JAPAN: Epidemic of anxiety

TOKYO (The Japan Times), August 24, 2008: Editorial Japanese are more worried than ever, according to a Cabinet Office survey released recently. More than 70 percent of Japanese — the highest percentage ever — say they are worried about their everyday lives and the future. Nearly two-thirds of people said their standard of living went unchanged in the last year, while over one-third said it had worsened. A minuscule 4 percent said their life had improved. Clearly, there is at least one consensus in the country — worrying. The polls reveal an epidemic of anxiety. When asked about specifics, Japanese were worried not only about their own standard of living, but also about health, pensions, the aging of society, rising prices and the widening income gap. This is not a list of superficial, egocentric anxieties, but of serious social problems that deeply affect individuals. This crisis of attitude is no less serious because it is suffered in silence and solitude, and, unfortunately, is generally ignored. Japanese decision-makers in all areas of life should pay close attention to these results. They show the accumulated impact of policies and decisions on ordinary people. In other countries, the study of national happiness has become an important tool for evaluating and understanding the effect of government policies, economic shifts and social trends. European governments have increasingly used such studies to find ways to improve the quality of life by considering the human consequences of their decisions. Other comparative international studies have found that a feeling of well-being aligns closely with the general level of health, education and income per capita in society. Individual income is one factor, but only one. Many factors other than money weigh heavily in people's perceptions of how good a life they have. On one such "World Map of Happiness," Japan came in 90th out of 178 nations surveyed. By that measure, the "Japanese miracle" no longer seems so miraculous. A nation's success cannot be entirely based on the degree of worry, of course, and satisfaction with one's life is a relative and vacillating judgment. However, Japan's worrying is more than just a temporary bout of "affluenza," a term used to describe the malaise felt in many affluent societies. Japan's relative affluence has come at the cost of high social anxiety, a cost that has increased year by year since the poll was first taken in 1981. Japan's failure to translate material comfort into mental ease is also found in climbing rates of suicide, alcoholism, depression, violence and bullying. The level of worry is but one response to high-pressure conditions. The worry of most Japanese has varied and complex sources. The frustrations of modern life have largely not been resolved by Japan's high level of technology. The cost of daily life has increased without a corresponding increase in quality of life. Japan's urbanization has not provided adequate opportunities for the many people still flocking to large cities. The recent flexibilities of the workplace seem to have benefited companies more than workers. Traditional social networks and government safety nets are fraying. The sources of worries continue to increase and expand. The few token reforms offered by the government have not resulted in greater optimism. Rather just the opposite, the few changes seem to have only increased worrying. Though this "worry index" may appear vague and subjective, people's attitudes toward life deeply influence their decisions. Without a general sense of subjective well-being, most people make cautious choices about everything from jobs to home loans that only contribute to a continued degree of worry. The national mood is an important factor that is created by individuals and in turn influences them deeply. Perhaps as the society ages and the world changes around it, Japan is simply becoming a more pessimistic nation. Yet, the degree of worry has important meaning and demands practical responses. Clearly, changes in direction need to be made. Politicians should use these results as a referendum on their recent policies. The fact that 70 percent of the population are worried about life is not a mark of success. Many European countries use these types of subjective polls as guides to decision-making. Japan should listen more closely to these results and take action accordingly. Making people happier and less worried should be an important consideration for educators, politicians, businesspeople and all those who make decisions about important issues. Japan has largely excluded subjective factors in its rush to expand and increase material conditions. The time has come, though, for the subjective element of life to be more seriously considered. Worry and happiness have not been given much weight in Japan in the past, but they are factors that must be considered more seriously from now on. (C)The Japan Times