Haruka Nakagawa is a typical 22-year-old Keio University student: full of life and always on the lookout for fun. She is one of many students who find studying a bore, and are more often spotted off campus than on it.

Unfortunately, though, it's not all been fun. "I had to repeat my sophomore year," she says sheepishly. "Once I got into university, I did a lot of partying. But I don't think it was the partying that made me fail; I could have still gone to class if I'd tried. I just had the misplaced confidence that I would be fine, even if I didn't study."

Nakagawa spends most of her free time with friends from Keio's tennis club, or working part-time -- which, in the past, has included waitressing, tutoring and being a salesclerk at Uniqlo. Right now, like many students, she's doing teleapo (telephone appointment) work -- cold-calling companies to try to arrange for a salesperson from her company to visit. Although she earns 50,000 yen to 100,000 yen a month, and also gets an allowance from her parents, she says, "It's not enough."