Japan's Lost Generation: The Silent Sufferers that Grew up in Post-Bubble Japan

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Come with me on a journey to uncover the harrowing tale of Japan's "Lost Generation".
In the 1980s, Japan had the largest economic bubble the world has ever seen. But when the bubble burst in the early 1990s, the consequences were catastrophic for the fresh-faced youths stepping into the workforce.

This generation, touted as the most educated and diligent in Japanese history, was dealt an excruciating blow with scarce employment opportunities and next to no job security. The tribulations they faced were insurmountable, and yet, they persevered in the face of adversity.

Explore their grueling battles and the unyielding strength they displayed in the wake of the bubble economy's aftermath.

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Many young Japanese professionals are leaving Japan and find much better paid jobs and better working conditions abroad. Australia is one of those Countries where Japanese nurses getting almost 3 times the salary they have received in their own Country plus receiving PAID overtime and less working hours. Japanese politicians should wake up to the fact that they may lose much of the already shrinking workforce to other economies.

takuan
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It was pretty much the same coming out of the 2008 recession for the next decade. I graduated my Bachelor's in 2013, sent about 400 job applications, received about one or two interviews and no job offers from that, went back to Uni to do a Master's, graduated from that in 2015, sent about another 400 applications and only then found a job in 2016. What's more, this was in Aerospace Engineering, one of the roles in higher demand, in the U.K., where there is supposedly a shortage of Aerospace Engineers. Also yes, while I was looking I was basically a hikikomori that never went outside, can't be otherwise when buried in student debt with no income.

decus
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Fascinating, insightful, and terrifying to see how entirely destabilizing financial crisis can be even decades later

decaffeinatedcolombian
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To be fair, that is pretty much the normal millennial experience.
2008 was a bubble pop on a global level, and we still feel the repercussions. In the economy, the culture and our personal lives.
The real shame is that nothing was learned from the Japanese example.

AGS
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This is now happening to the USA. I know because I am one. I paid off my car and cell phone in 2021. Worked through 2022 building my savings to a comfortable level where I could subsist for 2 years with no work. I live at home at 36 with my parents. I do event staffing, but it is sporadic. It pays very well so I can top off my savings. I will not work another underpaying shit job ever again. Now my focus is healing, learning and taking care of my elderly parents. They need help with house cleaning and technology.

captmaverickable
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I graduated from medical school in Japan but now i live in the USA with my Afro/Japanese veteran husband and i’m a pediatrician.
My parents are happy i live in the USA and they love my husband because of his maturity and he co-owns a veteran own and run private security company. I proud to come from Japan and been educated in Japan but i’m also happy i live in America on acres of land and enjoy a beautiful land.

MayumiC-chan
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RIP Dr Nishimura. Her elderly Dad sleeps in the room she used to live in, consumed by grief. Rest well, you are at peace Dr Ryo.

beverlyhills
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Japan is so tough on the people. That part gets lost in the conversation, when we talk about macroeconomic events and balance sheet recessions. I lived for a long time in Japan, Viet Nam and Thailand. And the happiest Japanese people I met were living their life, or running a small business, in Viet Nam or Thailand.

stevens
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But how can it truly have one of the lowest unemployment rates if there are millions of Hikikomori? The government is anticipating a huge problem for who will care for them and rehabilitate them after their parents die.

AgentMoler
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I discovered your channel today. I grew up in America in the 90s consuming Japanese products and culture, mostly through Nintendo, and I find it supremely interesting to "look at the other side of the mirror, " so to speak. I look forward to your future posts.

chumblesthecheese
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The reality of mental health stigma in Japanese culture is really quite amazing in scope. Many of the people could be recovered from these three states of despair, as you call them, with adequate therapy and psychiatric intervention. The problem there is Japan's dwarf mental health sector as government funding continues to fail to materialize combined with a private sector that's disinterested due to perceived culturally based indifference and, therefore, natural lack of expected demand.

conorwoodside
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It must be bad. in the USA, there are the people who came of adult age at or around 2008. It was bad. I somehow managed to grow up poor, came of age right in time for the sharp depression around 1980-81 in the US, then was just hitting my stride when 2008 wiped me out. I make about 1/5 what I did, and do not hope to make any more than that, ever. Learn to live without money to as much as extent as you can, and game-ify saving money, become a low-key survivalist.

alexcarter
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Japan is about 30 years ahead of much of the world. In China the bubbles that have been inflated is easily the biggest in the history, far greater than even the 80's excesses in Japan, and adding to that it's got a population that's very rapidly aging. In the US things are better but not that much because we've had big bubbles in asset prices in the past decade too.

utcst
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I honestly had no idea Japan could’ve ever suffered a recession like this let alone a time when their tech was kicking the US’s ass nearly every month. The US is still suffering a lost generation for those unlucky enough to have graduated college after 2009, they couldn’t find jobs without experience, and even low paying entry-level jobs required 20+ years of experience to even apply to.

Maniac
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Thank you for your insights. I just discovered your channel. Leaving Japan in early 1970’s, I rediscovered Japan last decade with internet. It has puzzled me that since I lost touch with Japan, about 40years has passed, yet some aspects of the Japanese society has not moved or worse moved backward. I am now retired and living on my pension. In a way I am glad to have left, though I am missing old Japan a lot.

mariiwa
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The bubble burst in Japan was worse than the American recession. But that's when I came of age, right at the beginning. Somehow, a lot of us young adults during the recession made it out by the relative security of the mid-2010's. But many of us didn't. I'm also disabled in a very ableist country. I have been shut out from society because I can't get proper accommodations. Now I'm a recluse. Would not be surprised if I'm the poorest person to comment on this channel. Real stuff.

Apashi
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thank you for the video. Dr. Rei Nishimura's story was particularly sad and her's is just one of the many. Hope her soul rest in piece.

berkekaan
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i saw this video and subscribed right away. Keep up the good work.

arnoackermann
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One big achievwment of this lost generatiom is soccer. Prior to 1990, japan was not considered a power soccer nation even in asia. Today, it is one of the best top 30 in the world.

btlim
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I've seen this in the US, it's not only a japan thing

FellTheSky