people who are struggling to find a hold on society and those who have given up, there are people are bringing struggles to the life of the Japanese family.  Traditionally, the Japanese family structure was a strong and vital to society.  However, we are beginnings to see tears in the family dynamic.  The Japanese family like most families around the world have had gone through hardships before, but these new problems that are affecting families are related to the collapse of the bubble economy and the onset of the "lost decade".  During the bubble economy, parents spoiled their children.  If the child wanted something, they would get it.  The children were not expected to help in the household chores.  A lot of the meals were eaten outside the house.  Now, these same children are grown up and having problems that are associated to their upbringing.  There are the "monster parents" who are very overprotective of their children and are a bane of Japanese homeroom teachers.  Also, there are the "parasite singles".   After graduating university, these individuals move back home and live off their parents. 

Parasite singles (パラサイトシングル) are single people in the 20's and the 30's who live with their parents in order to enjoy a carefree life.  At first, this term was primarily used to describe young unmarried women.  More recently, men and women have become parasite singles.  The term, parasite single, was coined by Professor Mashiro Yamada of Tokyo Gakugei University in his book, "The Age of the Parasite Singles" (パラサイトシングルの時代).  The vast majority of these adult children do not help with the household chores.  Some statistics have shown that 85% of parasite singles do not help with the shared living expenses.  Also, 50% of these individuals receive some sort of finical assistance from their parents. 

Being a parasite singles allows these adult children to either save their income or spend it on luxury items or travel, while, they enjoy the social interaction with their parents.  Also, many parents feel that this support will be reciprocated in the future when the parents get older.  For some Japanese women, they feel that being a parasite single is a type of rebellion against the traditional roles of woman in Japanese society: wives and mothers.  Besides these reasons, the rise of parasite singles can be linked to the high costs of living in the city and the effects of the collapse of the bubble economy.  There is a similar situation in America when it comes to parasite singles.  In America, these individuals make up the "boomerang generation".

Besides parasite singles, there is another subsection of society that is affecting the Japanese family.  These people are called "monster parents".  In the West, these parents are called "helicopter parents" because they hove and swoop over their children's lives.  Monster parents are the bane of every school and teacher.  These parents are known to call teachers at ungodly hours (think late night).  If the child is in trouble at school or gets a lower grade, these parents will complain to the teachers that it is the fault of the parents.  These are just few of the things that monster parents will do.  In 2008, Professor Morotomi Yoshihiko wrote a book on monster parents called モンスターペアレント！？親バカとバカ親は紙一重 (Monster Parents!? Parent Stupid and Stupid Parent A Fine Line).  In his book, Morotomi gives many examples of monster parents.  One of the examples that he illustrates is that one school is going to hold a musical.  The teacher has to decide which student will get the lead role.  Many parents complain to the teacher that their child should be the main lead in the play.  The complaining goes on for days and nights.  At the end, the teacher gives in to the parent's wishes.  So when the play is being performed, there are several main lead characters.  Make that all the same character with the same clothing and lines.  Morotomi's book actually becomes the basis of a Japanese television drama called モンスターペアレント (Monster Parents).  

 

Morotomi explains in his book that the monster parents are the children who grow spoiled and well looked after during the bubble economy.  These children now want to spoil and overly protect their children because that is what they learned from their parents.  These same parents who complain to the schools and the parents also have a hard time raising their children.  Many of these of the parents are often clueless when it comes to basic household chores and easy recipes to make for their children. 

In 2007, Ishikawa Yuki wrote a book about monster mothers called モンスターマザー世界は「わたし」でまわっている (Monster Mother The World That is Around "I").  Ishikawa describes many situations that many parents would find disturbing.  There are children who are constantly asking their mothers to read a book to them.  However, the mother suggests to the child that they should watch TV instead.  There are mothers who give their kindergarten-aged children snacks like chocolate, rice crackers, and ice cream for breakfast.  Also, she talks about izakayas (Japanese style pubs) that have a children's room complete with toys and a TV showing cartoons.  Why do they have these rooms in a bar?  Parents will bring their children out drinking with them and put them in these rooms.  After a while at the izakaya, the child tells his mother that he wants to go home.  Instead of going home, the mother tells the child to go back the room. 

Scenes like this were uncommon for a long time in Japan.  The Japanese family is going through a hard time.  The children who were spoilt by the parents during the bubble economy are now having children and we are now seeing the repercussions.  It should be noted that not all families are seeing these problems.  However, these problems do cause a strain on society as a whole.  The Japanese government and the media are trying to address these sensitive issues.  This is a major obstacle to overcome because people rarely talk about their family issues in public.  People are becoming more aware of these issues through news stories and books being published on how to cope with these issues. 

While these groups of the "lost generation" can seen as a burden on Japanese society, these groups also showcase the some of the shortcomings that exist in society.  It is also important to note the "lost generation" is not constrained to Japan.  This is not a Japanese problem.  This is a human problem.

The Rise of the Protesters in the Land of the Rising Sun!

Recently in Japan, there have number of large protests and demonstrations against the government.  There were smaller protests in Japanese cities and in front of the Prime Minister Abe's office.  There were around 120,000 people protesting against the Japanese Diet.  What were these people protesting?  They were protesting the proposed changes to Article 9.  The government for a number of years had been trying to circumvent the Japanese government in order to change the wording of Article 9.  The government knows that formally amending the Japanese constitution in order to remove Article 9 would be impossible.  There are many people who see Article 9 as an instrument of peace.  They want to show the world that Japan is a peaceful country.  However, the conservative right wing of the Japanese government sees it different.  The LPD and its leader Shinzo Abe see Article 9 as a weakness because Japan would be unable to defend itself from attack.  There are growing tensions with the Chinese, North Korean, and South Korean government.  These tensions have been growing for many years.   So now, the LDP is trying to reinterpret the constitution.  There have been countless numbers of protests against the government.  For many years, the government had ignored these protests.  However, can the government really ignore the screams and chants of 120,000 protestors outside the Diet Building and countless numbers across Japan?  We have to wait and see.

Many people are surprised by these protests.  Japan is not really known for holding protests and even talking about political issues on a grand level.  However, that is not entirely true.  Japan has a long history of protesting and demonstrating.  Most of these demonstrations are not mentioned in the international media.  The local media on occasion will show these demonstrations.  I have been to countless number of demonstrations in Japan.  There is a yearly anti-poverty demonstration.  People are asking for a livable wage and a higher standard of living.  There are demonstrations against having American military bases in Okinawa.  After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, there were anti-nuclear protests.  Those protests are still happening because the government is considering re-opening shut down nuclear power plants.   Political activism and discussing political discourse is not common to see in Japan.  Japanese people tend to shun away from discussing politics.  However with Article 9, the masses are showing that they have a voice and they know how to use. 

It is great to see Japanese people voicing their frustrations against the government.  They want Japan to be a peaceful and prosperous government.  They want the government to help the people by helping to grow the economy and improve the standard of life.  There are number of social issues that the government has to address. 

However, there is a problem brewing.  Labor unions and leftist community groups have a tradition have a tradition of holding protests and demonstrations to voice their views.  They try to encourage others to go their rallies and support their cause.  They pass out fliers outlining the main issues.  When people eventually go the demonstrations and read about the issues, they get filled with a lot of activist energy.  However, they do not know how to expend this energy into a useful cause.  The leaflets that are traditionally distributed at rallies and protests have a plethora of overwhelming information to the casual reader, but there is a problem with the leaflet.  Majority of the leaflets do not contain information on how to go forward with the changes.  There are no calls for telling people to write to their government officials.  There are no writing campaigns.  That I believe is a major obstacle in going forward with political activism.

The other major problem with a lot of protests and demonstrations in Japan is that there is no clear leader or leaders leading the charge.  At your typically demonstration, there are a number of labor unions, community groups, and concerned individuals speaking out.  There is a massive clutter of noise.  In order for these demonstrations and protests to have their staying power, there must a leader or leaders who will take the concerns of the groups involved and speak on their behalf.  There needs to be a hierarchy of leadership.   

If we look at the successful social movements around the world, there is one thing in common.  There is a visible hierarchy.  Some of the most famous leaders are Caesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, and Susan B. Anthony had one thing in common.  They were the main spokesperson for their particular movement.  They had the charisma to lead their followers and convince others to join their cause.  When you start looking at Japanese protests and demonstrations, there are hardly any leaders who are taking the loudspeaker and leading their movements with passion and charisma.  I think for these demonstrations to have an effect on the government there needs to be a leader.  There needs someone from the crowd of protestors to take that extra step and lead.  I think that how you show the government that you care about the issue at hand.  There has to be dialogue with the people in government.  The government cannot ignore the will of people any longer.  The Japanese people need to show their government that they are concerned with policies that they are putting in place.  The people have to show that the government works for the people and not the other way around.  The government has to support its people.  This is how you build a strong country.

From "Stinky" and "Strange" to Trendy: The Evolution of Asian food in America

In the Chicago Tribune Commentary section, writer Ruth Tam wrote an article called "You shame my culture's food - and then make it trendy."  Here is the link:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-food-gentrification-asian-cuisine-20150901-story.html  After reading the article, I decided to make a blog post about it.  I am interested in food and culture.

Right now, Asian food is considered trendy and cool.  There are countless sushi bars, authentic Chinese restaurants, and a growing selection of food stuffs from Asia in the supermarkets.  People are now starting to enjoy the countless culinary traditions that Asian countries bring to the table.

However, this was not always the case.  The author points several cases in which Asian food was once considered strange and off-putting to Americans.  This passage from the article brings more light to this point.

My childhood home in suburban Chicago always smelled like whatever we were cooking. Visiting us meant cloaking yourself in the scent of haam daan ju yoke beng, a dish of steamed pork and salted egg, or the perfume of mapodoufu, tofu and minced pork with a spicy chili and fermented black bean sauce.  I didn't mind the smells growing up because I wasn't aware of them. That is, until a high school friend declared my house smelled of "Chinese grossness."

For most Americans, their experience of Chinese food is usually the Chinese takeout place that is down the street from their house or a trip into Chinatown.  Most Asian restaurants cater to Western tastes by adjusting their tastes to the Western palate.  A very good example of this is Panda Express and orange chicken.  Here is a clip from a popular YouTube channel called The Fung Bros. that talks about the creation of orange chicken.

Creating Asian dishes that are suitable to Western tastes is nothing new in America.  In the earlier 1900's, Chinese restaurants created dishes like chop suey.  Also, Chinese restaurants were considered trendy because they offered live jazz music and were elegant in style.

Asian food is now considered trendy.  The article mentions many examples of this.  I am happy to see this change in attitudes when it comes to Asian food.  I have been a fan of Asian food ever since I was a child.  I can remember the countless number of times my father would take for Thai food or Chinese food in Chinatown.  I still remember my father teaching me on how to extract the periwinkle from its shell by using a toothpick and the number of times he would try to eat the spiciest dishes in a Thai restaurant.

However, there are many people that still hold many stereotypes of Asian food.  Some of these stereotypes that Asian people eat dogs and cats.  There are some people who eat these animals in Asia, but they are the minority.  Also, some people have mentioned in the Chicago Tribune's comments section that this article is food shaming.  It is a racially motivated article.  Well...it is to certain point.  The author makes an interesting point by writing

In the United States, immigrant food is often treated like discount tourism — a cheap means for foodies to feel worldly without leaving the comfort of their neighborhood — or high-minded fusion — a stylish way for American chefs to use other cultures' cuisines to reap profit. The dishes of America's recent immigrants have become check marks on a cultural scavenger hunt for society's elite.

This is certainly true to a certain degree.  There are chefs out there who are creating fusion cuisine in order to make a profit.  Look at P.F. Changs and Asian Bowl for example.  The author points to interesting example of how some restaurants are trying to do this.

"When you travel in Southeast Asia, you have two experiences: the cultural experiences with the temples, food, and people, and then a phenomenal traveler's culture, too," chef Alex McCoy told Washingtonian. "That's the inspiration for this place. We want to introduce people to Thai cuisine, but frame it in the eye of a traveler."

This cultural appropriation stings because the same dishes hyped as "authentic" on trendy menus were scorned when cooked in the homes of the immigrants who brought them here. Fashionable food from foreign cultures may satisfy a temporary hunger, but if you're trying it for shallow reasons, you'll be culturally unfulfilled in the long run.

The author brings up an interesting point: why do people choose to eat certain foods?  Do they eat it because it is the trend thing to do?  Do the diners want to experience new dishes and restaurants?

Should we shame the diners who want to try these dishes for shallow reasons?  No!!  I think we should use this opportunity to share cultures with others.  Living in Japan showed me ways to do this.  Many Japanese have images of American food.   Their images usually include hamburgers and pizza.  However, there are countless number of times in which I will try to show that American food is more than those dishes.  After discussing food in America, my students want to try to these dishes.
Trends come and go.  We should use the trends as vehicles of cultural exploration and eduction.  Then, they will no longer be trends.  Instead, they will be mainstays.  Just look at the sushi boom in the West.  20 years ago...sushi was still considered exotic and trendy in the eyes of your average Americans.  Nowadays, sushi is a mainstay in the American diet.  Why?  People became educated and accustomed to sushi.  The "soft power" of Japan is working in the West.