Surveys of the Japanese public show that 1 in 2 people in their 20s and 30s have felt lonely during the pandemic.
In February this year the government created a new cabinet position to try to address the problem of loneliness, the so-called "minister for loneliness." But loneliness did not begin with COVID-19, and has been a growing problem in Japan for decades.
Alex K.T. Martin, a senior writer at the Japan Times, recently wrote an article on kodoku, and the fine line between solitude and loneliness that many of us have experienced throughout the pandemic.
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Read more:
- Kodoku: The fine line between solitude and loneliness in Japan (Alex Martin, The Japan Times)
- As suicides rise amid the pandemic, Japan takes steps to tackle loneliness (Tomohiro Osaki, The Japan Times)
- Escaping COVID-19: When you can’t see the virus for the trees (Alex Martin, The Japan Times)
On this episode:
Alex K.T. Martin: Twitter | Articles
Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram
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