Heisei era: Three generations look back, and ahead

Longer-term, she worries whether Japan's social stability will crumble.

Japan this month introduced a visa program to let in more blue-collar workers, a big step in the immigration-shy country.

"If we don't do this properly, we could follow the same path" as Western countries gripped by anger over immigration, said Harada, who has studied abroad and majors in international relations.

The generation that came up under Abe and Nippon Kaigi.

"If we don't do this properly, we could follow the same path" as Western countries gripped by anger over immigration, said Harada, who has studied abroad and majors in international relations.

Well, you are soon to be a member of the working society, and it will be up to you and your generation to insure that there are no problems! Keep in mind that pointing fingers and trying to find scapegoats is not going to solve any of the problems your "elders" created and have left to you to fix!

Also keep in mind the mistakes your "elders" have made, the discrimination, and exclusion, and inability to accept the history of Japan. Dont make those mistakes, and odds are you and your generation will do (hopefully) the right thing.

It IS on your shoulders!

"I think for myself and can act on my own," he said. "For me, the Heisei years were good."

Still, he worries too many Japanese lack entrepreneurial spirit. "People want stability. To put it negatively, they lack the spirit to challenge."

You are the exception and not the rule. Far too many in this generation, starting their working careers with the ingrained belief of lifetime employment and far too many, after losing their jobs, found themselves wandering about like a ship with no rudder.

Far too many never learned to "think for themselves" they were literally like robots in an economy that demanded obedience and subservience.

Far too many in this generation, never gained any skills that are useful in todays economy. Graduating college with degrees that basically were as useless as the paper they were written on. Just how many pencil pushers and "salary-men" were needed? Expecting high paying jobs after getting fired, but realizing they had no skills that anyone wanted.

Even now there are many in their 40's and 50's and 60's, who are doing menial labor or nothing at all, living off their elderly parents, wondering where their lives have gone!

But she worries the wartime past has little resonance for today's Japanese youth.

"I want them to study about the past properly and link that to the future," she said.

And worry she should! Abe has done much to ensure that the youth of today HAVE no idea, nor are taught anything about their own history!

How can the youth be educated, when there are so-called "teachers" that explain away their unwillingness to talk about or teach about the lessons of WWII with the excuse that "Japan has thousands of years of history. WWII is only a tiny part of it and I don't have time"

With "teachers" like that, who needs enemies!

Far too many never learned to "think for themselves" they were literally like robots in an economy that demanded obedience and subservience.

Demanding obedience and subservience is also a cultural issue, which snuffs out ingenuity and creativity.

Yubaru: Any advice on helping one's children avoid the limited historical context they get in school? I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not as easy as putting a book in front of them.

"If we don't do this properly, we could follow the same path" as Western countries gripped by anger over immigration, said Harada, who has studied abroad and majors in international relations.

The generation that came up under Abe and Nippon Kaigi.

Perhaps though I don't think you can conclude that's what informs her comments here. She can be broadminded and open to immigration/greater diversity yet still be concerned about the repercussions in an insular society beset by cultivated aversion to difference/Nihonjinron. Especially when the decisions being made by the LDP have little buy-in according to polls.

Any advice on helping one's children avoid the limited historical context they get in school? I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not as easy as putting a book in front of them.

Not speaking for Yubaru who has broader parenting experience than me, but IMO talking to them is pretty effective. Whenever the war comes up, you can believe I'm adding my 2 cents or 2 bucks to the conversation. Ditto whenever the mouthpieces start clucking on NHK. I certainly learned far more from conversations with my father than I ever did from the bland teaching of history in my secondary schools, which turned far more on a reliance on "facts" than various interpretations or critical thinking..

Longer-term, she worries whether Japan's social stability will crumble.

Japan this month introduced a visa program to let in more blue-collar workers, a big step in the immigration-shy country.

"If we don't do this properly, we could follow the same path" as Western countries gripped by anger over immigration, said Harada, who has studied abroad and majors in international relations.

The generation that came up under Abe and Nippon Kaigi.

You are correct. She is smart. Unlike her western peers who feel that their way is the best and blind to their own faults in their society, She isn't blind nor she is overbearing.

You are correct. She is smart. Unlike her western peers who feel that their way is the best and blind to their own faults in their society, She isn't blind nor she is overbearing.

Irony alert.

For decades, Haruyo Nihei kept her wartime memories locked away: mothers and infants burnt alive by incendiary bombs; herself struggling under corpses of fleeing victims; her sister's body covered with maggot-infested burns.

Citizens groups have tried to sue the Japanese Government over the firebombings. They claimed that the leaders were incompetent in both starting the war and not ending it sooner, and that they were discriminated against by not receiving relief after the war. Servicepeople and civilian workers for the Imperial military received pensions:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-firebombing-idUST13538620070310

They lost, as you would expect:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/05/27/editorials/firebombing-victims-waved-off/

Now is the time to push for newer technologies and make money and society better through automation. c'mon! it's time to kick butt and usher in new tokyo!

Its also the right time like green fields BRI, to reduce emissions this era, time is running out.