| Well, that is what
always happens anyway – but that has never been the case in Japan.
Japanese youth were expected to follow their elders.
That is how the society was structured.
Kids were guided by their parents, grandparents, and other family
members at home, as long as they lived.
At work, as one climbed the corporate hierarchy there was always a
superior who dictated where to go and how.
The orders had to be followed without questioning.
Questioning was not welcome and it was better to leave the system
than to work to improve it from within.
Japan, Inc. is dead.
The nuclear family is starting to become the norm.
The young have their own lives and they are breaking the rules.
If Japan, Inc. cannot guarantee them a job then they do not have to
look like a typical salaryman or an OL.
They can bleach their hair any color they want and simply not wear
navy blue suits and white shirts for the rest of their lives.
They do not have to learn to speak honorific Japanese – they can
actually develop their own language which their peers understand.
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It all started with the puri-kura
(Japanese name for ‘print club’ kiosk, where one can print one’s
photo with a vast range of themes) generation.
The bands and the fashion houses supported this generation by
providing all that they needed to make a statement of their freedom.
There was no need to go to a cram school if it didn’t matter what
university you went to as long as it was not Todai or Waseda.
The mothers who devoted all their waking hours tending to their
kids so that they could attend the best schools and then work for a large
Japanese corporation were confronted with tough questions by their
children. The new
generation entering adulthood today is pretty impressive in terms of
character, original thinking, and in having a questioning attitude.
They have the drive and the desire to do something constructive
with their lives, but not in the traditional Japanese sense.
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 Look
at the Japanese soccer team in the World Cup.
It represents a microcosm of what's happening socially.
The star players – Nagata and Ono – are the exceptions for
their generation (24-25ish). These two are the first Japanese to go to
Europe and perform at the highest levels. However,
the guys to watch out for are on the JV team, particularly just getting
out of high school; a new generation in soccer, as in fashion and other
areas, where the fire burns brighter than among youth just 5 years older.
This group sees new role models - in Nagata or Ono - to replace the
useless role models of the Dankai fathers.
It's
not to say Japan will compete in soccer on a global level. The point is
that the cultural revolution in Japan post-1980 is accelerating, with
creative expression in areas/fields not necessarily associated with
Japanese people in the past. The
revolt by the Japanese youth has given birth to a Japan that appears
foreign to the men and women who wanted to retire from their lifetime jobs
and see their children doing the same.
There are far too many creative people in Japan today than there
were just 10 years ago. Young
people are realizing that they can now pursue their dreams and passions
and make a living too. Surge
in part-time jobs allows them to make just enough money to do what they
really want – women who work only 9 months a year so that they can
travel for 3 months or artists who work only a few hours a day so that
they can paint. The Internet
is allowing them to find a market for their products so that they are not
dependent on the convoluted distribution system in Japan to get their
products to consumers.
The part-time employees
are not bound by other tough rules that most corporations impose – the
dress code, the long working hours, participation in company activities
beyond regular working hours to improve relationships – they can set
their own schedules, wear whatever they wish, and stop working whenever
they need a break. Japan is
suddenly a different world. Many
long-term residents and frequent visitors to Japan tell us that they see a
big difference in Japan. A
lot more smiling faces, a relaxed
society, and far too many creative
people on the streets.
Recommended links: Implications on fashion industry
Ridiculous Japanese
schools
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