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.