English level at Japan's secondary schools falls short of government target

English level at Japan's secondary schools falls short of government target

This article discusses English education in Japan and how the government is trying to improve the English proficiency level of their secondary school graduates. The government has set a goal for 50 percent of final-year students of both junior and senior high schools to reach a certain level on the widely-used Eiken profieincy test. However, a government-conducted survey revealed that only 42.6 percent of third-year junior high school students had English skills equivalent to Grade 3 of the Eiken test, a 1.9 increase from last year. Grade 3 holders are expected to understand and use English concerning everyday topics. For third-year senior high school students, only 40.2 percent had skills matching Grade Pre-2 of the Eiken test, a 0.9 point increase from last year. Those with Grade Pre-2, are supposed to be able to participate in general aspects of daily life. The government has originally set this 50 percent goal to be achieved by 2017, but has delayed it to March 2023. This survey has been conducted since April 2013, and has also revealed a wide regional gap in students' English proficiency.

This article presents statistics that is revealing of a larger problem to the Japanese government, especially in a increasingly globalized world with English being a key language in business and technology. From my time in Japan, I had thought that English proficiency of Japanese was very high from my everyday interactions, but according to the EF English Proficiency Index, Japanese is ranked 35th out of 72 countries. Among Asian countries, Singapore is placed sixth, Malaysia 12th, the Philippines 13th, India 22nd, and South Korea 29th. One other article claimed that the usual blame of the English levels being low is on the way English is taught in Japanese schools, with too much emphasis on grammar with little time devoted to conversational practice. Another article lays the blame on the rigorous nature of Japan's college entrance exams and other English proficiency exams, which leads to students only memorizing the English required for the exam, and not for daily/conversational usage.

The original article reveals that the Japanese government is trying to address the situation by "improving training programs for elementary school teachers and increasing the number of licensed teachers with a certain level of English proficiency". A major concern is that Japan does not have enough qualified teachers to achieve their 50 percent goal across their different regions.

While Japan is thriving with its tourism industry partially thanks to the wide array of English-friendly services and businesses, it seems that for Japan to maintain and increase their economic power in an increasingly globalized world, they must increase their country's overall English proficiency.

Sources:

- https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190416/p2g/00m/0na/062000c

- https://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00412/chronic-reforms-and-the-crisis-in-english-education.html

- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/10/29/commentary/japan-commentary/japanese-trouble-learning-english/#.XL5EK-gzaUk

https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/whats-wrong-with-english-education-in-japan-pull-up-a-chair

Preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Japan is currently undergoing extensive preparations for the 2020 Olympics and making significant changes to certain aspects of the Tokyo metropolitan area in order to transform it into a “global standard city.” Some of these changes include: increasing the prevalence of cashless payment (as Japan still relies heavily on cash, and many shops accept cash exclusively), reducing or eliminating accommodations for those who smoke in an effort to achieve the International Olympic Committee’s smoking ban, and developing more artificially intelligent advertisements that can assist visitors in many different languages. Many Japanese citizens who do not even plan to be an official volunteer for the Olympics are taking it upon themselves to improve their English skills in order to assist tourists in the future. Some people have argued that Japan should not have to cater to foreign visitors in such a way that has lasting impacts on their future life, especially in regards to the increased smoking prohibitions, but the Japanese government appears to be unphased by such sentiments (Medium).

Japan’s ability to accommodate the huge number of visitors that will be coming to the country in 2020 is of significant concern for a variety of reasons, but perhaps most importantly for the safety of those present at the Olympics. Having an infrastructure that can adequately support millions of people during that time frame is crucial to a successful Olympics. One thing that I have noticed during my time in Japan is that there are very poor accommodations for the disabled populations in regards to navigating public transportation, especially in highly urban areas like Tokyo. In a recent survey, a majority of Japanese citizens that use guide dogs to get around during their daily life said that Japan was not ready to substantially support an influx of similarly disabled visitors, and must make vast improvements to the current system. According to the survey, there is still “persistent discrimination in Japan against visually impaired people accompanied by guide dogs despite a law banning discrimination having taken effect in 2016” and many people that use guide dogs are frequently denied access to restaurants and other facilities (The Japan Times). And although there may not be many tourists that travel to Japan who use guide dogs, no matter the size of that demographic accessibility in Japan must be significantly upheaved and expanded, especially for disabled Japanese citizens.

If the Japanese government were to fail at Olympic preparations, not only may there be dangerous consequences for Japanese citizens and visitors, but it may also tarnish Japan’s reputation among global powers. Hopefully in these remaining months leading up to the Olympics, we will see significant progress in Tokyo’s transformation into a global standard city.

Supplementary Articles: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/17/national/half-guide-dog-users-say-tokyos-preparations-2020-games-not-yet-adequate-survey-shows/, https://medium.com/@shotarohondamoore/five-things-japan-is-doing-in-preparation-for-the-2020-tokyo-olympic-games-bab2cead1e56

The Olympics and Japan's Globalization

            The article discusses the changes occurring in Tokyo in preparation for the upcoming 2020 Olympics, specifically in terms of making it more accessible to foreigners. Some examples discussed in the piece include foreign-language-inclusive signs, smartphone-based payment systems, and, interestingly, increased regulations on smoking.

            I think this story is interesting as it relates to Japan’s history as an isolated nation. Of course, in the modern day and age, Japan is a global player, having the third largest economy in the world. Japanese culture has spread far across the globe, with Pokemon and Hello Kitty being the two highest-grossing media franchises of all time. This is certainly a far cry from the period of isolation under the Sakoku policy. Despite these changes, Japan is still quite the homogenous and traditional nation. According to an article written at the beginning of 2018, foreign nationals living in Japan made up about 98% of the Japanese population. Indeed, even prime minister Shinzo Abe is known as a Japanese nationalist, even being heavily involved in historical revisionism in his pre-prime minister days. This is to say that Japan retains its own identity in an increasingly globalized world. Herein lies something important about the article: Japan’s attempts to make Tokyo more foreigner-accessible is an arena in which we can see these traditions changing.

            The Olympics bring together countries from all over the world. It is perhaps partially the spirit of camaraderie created by sports that pushes Japan to make these changes. However, these changes are also a function of the times. Perhaps they even bode well for Japan’s famous birth rate crisis. This other article I read claims that “Ultimately, Japan will only survive and prosper if it alters its deep-seated prejudice against immigration,” (Cortazzi). In a world in which countries must increasingly work together to prosper, perhaps the Olympics can set a trend in the right direction for Japan’s immigration policy.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/28/national/number-foreign-residents-japan-hit-record-high-2-56-million-end-2017/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/11/19/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-population-problem/

Japanese Sexism

Renowned University of Tokyo Professor Warns of Sexism

What

Chizuko Ueno, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo (Todai) gave a foreboding speech at the university entrance ceremony, warning the women in the audience (567 out of 3125, 18%) that they will encounter sexual discrimination both in Todai, as well as after they leave the institution. She also touched on the "20% wall," noting the difficulty in breaking the admission gender gap. Other notable facts she mentioned were that only 7.8% of professors were female, 1/15 academic deans are female, and no university president has ever been female. Ultimately however, her speech touched on the fact that she was the first woman to ever give an entrance speech at Todai, suggesting that Todai may be making change, and that those given opportunities should use them to help others without such advantageous situations (such as using her speech to advise female Todai students).

Background

Todai has been involved in many recent notable sexism scandals: in 2018 the medical school had been rigging test scores to exclude women, student groups often expect female members to provide lunch for the male members, and Todai female students were involved in a sexist "fly with girls of Todai" marketing campaign. Unsurprisingly, however, this problem extends beyond Todai. Many more universities had in fact been rigging test scores to exclude women, and as you can imagine there have been many more scandals in Todai, other universities, and throughout the Japanese working world.

Significance

As Professor Ueno stated, university and working women face discrimination throughout their lives. But why? One Time Magazine writer suggests that it comes from the societal expectations of women, which is that they are first and foremost mothers. Her heartfelt report gives emotional and compelling evidence, which I will quote instead of paraphrasing below.

In 2007, the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, Hakuo Yanagisawa, said publicly that “women are child-bearing machines.”

When I was job-hunting with Japanese corporations during university, the recruiters often asked: “Do you have a boyfriend?” and “Will you give up your job when you get married or get pregnant?”Rather than recognizing these questions as a clear example of gender-based discrimination, I took them as a routine set of questions all female students are asked by recruiters. 

When I sought career advice from alumnae at my university, the women told me that they had little option but to stop working after giving birth.

The accounts above only touch the surface, yet elucidate on the tangible symptoms currently felt by working women in Japan. Similar stories have been expressed across the internet, and one can only imagine the implications on social standards. In 2017, a female journalist spoke out against prosecutors for dropping her rape case against a prominent newscaster. As a result, she incurred death threats and suggestions that she was sleeping her way towards promotions. Altogether, this sexist social and working culture has made employment and existence difficult for Japanese women. Additionally, this has only furthered the population crisis due to the implications that pregnancy puts strain on others in the workplace.

 

Okuma: Ready or Not?

I am reporting on the recently lifted evacuation order for parts of Okuma, a town that co-hosts the notorious Fukushima plant and whose previous residents have been under order of evacuation since the plant's meltdown in 2011. The western areas of the town have been deemed safe as radiation levels have "dropped significantly." Before this order, the town had been marked as a "difficult-to-return-to" zone, where entry from previous residents and others was forbidden. Beforehand, the town had been home to 11,500. The local government has high hopes for the return of residents, with various town improvement projects being conducted. The article mentioned that the government has a strong desire to emphasize that this is not the same was the Chernobyl disaster, where residents were never able to return to neighboring communities, yet many former residents of Okuma are now residing in urban areas, and as more time passes are increasingly less likely to return.

 I found the context of this news regarding the lifted evacuation order, frankly, concerning.  Digging deeper into this issue, I learned that "two months after the accident the Japanese government raised the allowable exposure [to radiation] from 1 mSv annually, an international benchmark, to 20 mSv." (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fukushima-residents-return-despite-radiation/)  Many believe that this was to attempt to return the area to normalcy, even if the numbers did not agree. Now the government claims the levels are safe (around 1-1.5 mSv), but some young citizens do not trust these readings and have even done their own measurements, claiming to have found higher numbers of ~15 mSv. Further complicating the matter of metrics - the level of "background radiation" in Fukushima is often cited, which would be a wavelength measure of atmospheric radiation. In Fukushima, though, radiation primarily takes on the form of radio-nucleotides - particulate matter, due to the collapse of the plant. These particles are dangerous (and specifically why certain dusty buildings are off-limits) because they can be inhaled / ingested / and can stick to clothes etc, also settling in the soil or in gutters and creating radioactive "hot spots," which would not always be detected or reflected in a general atmospheric reading (https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/the-truth-about-radiation-in-fukushima/). There's been a big program to clean up radioactive materials in Fukushima - dirt, primarily - by collecting and removing the contaminated matter, which has been bagged and is still in the area (concern has been raised over the bags themselves breaking, likely due to wear and age). This uncertainty regarding safety reminded me of Dark Tourist, on Netflix. In the show, travelers visit Fukushima, equipped with Geiger counters, on a tour. The cameras keep rolling as the van enters a  difficult-to-return-to zone, and that's when the geiger counters start going off - some reporting radiation levels 50x than what has been deemed safe, and higher than was reported by the government in that area. Actions in this episode are being investigated by the Japanese government. (https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/travellers-stories/fukushima-government-considers-action-over-dark-tourist-episode/news-story/a94ac5b405b8607aa11490c7fed0a2f3).

Reading this article and from my subsequent research, it is clear that the government is ready to move on from Fukushima, an action which the numbers may or may not support. There seems to be a big push for everything to return "to normal," but what is presented as a welcome opportunity for residents to go home may be partially-mandated normalcy. Many elderly residents (the primary age group returning to areas surrounding Fukushima) of the area are returning because they they greatly miss their lives and communities - and/or because their rent-free housing in other areas, provided to them after the evacuation, has recently been terminated (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fukushima-residents-return-despite-radiation/) . 

Before the crisis, Japan was on track to generate 40% of its power from nuclear reactors. This was greatly decreased after 2011, but in 2014 and 2015 nuclear power was emphasized as a "key base-load resource" (http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/japan-nuclear-power.aspx). Japan needs nuclear power (http://theconversation.com/six-years-after-fukushima-much-of-japan-has-lost-faith-in-nuclear-power-73042); not only to remain on track to meet energy goals outlined by the Paris Climate agreement, but to reduce energy costs and support energy demands. After 2011, more than 80% of the Japanese public wanted to phase out and/or reduce reliance on nuclear power - and around two thirds of the public still wants to see nuclear power abolished, which is a problem for current energy plans. One would think that a lively and residential Okuma would garner public support for a new era of nuclear (https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/nhknewsline/backstories/nuclearpowerindustry/), but to cast nuclear in a more positive light the effects of Fukushima cannot be erased (harkening back to last week's discussion), and downplaying them could harm many.  

Report on "Freshmen refuse to stand out in the crowd [...]"

I feel that this is an important story because one of the main points that most foreigners know about Japan (at least in my experience) is that there is an emphasized attitude of not wanting to stand out, confront others, or otherwise disrupt the harmony that tends to characterize Japanese society. This article seems to support that view through the example of students at entrance ceremonies hesitating to wear anything except for black or dark blue blazers. The article gives several reason that this was explained from the point of view of the students themselves, from a black blazer being useful for future interviews to not being confident enough to stand out from the crowd even if one would have wanted to. 

 The greater context of this story is that there seems to be a growing disconnect between this desire to blend in and the increasing levels of globalization that Japan is facing (especially in the workplace). The very word used to describe things of Japanese origin is “wa,” which means harmony. As such, making sure that society runs peacefully and in unity is important. With changing times, however, this may be becoming a less and less useful trait of Japanese society, as the article also implies. The prevalence of international cultures is growing in Japan, and with them tends to come more independent and individual-centered mindsets. These sometimes become a necessity for Japanese individuals who want to interact with these cultures effectively or get jobs with international influence. In the United States, for example, there is a heavy emphasis placed on the individual, their characteristics, their accomplishments and their level of uniqueness. In fact, standing out is so important to even job searching in America that most instruction focused on getting a job is aimed at making you seem like an interesting person rather than one who follows all of the norms or blends in. If the prospective employee is expected to blend in at all, it is only an expectation that the person fits the personality of the company, which itself implies that there are many possible personalities and traits that a company can attract and look for. 

 In outside articles I have found suggestions that this trend in globalization of culture is resulting in a shift in the culture of Japanese youth. Younger generations are tending towards being more confident and being interested in expressing their individuality. While the collective culture of Japan is definitely still on the side of conformity, it seems to be growing less extreme. 

 In articles tackling conformity and the role that it plays in Japanese politics, it seems that the opposite is true. In an article titled “The scourge of conformism besetting Japanese society,” the idea that Japan as a political nation is slow to get behind progressive global ideas is facilitated through policymakers’ hesitations to make decisions that will spark uproar or create disturbance to the harmony of the country. For example, a case stating that Japanese citizens should be able to choose whether they want to change their surname to their spouse’s was dismissed because of this unwillingness to confront an idea held by many of Japan’s conservatives: allowing people to not take the same surname upon marriage will destroy families. In an attempt to not cause any disruption, the Supreme Court simply passed it along without making any action to declare this as a thing that should be able to happen. A majority of the officials on the Supreme Court even said that they think there would be nothing wrong with allowing people the choice, but didn’t act on their opinions.

 Clearly this issue of conformity and not wanting to stand out of the crowd is an interesting one, and we’ll have to see how it changes and evolves as the current young generation of Japan grows.

Poll shows 54% oppose revision of Japan's pacifist Constitution

Poll shows 54% oppose revision of Japan's pacifist Constitution

The article discusses the ongoing effort to revise Article 9 of Japan's Constitution, and the public's perception on revision. Article 9, part of Japan's Constitution written in 1947 after World War 2, bans Japan from possessing a military with 'war potential'. The following is the official English translation of Article 9.

ARTICLE 9. (1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.(2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

However, Japan still does possess a military, the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), that was established in 1954. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has advocated amending Article 9, still retaining the ban on Japan from posessing a "war potential", but clarifying the legal status of the Self-Defense Forces. It is part of Abe's goal to put a revised Constitution into effect in 2020.

In response to a general question of whether the Constitution should be amended for the first time ever, 54 percent said they were opposed to it under Abe's administration. However, in response to a question of whether Article 9 should be revised, 47 percent said there was no need, while 45 percent said a change was necessary.

These responses seem to show Abe's struggle in securing more widespread public support with his more 'nationalistic' views. It seems to me that keeping Article 9 the same is a way to minimize any likelihood of war, something the Japanese, of course, wishes to avoid. Despite this, however, of those in favor of amending the article in the survey, only 26 percent cited that the SDF was unconstitutional while 56 percent highlighted threats to Japan from North Korea and China. It seems that while Japan's defense and foreign policy post World War 2 has been largely pacifist, there is a sense of danger among the Japanese and a growing need for a stronger military.

This story shows Japan's struggle to remain a completely pacifist country in today's world. Japan has been successful in avoiding war since World War 2, partly due to the strict wording of Article 9 and public view on war in a post-war era. However, China's growing military and North Korea's nuclear missile threat presents a possible threat to Japan. The people seem to be still very much against war, but they are split on whether Japan should have a stronger means to defense themselves against such threats.

Naomi Osaka: The Olympics, dual-nationality & the crisis of mixed race Japanese individuals

Later this year when she reaches the age of 22, Naomi Osaka, like all other dual-nationals in Japan, will be forced to make a critical decision: is she Japanese or not?

Naomi Osaka at at the 2018 US Open competing in women's singles. 

Many of the dual-nationals in Japan that must choose a single nationality are also mixed race, however for Naomi Osaka, her decision has implications for her future ability to represent Japan in the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And although the law does require dual-nationals to choose a nationality by the age of 22, failure to do so is not a crime. For Naomi Osaka, though, failure to choose a single nationality would not escape intense public scrutiny, and as the world’s reigning champion in the women’s singles at the US Open and Australian Open, her impending decision of nationality will either add to or detract from Japanese Olympic glory. Beyond the Olympics, however, the case of Naomi Osaka has brought much-needed attention to social issues in Japan surrounding mixed race identity and long term trend of xenophobic attitudes towards immigration.

It’s important to note that in most other countries, and not just Japan, there is an imperative need for the general population to better understand the complex lived experiences and issues of identity faced by mixed race individuals. In America, for example, it was only until about two decades ago that substantive research began to be conducted on mixed race demographics, and the year 2000 was the first year American citizens were able to identify as more than one race in the national census. There are many other historical examples of society’s failure to recognize the legitimacy of mixed race identities, including the one-drop rule (a hypodescent rule) which was used during the era of slavery to assign the “subordinate race” (a monoracial identity) to mixed race individuals in order to perpetuate racial foundations of the institution of slavery.

Specifically in Japan, however, there is an almost obsessive fascination with half-Japanese people. There is a widely shared conception that people of half-Japanese and half non-Asian descent are physically attractive, and recent decades have seen the young female Japanese population idolizing half-Japanese celebrities. The cosmetic industry has taken advantage of this and marketed their products to make Japanese women look more “half,” which supposedly involves decreasing the space between eyebrows and eyes, making the nose bridge look more raised, and increasing the size of the appearance of eyes. It is commonly believed that the children of a Japanese person and non-Asian person will be good-looking, and this kind of fetishization of mixed race people is harmful in its generalization, and often objectification, of a very heterogeneous group of people. This Japanese fascination with mixed race people becomes even more complicated and problematic when the general monoracial population of Japan views mixed racial heritage as a barrier to ever being truly Japanese. It brings up confusing questions for those who are half-Japanese, in terms of their racial, cultural, and national identities.

Mixed race people commonly experience confusion regarding their racial identities, and the legal compulsion to choose a single nationality may have significant and profound impact not only on their racial perceptions of themselves, but their mental and emotional states as well. Further, during an era in which Japan is experiencing a dramatic graying of their population and has teased the idea of introducing programs to increase immigrant workers, forcing those of actual Japanese ancestry to revoke their citizenship seems like a step in the wrong direction. This may have to do with Japan’s long trend of xenophobic attitudes towards foreigners, and although Japan’s current politics are certainly more oriented towards an integrated world order, there are still noticeable traces of a reluctance to invite non-Japanese citizens to migrate to Japan. For many years, there has been government talk of changing the rule against long-term dual citizenship, but progress on that front remains to be seen, and traces of lingering Japanese exceptionalism may have something to do with that. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has cited that it is necessary for diplomats to revoke any foreign nationalities, and this is reasonable as there are concerns for national security, but most people will not be put in positions where having dual-nationality will be a conflict of interest on a national level, and therefore this reason is insufficient.

In the future, it will be interesting to see how attitudes towards mixed race people in Japan change or remain the same, and whether or not the dual-nationality rule will ever be changed. And as we continue to have these discussions, it is important to be aware of the underlying racial and historical forces at play.

Sources: https://www.tofugu.com/japan/hafu-japan/, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/mixed/onedrop.html

Naomi Osaka and the dual-nationality problem

The article is about Naomi Osaka, a tennis super-star who is a citizen of both Japan and the U.S.A. She usually represents Japan, and will likely do so in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, a Meiji-era law prohibits dual nationality past the age of 22—the age that Osaka will turn this year in October. Thus, the fact that Japan could lose its “brightest sports star” due to outdated legislation has sparked a discussion about nationality and racism. The story is important because it is the aforementioned gateway to these topics of discussion. As a nation steeped in tradition and history, it is natural that Japan would be proud of its culture and people. However, in this instance, Japan’s intense nationalism may actually end with a lower “amount of national pride” (if that sort of thing can be quantified) by losing out on their Olympic champion.

            What does it mean to be Japanese? The country may have to reevaluate its answer to this question in the face of the Osaka issue. There seem to be lots of grey areas involved in this issue which leave room for regressive thinking. I would imagine that many Japanese dual nationals are multiracial. This law, then, implicitly discriminates against Japanese citizens who are not purely ethnically Japanese. As the article anecdotally states, some racial identifications are seen as positive, and some as negative in Japan.

            In a separate article, Yasuhiro Okuda, a law professor specializing in the Nationality Law was paraphrased as saying that “the failure to choose citizenship is closer to a breach of contract than an outright illegal act” (Baird and Murakami). In fact, according to the Justice Ministry, no one has ever lost their citizenship as a result of being a dual national. This made me wonder a few things: How exactly does nationalism factor into Japanese government and policy-making? Is it more for show in certain areas, like this one, rather than actually informing policy-making? How popular is it—is there enough of an even split that the country doesn’t swing one way or the other?

             In looking into peripheral sources, I found interestingly, that current prime minister Shinzo Abe was one of the leaders of the historical revisionism movement (Saaler). In recent years, conservative politicians have backed the writing of more books advocating for revising history to paint wartime Japan in a more favorable light. While somewhat tangential to the topic, I nonetheless found this fascinating, and think that it also reflects nationalism in an insidious way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Osaka

https://apjjf.org/2016/20/Saaler.html

http://www.moj.go.jp/ENGLISH/information/tnl-01.html

Post on Hikikomori

The story of the hikikomori was a very interesting one, and definitely displayed an interesting part of Japan that might otherwise remain quite literally unseen. As laid out by the article, the phenomenon of middle-aged individuals hiding themselves in their homes without working or interacting with society is amazingly widespread, with an estimated 613,000 people aged 40-64 in Japan alone. This does not count the many individuals in other age groups suffering through the same conditions (including these would bring the total estimated social recluse count to over 1 million). The article goes on to recount the potential triggers or causes that are common amongst the hikikomori, citing occurrences such as retirement, unemployment, not fitting in at the workplace, and troubles maintaining relationships.

The significance of this story lies in the potential causes (and potential effects) of this prolonged isolation on both the hikikomori and Japan’s overall society. The theme among the reasons given by people who took the survey cited in this article seems to be employment, which has a few implications for Japanese culture. In general, Japanese workplaces are very collectivistic, meaning that the workplace focuses on the group rather than the individual workers. Decisions are made together, everyone is contributing to and working towards the same goal, and this attitude is a signifier of the cultural importance of being a contributing member of society. Japanese employees work long hours with few breaks, and as such the importance of having a good relationship with your workplace community is great. When a person retires and becomes separated from this community, and also ceases to be actively working, it makes sense that they would begin to feel isolated and spend more time at home. Taking this to the extreme leads to potentially becoming a hikikomori. On a related note, never entering a workplace community at all would be understandably just as difficult for the same reasons, along with feeling like a misfit within a workplace. 

The social difficulties that can result from becoming a hikikomori can be viewed well through the lens of pop culture, particularly, at least in my experience, within anime and manga. In almost every anime I’ve watched or manga I’ve read, there has been at least one discussion between the characters about another character potentially becoming a hikikomori, or a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) - which is slightly different than the concept of hikikomori, but is also related to not contributing or preparing to contribute to society from an economical perspective. In these discussions, the potential hikikomori is either worried for, laughed at, or scolded for being lazy, irresponsible, a burden to others, socially inept, or unintelligent. If this trope in anime is true to real life, ideas like this being connected so strongly with the situations of hikikomori add to an air of disgrace that seems to surround them. As a result, layers of shame and stigma press down on these individuals and make it even more difficult to reach out and reintegrate themselves into society. On top of this there is the fact that many hikikomori suffer from mental illnesses, to which there is also a stigma attached. Many difficulties block hikikomori from leaving their isolation,but there is hope for those living in social isolation. In a National Geographic article titled “Pictures Reveal the Isolated Lives of Japan’s Social Recluses,” a system of “rental sibings” was discussed, where people visit the homes of hikikomori and slowly coax them out of isolation by getting to understand them without judgement and becoming friends with them. Through this process, these rental siblings become the hikikomori’s first reintroduction to the outside world.

The implications of this story about the hikikomori and Japan are positive, because although this article’s statistics are startling, its existence indicates a particular level of interest by Japan and Japan’s government in the plight of the hikikomori. This interest combined with programs like the one mentioned in the National Geographic article will hopefully lead towards more help for hikikomori (and potentially, a cultural change towards less stigma associated with hikikomori).

¼ of Japanese Youth Are Virgins

What:

(As of 2015), heterosexual youth aged 25-35 with no sexual experience has risen nearly 25%, from roughly 20% to 25% for both sexes. 80% of those polled wished to eventually marry, and the figures for those aged 35-39 have doubled to nearly 10%. Although there are predictions as to the factors causing this change, predominantly a declining average income for males, the true causes and implications are unclear.

Where:

The data used reflected information gathered from 1992-2015 in the National Fertility Survey, which is conducted every 5 years. The study focused on population clusters identified in the national census, meaning all parts of Japan were represented. The focus of this article and study was on youth aged 25-39; however, a separate study produced by the Japanese government contradictingly claimed roughly 43% of men and women are sexually inexperienced. Link here: (http://www.ipss.go.jp/ps-doukou/j/doukou15/doukou15_gaiyo.asp). Nevertheless, the implications of the growing trend are clear and widespread.

Why/Big Picture:

While Japan's fertility crisis often makes for interesting trivia, many argue that it is unduly disregarded in the context of more sensational election topics such as short term economic and social matters. The extent of this problem was noted in the Japan Times article, the national population is expected to drop from the current 126 million to 88 million; however, this fact comes from a larger report done by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, entitled "Population projections for Japan: 2016 to 2065." In it, it elaborates that in this population of 88 million, 25% will be older than 77, and the proportion of 100 year olds will increase tenfold. Although skeptics of the crisis claim that the Japanese population has been 88 million in the past, the generational distribution has never been nearly as skewed towards non-working ages. 

The true implications of such a population shift are hard to gauge; however, it can be expected that due to a predictable decrease in taxable income, government revenue may decrease. Further, due to a predictable increase in retired population, social welfare programs may end up underfunded and overtaxed.

A primary factor for which experts blame the decrease in sexual experience is a relative decrease in income for males compared to Japan’s economic boom of 1980. According to a professor from Kyoto University, many men’s sense of self is tied to their income. Combined with the increasing movement of women’s empowerment, women are often earning enough to question their desire for marriage. In fact, women who earned less were reportedly more likely to have had sexual experience. 

Reporting on Hikikomori

Hikikomori - a term in Japanese society describing a psychological condition which drives people to completely remove themselves from society and remain in their homes, usually interacting only with family. Someone is considered hikikomori if they have been removed from society for >= 6 consecutive months.
Note: This term refers to the person, as well as the condition 

Around two weeks ago, the Japanese government released the results from their first government survey conducted in an attempt to determine the number of hikikomori in the country, finding that 613,000 people between the ages of 40 and 64 are recluses, although the total number spanning all age groups is ~1 million, or .7% of Japan's total recorded population (previous attempts to measure the population have not included more senior hikikomori). More than 3/4 of the total number of hikikomori are men, and a fair number became hikikomori following retirement (although there are also a significant number of young men with the condition). Around half of hikikomori have struggled for >= 7 years. One of the most concerning aspects of developing hikikomori, shown by the number of those who have struggled for >= 7 years, is that battling hikikomori becomes increasingly difficult as time passes, and the support system in place for those effected is nonexistent.

The results of this survey are a loud cry for improved mental health support (or more) in Japan. A business insider article (https://www.businessinsider.com/hikikomori-worrying-mental-health-problem-traps-japanese-at-home-2018-1) delved deeper into the issue, describing some of the driving mental of becoming hikikomori. Various mental illnesses were cited; severe OCD, paralyzing depression, anxiety, and developmental disorders, showing how all-encompassing this condition has become. Across the board, a driver of hikikomori appeared to be a crippling sense of shame felt by those affected. Hikikomori is not only a condition itself, but seems to also be the end result of many untreated mental health conditions.

Business Insider also highlights another segment of the hikikomori population that has earned this condition the nickname "the middle class malady," referencing the number of young men that remain at home, existing primarily in virtual words, relying on the financial support of their parents, in a way that many claim only those in the middle class have the means for. This has had negative economic impacts in Japan's dwindling work force, and those in government predict that this group will end up becoming reliant on government support later in life.

From an economic perspective, the government has great motivations to address this growing issue, and is working to establish programs to visit hikikomori and provide in-person support, as well as an increase in counseling centers. But is this enough? The recent coverage on this condition seems to indicate much larger societal concerns - many, young and old, are struggling to function in Japanese society. Will an increase in counseling centers address what seems to be a deeper problem? The mention of this sense of "shame" felt by many stuck with me as an especially concerning aspect of the condition, and highlighted the absence of resources available to those struggling, or the expectations and pressures that may prevent many from seeking help, even if support centers exist.

This issue also seems inherently connected to another article this week detailing increasingly low rates of heterosexual contact / intercourse in Japan's young adults, specifically in the male population. The two seem to go hand in hand; as more young men isolate themselves, they are therefore not interacting with the rest of the population, let alone experiencing sexual contact.

I believe that this issue has huge implications for Japanese society moving forwards, and am interested to know if there have been more recent governmental actions to address this.

Example: Monk Sues Temple at Mount Koya World Heritage Site Over Heavy Workload

[EXAMPLE]

This post was written by a former student of the NSJT course, and is reposted here as an example of how a blog might be structured. Remember - you have considerable latitude as to how you choose to compose your blog, but do make sure you cover:

• What are the main takeaways from your chosen story? In highly condensed form, what are the main talking points? (Note: do not simply regurgitate the source article – instead, crystallize the salient points only!)
• What is the importance of the story? Why is it worthy of discussion?
• What is the greater context of the story? Are there any connections with other stories, events or themes you have come across?
• What are the wider implications of the story? What does the story mean for wider Japan, the Asia region, or the world? How does the story compare to, say, the US context?

We will be discussing your viewpoints in class!

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"Monk Sues Temple at Mount Koya World Heritage Site Over Heavy Workload"

The Japan Times, 17 May 2018

What:

A monk at a temple on Mt. Koya has recently filed a lawsuit to protest unfair labor conditions and overwork.  The rigorous schedule of monk life - including pre-dawn preparations for the temple's thousands of visitors - eventually caused the monk to develop depression and need a leave of absence.  Mt. Koya recently celebrated its 1200th anniversary and since receiving World Heritage status and three stars from the Michelin Green Guide, the number of visitors has more than doubled in recent years.  The number of monks employed at the sites throughout the complex, however, have not also doubled in number, leading to strain on personnel resources and overwork.  Since much of monks' work is regarded as training, it is possible that many monks feel pressured to work longer hours or stricter schedules than conventional workers, leading to the sort of overwork conditions mentioned in the lawsuit (such as over 60 consecutive work days).

Where:

Mt. Koya is a World Heritage site and one of the oldest and most respected religious sites in Japan.  Koya, situated in Wakayama Prefecture, is the final stop of the popular Shikoku pilgrimage and houses the remains of popular religious figure Kobo Daishi Kukai (one of the patriarchs of the Shingon sect of Buddhism).  50 temples within the Koya-san complex offer lodging for visitors, as well as other services such as shojin-ryouri (Buddhist cuisine) which are also prepared by the monks.

Who:

The temples on Mt. Koya (as best as my research indicates) are run exclusively by the Buddhist monks.  These monks not only maintain the facilities (temples, gardens, and lodging), but they also manage guests, conduct religious ceremonies and other religious experiences (such as sutra copying for tourists), and cook their own meals and shojin-ryouri courses for visitors.  The influx of tourists to holy sites, especially foreign tourists, has increased the workload for monks and introduced new complications (like language barriers).  Some of the older monks on Mt. Koya, for example, have a reputation as being "grumpy" with tourists and being less welcoming to foreigners that they see as overrunning and disrespecting the temple grounds.  These monks feel that their non-religious tasks - such as providing lodging to foreign tourists - are not part of their training or what they joined the monastery for, although other monks cite Kukai's teachings that anything can be practice for achieving enlightenment.

Why/Big Picture:

Japan has long been notorious for its work environment and karoushi problem, but the typical issue of the overworked Japanese man tends to begin and end with the salaryman.  While the number of monks may pale in comparison to the hordes of salarymen, monks occupy an increasingly important role in Japanese society and economy as both the protectors of some of Japan's oldest traditions and as representatives of these traditions to the outside world.  However, the nature of their work makes them particularly vulnerable to overwork because the monk lifestyle is intended to be demanding and there is a perception that their work offers the benefit of training on top of the accompanying salary.

While this is worth considering, monks cannot attain the enlightenment (as is ultimately the end goal for many of them) or general fulfillment if they are not healthy enough to perform their training.  Certainly developing depression does not aid a monk on the path to nirvana, just as practicing guitar so much that you break your hand would not benefit a professional musician.  In a realm of spiritual service, it is particularly important to protect the monks' physical and mental wellbeing, the latter of which is often overlooked in Japanese society.

This lawsuit is not the first time monks have spoken out about overwork and the obstacles the work environment pose to their spiritual and emotional needs.  I also came across several articles about a monk who began playing video games in order to destress and refocus on his training after falling ill from overwork.  In 2017, a temple in Kyoto was forced to pay two monks for over 130 hours of uncompensated overtime.  This is likely a widespread issue throughout Japan's religious sites and is more than an issue of individuals and workers' rights.  If the situation does not improve, the number of young Japanese who choose the monk career path will likely decline, resulting in even more overwork for the remaining monks.  Becoming a monk is already likely to become an endangered profession, despite the important role monks play in preserving Japanese traditional culture and supporting Japan's booming tourism industry.  Without young monks, these traditions may well be lost, as well as having serious economic effects if temples cannot cater to the increasing number of foreign tourists.

External References

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2018/02/14/general/rowdy-tourists-grumpy-monks-mount-koya-dose-kukais-wisdom/#.WwPOvNWFOgQ
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/brutal-hours-arent-just-for-salarymen-japanese-monk-sues-temple-for-overwork-1854178