Many believe that the high suicide rate, working hours, and other stereotypes of Japanese culture result in a depressed nation. I myself have encountered several people saying that the Japanese are sad. Is this true? In this article, we will understand a little about the subject and see some things responsible for the unhappiness of the Japanese.
Imagine having to work 10 hours a day, spending hours inside a train, eating bento boxes or instant noodles every day? This is not uncommon in Japan, especially in large cities. Getting a promotion or a salary increase is unlikely. Nothing different from life in São Paulo.
Fun? Many spend train rides playing on their phones or watching videos, others go to karaoke alone every week. Social interaction is low even through text messages. When at home, they spend most of their time sleeping or on the internet. How can one be happy with this lifestyle?
This is ironic, as Japan offers so many options for food, leisure, tourism, and things that can fill the void. Even so, people choose a lifestyle focused on work and money. It is a common lifestyle, but we cannot take it entirely into account within a space with 127 million inhabitants.
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What are the causes of unhappiness in Japan?
Having a demanding and repetitive routine really causes unhappiness, resulting in a disease that is dominating the entire world, the famous depression. Many Japanese have trouble socializing, whether due to shyness or independence, they do not open up or express their feelings to strangers.
Being reserved is something normal, and such people are abundant in all countries; the big difference is that the Japanese have no custom of visiting psychologists or psychiatrists. Having someone to listen to your problems is always good, and unfortunately, some Japanese do not have that someone.
Social stigmas play a very strong role in all parts of Japanese life. The cultural pressure not to make mistakes ends up bringing unhappiness. Some even go so far as to commit suicide because of it. These cultural and structural factors likely influence people who are already overwhelmed and stressed to feel even worse.
In school, Japanese are encouraged to always do their best, to be number one! Otherwise, they will be a failure. Boys as young as 12 already suffer from anxiety disorders because they are afraid of not scoring well on their exams. Unfortunately, the Japanese are obsessed with status and material goods, and we know that this does not bring true happiness.
Understanding the Happiness Ranking
According to the happiness ranking, Japan is in 51st place. Brazil, despite all the crisis and insecurity, is in 21st. Despite these positions, there are many things that are not clarified in this ranking.
If we look at the ranking below, we will notice that Japan loses badly only in Dystopia. Dystopia is a hypothetical country that represents the lowest national measures for each key variable, with residual errors. This country has lower averages for each variable, serving as a regression base (I’m still confused about this xD).
| Pos | Country | Pts | GDP | Social Support | Life Expectancy | Freedom | Generosity | Trust | Dystopia |
| 1 | Norway | 7 | 1.616 | 1.534 | 0.797 | 0.635 | 0.362 | 0.316 | 2.277 |
| 22 | Brazil | 6 | 1.107 | 1.431 | 0.617 | 0.437 | 0.162 | 0.111 | 2.769 |
| 51 | Japan | 5 | 1.417 | 1.436 | 0.913 | 0.506 | 0.121 | 0.164 | 1.363 |
The criteria addressed in this statistic show that Japan excels in many aspects. A statistic means nothing unless it is put into context. For example, Japan is 26th in the world suicide ranking. The numbers have dropped significantly, and currently, South Korea, which has a high suicide rate, is in 10th place.
The factors that cause suicides include unemployment, economic problems, and social pressures. I personally do not consider Japan’s suicide rate to be as high as people imagine. Consider this: it is 15 people per 100,000 inhabitants, in Brazil it is 13, and in the USA, it is 12, a small difference. Even so, Japan is always cited as an example of suicides, probably due to its small size that makes things happen in a concentrated manner.
Are the Japanese happy?
In fact, what is happiness? Happiness is something that needs to be achieved individually. Although the Japanese have social problems, they seek happiness in their own way, whether through a hobby, sport, game, or something individual. In Japan, there are thousands of things to do and thus end boredom. Even though there are always people working, there are others who are always traveling and enjoying.
The stereotype that the Japanese are more depressed than people from other countries is wrong and outdated. Although there are those who strive too much for nothing and still find a void in their lives. Many other Japanese know what they really want, and it is thanks to their efforts in working hard, following rules, and being perfectionists by nature that Japan has become such a comfortable place to live and travel.
If we stop to think about our problems, there is no way to be happy. The trend of the current world is to worsen, bringing more unhappiness! Japan has the advantage of offering a quality of life; of course, not everyone has the luck and time to enjoy these things. Remember that having time and doing the things you like does not necessarily mean happiness!
The fact is that Japan does not even appear on the list of the 10 most depressed countries in the world. The USA is first in the depression ranking, where 1 in every 6 people takes antidepressants or psychiatric drugs. Even Brazil appears in 7th place in this ranking, showing that unhappiness affects even Brazilians who are famous for never giving up and being positive and frenetic.
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