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74% of Japanese happy with their lives: gov't survey

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Ignorance is bliss.

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

Ignorance is bliss.

Or they know something you don't.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

There is no question directly asking about happiness with lifestyle, so I assume they are referring to improvement in life satisfaction.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Happiness as defined by the government. Japanese people need to wake up and stop taking it from big business here. Japanese people get zero interest at banks, most people have no idea what interest is or an understanding of why they should get it. Life insurance is a national joke, pay 10 times any other 1st world country and the payout for death is 20,00 dollars? If you pay for life insurance over 15 years you might as well have saved that money because you are losing money at that point.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Really? Who did the interview? 18 "or" above rich kids? Wealthy Japanese? Stay at home moms? Because all the Japanese I know are overworked, underpaid and spending more time to watch their children grow is only a dream.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

This is right out of the Abe propaganda machine. Most of the Japanese I know all complain about working too long, not earning enough, and not enough opportunities for their children, unless they move to Tokyo or Osaka. They worry about pensions, they worry about having access to health care, so who are these happy people, maybe those that Abe has deemed worthy of receiving his largess!

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Sleepwalking to oblivion, as Michael Woodford so accurately said.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

I haven't seen the results this time but a few years ago it was around 9 percent "satisfied" and 60 "まあ満足している" which to me is only a step more content than "not really satisfied." They aren't saying most Japanese are happy but that given the economy could certainly be worse there is a general trend in that direction.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

You don't see it much on the faces of most of the working men (after college), unless they are drunk.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Spot-on @Lizz. Glad someone could take a break from an artificial gaijin vs. Japan squabble to notice the flaw in the survey.

A more accurate interpretation would be "74% of Japanese not unhappy with their lives", which I'd think is not a terribly controversial finding anywhere.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Majority of J ppl I know are 'reasonably' to 'very' happy with their lives. Sure some wish they could earn more, have a 'nice bf' etc but no more/less than non J.

Re $, ppl I know are living a less materialistic lifestyle/life and enjoying it; many live in kansai (outside Osaka), picked a job/company that respects employees (no/little overtime) even if it means no career path as such and less $ in the long run. Re relationships, single ones are fine with it and don't mind living on their own, which is very different to the gaijins I know who are terrified/dread being alone and often rush into unsatisfactory relationships.

Plenty of happy faces too (could be a country vs Tokyo thing though). Personally I tend to think that we/ppl can be happy anywhere in this world provided we know what makes us happy, live our lives the way we want to and, more importantly, stay away from negative ppl.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Happiness in Japan should be increasing naturally because the society is aging and every survey out there says old people are the happiest. I think it's because you give up on your dreams, lower your expectations, and slip into contentment with your lot and the person you are.

Just saying, but I also suspect that older people are more likely to respond to surveys like this.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

gov't survey

Ah, well, must be true then...

0 ( +3 / -3 )

This is good news - why should we doubt it? If people are asked if they are more or less satisfied, and they say that they are, then who are you to say they are wrong? How impertinent, and condescending, to think you know better than people you have never met, how they feel about their lives.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

This is a link to the 2016 edition.

http://survey.gov-online.go.jp/h28/h28-life/gairyaku.pdf

「国民生活に関する世論調査」の概要

1 ( +1 / -0 )

From the country where 90% of people famously believe themselves to be middle class, this is not at all surprising. If the survey forced respondents to put themselves above or below the line instead of on the line, then you might get a real result.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

People who keep their heads in the sand invariably are happy.

Also, it depends a lot upon just what questions were asked in the survey. Any conclusion can be made depending upon the manner of the questions.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I doubt it very much!

Why?

Because living in Japan, I see the stress and tiredness that is

very much evident.

I have commuted in the rush-hour here and I can honestly say that the commuting was actually more stressful than the job itself.

In addition, the rising taxes and the shrinking salaries and the on-the-edge business conditions that's SMEs have to face here certainly do not inspired me to believe this survey ...........

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Perhaps the most interesting statistic the article reveals is only 63.2% provided "valid" answers?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The survey shows that more than 20% believe their lives will be worse in the future, which is totally believable.

Demand may be growing for Japanese products now but as the population decline accelerates economic growth will be harder to pull off. In other words, the real decline has barely begun.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Wow . . . those figures sound good, and let's hope for the other 25% . . . and not to forget those of Japanese descent overseas.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Lucky stars shining over Nippon. Isn't by accident.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think the survey gives rightful info: over 35% who did not want to respond (guessing the meaning is easy...), Lifestyle instead of happiness is a good word change to collect all the singles' "correct" answer.

Correct survey conditions should represent all social status ...

I remember another international survey that Japanese were unfortunately among the less happy.

I truly wish I can be wrong but I believe it is a bit too optimistic with the lack of light relating to family and demography.

My family is among happy ones I think.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

a survey of 10k to represent all of jp? can't imagine it would be skewed in anyway...

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I think the survey gives rightful info: over 35% who did not want to respond (guessing the meaning is easy...),

Really ? The 2012 survey broke down the reasons people didn't respond and in most cases it was because they had moved, were on extended leave, vacation, ill etc. Refusal was only 15 percent of respondents.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Another reason for doubting this survey is the terrible demographic and employment situation here.

With over 50% of Japanese not in any secure full time employment,not able to save, bring up a family, buy an apartment etc

And with many Japanese with children and in their 40s or 50s also having to care for their aged parents then I certainly do not do not believe this survey.......

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Gallup does the same life happiness survey in the states and as of Jan 2017 87% of Americans report being very or somewhat satisfied. There are obviously terrible problems here as well and still it is up about 10 points from the terrible economy of 2009-2014. People are comparing to what they have known in the past, not to some permanently happy land isolated from the outside world that they have never visited.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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