Theme 3: 変わっていく人生観 (Changing Outlooks on Life)
Sub-theme: 長引く不景気 (The Prolonged Recession)
Welcome to these study notes for Edexcel A Level Japanese (9JA0). In this chapter, we will explore 長引く不景気 (the prolonged recession) in Japan. We will look at how decades of economic stagnation transformed everyday life, family decisions, and working styles, as well as how the Japanese government responded through policy and structural reforms.
Don't worry if Japanese economic vocabulary seems overwhelming at first! We will break down every key concept into clear, memorable parts with essential vocabulary, kanji readings, and exam tips.
---1. Background: The Bubble Collapse and the "Lost Decades"
To understand modern Japanese society, we have to travel back to the early 1990s. Before this point, Japan experienced an unprecedented economic boom known as the バブル経済 (bubble economy).
What happened?
In the early 1990s, stock and real estate prices crashed dramatically. This event is called バブル崩壊 (bubble collapse). Instead of a quick recovery, Japan entered an extended period of low economic growth and deflation that lasted for decades.
Key Terminology for this Era:
• 失われた10年 (The Lost Decade): The 1990s to early 2000s.
• 失われた20年 / 30年 (The Lost 20 / 30 Years): The extended period of stagnation continuing through subsequent decades.
• デフレ (Deflation): A sustained drop in the general price level of goods and services, leading to lower business profits and stagnant wages.
Analogy: Imagine a car running on low battery. Instead of accelerating smoothly down the highway, it crawls along in the slow lane for miles. That long crawl is Japan's prolonged recession.
Key Takeaway: The collapse of the economic bubble in the early 1990s created a decades-long slowdown (長引く不景気) that reshaped Japanese society from the ground up.
---2. 日常生活への影響 (Effects on Daily Life)
The prolonged recession did not just affect banks and corporations; it deeply altered the daily lives, employment prospects, and mindsets of ordinary Japanese citizens.
A. Shifts in the Employment System
In post-war Japan, corporate life was built on two traditional pillars:
1. 終身雇用 (しゅうしんこよう - Lifetime employment): Workers were hired straight out of university and guaranteed a job until retirement.
2. 年功序列 (ねんこうじょれつ - Seniority-based wage system): Salaries and promotions increased automatically based on age and length of service.
During the prolonged recession, many companies could no longer afford to maintain these guarantees, leading to their decline.
B. Rise in Non-Regular Employment (非正規雇用の増加)
To cut costs, companies drastically reduced the hiring of regular employees (正社員 - せいしゃいん) and turned to non-regular workers (非正規雇用 - ひせいきこよう). Non-regular workers include:
• パート・アルバイト: Part-time workers.
• 契約社員 (けいやくしゃいん): Fixed-term contract employees.
• 派遣社員 (はけんしゃいん): Temporary dispatch workers.
Impact: Non-regular jobs offer lower wages, limited career progression, and very little job security compared to regular positions.
C. Youth Employment Challenges
Young people graduating during the height of the recession faced severe obstacles:
• 就職氷河期 (しゅうしょくひょうがき - Employment Ice Age): The period when companies froze recruitment, leaving countless graduates without stable career paths.
• フリーター (Freeters): Young adults surviving on temporary or part-time jobs rather than entering regular corporate careers.
• ニート (NEETs): Individuals "Not in Education, Employment, or Training".
D. Consumer Mindset and Demographic Changes
Economic insecurity and continuous deflation transformed daily habits and life choices:
• 節約志向 (せつやくしこう - Thriftiness / price-consciousness): Consumers prioritised low prices and value over luxury brands.
• 未婚化 (みこんか - Rising rate of unmarried people) & 晩婚化 (ばんこんか - Delayed marriage): Due to financial instability, many young adults delayed marriage or chose not to marry at all.
• 少子化 (しょうしか - Declining birth rate): The rising cost of living and job insecurity contributed directly to a drop in the birth rate.
Key Takeaway: The erosion of 終身雇用 and 年功序列 led to an increase in 非正規雇用, creating the 就職氷河期 generation and encouraging a culture of 節約志向 that influenced marriage and birth rates.
---3. 政府の対応 (The Government's Response)
To combat persistent deflation and boost the economy, the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan implemented several major policy measures.
A. Monetary and Fiscal Policies
• ゼロ金利政策 (ぜろきんりせいさく - Zero interest rate policy): Lowering interest rates close to zero to make borrowing cheaper for businesses and consumers.
• 量的緩和 (りょうてきかんわ - Quantitative easing): Injecting massive amounts of money into the financial system to encourage lending and spending.
• Fiscal Stimulus (財政出動): Huge government spending packages focused on public works and infrastructure projects to create domestic demand and jobs.
B. Structural Reforms (構造改革)
The government pursued administrative deregulation to make the economy more flexible:
• Deregulation of Labour Laws: Key revisions to the Worker Dispatch Act (労働者派遣法 - ろうどうしゃはけんほう) expanded the sectors where temporary dispatch workers could be used.
C. "Abenomics" (アベノミクス)
Launched in the 2010s, this economic revitalization strategy was famously known as the policy of the "Three Arrows" (3本の矢):
1. 大胆な金融政策 (Aggressive monetary policy): Pushing quantitative easing to break the cycle of deflation.
2. 機動的な財政政策 (Flexible fiscal expenditure): Government spending to stimulate short-term growth.
3. 民間投資を喚起する成長戦略 (Growth and structural reform strategy): Promoting private investment, corporate reform, and innovation.
D. Social Safety Net Programmes
Recognising the ongoing struggles of those who graduated during the peak of the downturn, the government launched targeted safety net initiatives, such as the 就職氷河期世代支援プログラム (Employment Ice Age Generation Support Programme), offering reskilling and career transitions into regular employment.
Key Takeaway: Government responses ranged from macroeconomic policies (ゼロ金利政策, 量的緩和, アベノミクス) to labour market deregulation (労働者派遣法) and targeted social programmes for the 就職氷河期世代.
---4. Related Pillars: Internationalisation and Foreign Workers
To understand the broader economic landscape under this sub-theme, consider two closely related developments:
A. 経済の国際化 (Internationalisation of the Economy)
• 産業の空洞化 (さんぎょうのくうどうか - Hollowing out of industry): To reduce production costs during the recession and strong yen periods, many Japanese manufacturers moved factories abroad, reducing manufacturing jobs at home.
• Global Initiatives: Expansion of international trade and proactive strategies to attract foreign tourists (inbound tourism) to boost domestic revenue.
B. 外国人労働者 (Foreign Workers)
Due to 少子高齢化 (falling birth rate and aging population), Japan experienced acute labour shortages in sectors like agriculture, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing. The government introduced and revised specific frameworks:
• 技能実習制度 (ぎのうじっしゅうせいど - Technical Intern Training Program): Designed to transfer skills to international workers while filling vital operational roles.
• 特定技能制度 (とくていぎのうせいど - Specified Skilled Worker visa system): A visa category created to welcome foreign workers directly into designated industries facing severe worker deficits.
Key Takeaway: Economic stagnation and domestic demographic decline pushed Japan toward greater international integration, through manufacturing relocation (産業の空洞化) and opening doors to 外国人労働者 via specific visa frameworks.
---5. Vocabulary & Concept Master Table
Here is a quick-reference list of essential vocabulary for Paper 1 and Paper 3:
• 不景気 (ふけいき): Recession / economic slump
• バブル崩壊 (バブルほうかい): Collapse of the economic bubble
• 終身雇用 (しゅうしんこよう): Lifetime employment
• 年功序列 (ねんこうじょれつ): Seniority-based wage system
• 正社員 (せいしゃいん): Regular / permanent employee
• 非正規雇用 (ひせいきこよう): Non-regular / temporary employment
• 就職氷河期 (しゅうしょくひょうがき): Employment Ice Age
• 節約志向 (せつやくしこう): Thriftiness / cost-saving mindset
• 少子化 (しょうしか): Declining birth rate
• 晩婚化 (ばんこんか): Later marriage age
• ゼロ金利政策 (ゼロきんりせいさく): Zero interest rate policy
• 量的緩和 (りょうてきかんわ): Quantitative easing
• アベノミクス: Abenomics (three arrows economic policy)
• 産業の空洞化 (さんぎょうのくうどうか): Hollowing out of industry
• 技能実習制度 (ぎのうじっしゅうせいど): Technical Intern Training Program
• 特定技能制度 (とくていぎのうせいど): Specified Skilled Worker system
6. Exam Strategy & Examiner Advice (Paper 1 & Paper 3)
Make sure you avoid common candidate pitfalls highlighted in Edexcel Examiner Reports:
1. Precision with Terminology:
Do not simply write that people became "poor" (貧乏). Use accurate sociological and economic terms: explain that companies cut back on 正社員 in favour of 非正規雇用 (such as 派遣社員), leading to lower income stability.
2. Paper 3 Evaluative Tasks:
When completing summary and evaluation tasks in Paper 3:
• Avoid pure personal opinion: Anchor your points firmly in the stimulus materials provided in the exam.
• Avoid mere copying: Do not copy sentences verbatim from the reading or listening texts. Synthesise, rephrase, and critically evaluate the arguments.
• Use structural connectors: Structure your paragraphs cleanly using signposting words like まず (firstly), それから / さらに (furthermore), and 最後に (finally).
Quick Review Quiz:
1. What two traditional Japanese corporate employment practices declined during the recession? (Answer: 終身雇用 and 年功序列)
2. What phrase describes the tough job-hunting period for graduates during the recession? (Answer: 就職氷河期)
3. What are the "Three Arrows" of Abenomics? (Answer: 大胆な金融政策, 機動的な財政政策, 成長戦略)