Violent antisocial crimes by teenagers have sent shockwaves through Japan in recent years, hinting ominously at cracks in the very foundations of modern Japanese society. On a more mundane level, older Japanese often find themselves puzzled and annoyed by the everyday behavior of young people, who often seem like aliens suddenly dropped in their midst.

A recent article in Aera (April 1) reports on the new "Wakarimasen-zoku" ("I don't know tribe") among today's younger generation. Even those just a few years older are irritated by university students or young coworkers who seem to have no opinion of their own and only answer "wakarimasen" when asked what they would like to major in or if they would like to go out drinking after work. In one prominent example, after Hayato Terahara was drafted by the Daiei baseball team last fall he was asked at a press conference if he hadn't really wanted to go to the Giants and, rather than "No comment" or the like, replied "wakarimasen."

Those regularly encountering such a response have reached varying conclusions about its meaning. One teacher feels students are passive and apathetic and find the choices available to them to be a burden rather than liberating. Another teacher sees it as an evasion of responsibility or a way to avoid an unpleasant situation, as when they answer a teacher's question in class with "wakarimasen" even when they know the answer.

Many young people seem to use this as a form of passive aggression against those they find annoying or intrusive, such as parents. In addition to being a means of cutting off communication, it can also be used as a signal to a close friend or intimate to make a decision for one.