By Suvendrini Kakuchi
TOKYO, Jan 9 2004 (IPS)

Adult’s Day in Japan, which falls on Jan. 12, may not be something all youngsters in this country are looking forward to.

While the day remains a traditional, special and colourful one for 20-year-olds who will officially become grown-ups, Japanese youngsters are increasingly restless and worried about their future, a trend that experts say reflect the erosion of Japan’s post-war economic and social stability.

”For the first time in the past decade, our surveys show the highest rate-more than 51 percent- of youth officially recognised as adults this year who see their future becoming worse than it is now,” says Yoshihiko Ushida of the Osaka Marriage and Medical Guidance Company, a private think tank.

Ushida says that young adults cite job insecurity as their most pressing fear, followed by social breakdown and the lack of political leadership in their country, the world’s second largest economy.

”Japan’s long economic recession is hurting job prospects and casting a gloomy spell on the new generation,” he points out.

Adult’s Day has been observed across Japan since 1948 and is celebrated with much pomp by local authorities.

This year, more than 1.52 million youth of the country’s 123 million people – decked in expensive finery such as colourful kimono or chic western-style suits – will be welcomed into Japanese society as full-fledged citizens.

Their newly-won status entitles them to all the trappings and responsibilities that come with becoming an adult, such as voting in national elections, paying taxes and officially being able to indulge in drinking alcohol and smoking, a privilege many undertake to their hearts’ content on that day.

The event is marked by official celebrations such as gatherings at local municipalities where speeches are made by mayors and various celebrities to welcome the 20-year-olds.

Surveys show that similar to last year, becoming an office worker or full-time employee in Japan topped the list of jobs they eyed. Becoming teachers and other professionals are also on the list, a preference that overtook freelance work, which was popular during the economic bubble years in the late nineties.

Close to 70 percent of females and 64 percent of males also said in the government survey that they cannot live separately from their parents.

More than 80 percent of this year’s adults have graduated or are attending universities or two-year colleges.

Hiromi Kawada, a college graduate who intends to work in the fashion business, plans to attend the local ceremony in her neighbourhood. ”I am worried about my future,” says a young woman, who points to growing juvenile crime and child abuse cases in Japan.

The most important change she sees is in Japan’s employment system, which until a few years ago easily absorbed youngsters soon after they graduated from college at the end of March.

To compete in the harsher job environment, Kawada has taken-on part-time work in a clothing store, hoping that some work experience would give her an edge over competitors.

She says that as a responsible adult, she would strive to consume less and reduce waste, an attitude held by many in Japan’s older generation.

Mayuko Noguchi, a new adult who will major in human environment studies this year, explains that she is keen to work on protecting the environment.

Asked about how she views Japan, she says her country must learn to work out a policy that allows Japan to reduce its excessive reliance on the United States. ”A Japan that can say ‘no’ to the United States and maintain good relations at the same time, is best for us,” she opines.

According to Hideaki Sekizawa, an analyst at Hakuhodo Research Co, Japan’s leading think tank on social issues, the vast majority of today’s adults are very different from their parents, who grew up soon after Japan lost the war in 1945 and worked hard to rebuild their country.

”The majority of young adults still expect to live with their parents and prefer to lead lives that seek material satisfaction rather than take on commitments,” he explains.

Indeed, while surveys show that Japanese youth consider getting jobs a key priority, Sekizawa says research has also discovered that they do not work hard enough or stay committed to these jobs.

”Compared to the hardworking older generation, a common characteristic of youth today is that they easily give up. This symbolises that Japan is soon going to be a country with a pampered society, with people less competitive and hard-driven. This is the emerging image of Japan,” he says.

Chie Omura, an official in charge of youth affairs at Mizusawa, a small town in northern Japan, agrees.

”But at the same time,” she says, ” youth today have aspirations that seek a modern Japan that can blend its old culture with the new and create a society where young people are recognised for their creativity and individuality, and not judged only for being responsible citizens”.

Mizusawa town has in fact tried to make a point when it comes to the youth. It gained national recognition for launching Adult Day celebrations that are conducted by the local youth themselves, moving away from traditional ceremonies that focus on speeches that are lofty, but boring, according to the young participants.

”Adult Day ceremonies that were losing their appeal are now well-patronised because youth have brought in a new focus – messages from their own families and a relaxed atmosphere, which is what is necessary,” Omura explains.

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