Japan is falling behind. Whoever you talk to, nowadays it is quite rare to hear positive feedbacks about Japan's prospects. No one, apart from some avid anime fans and those who love and care about Japanese cultures, pays attention to more important issues -economy, politics, social problems- any longer. The world has graduated from the 'Japan bashing' phase and has now entered the 'Japan passing' phase, where Japan can exert very little influence over global affiars. It might be an inevitable present, however, considering decades of lack of leadership displayed by Japanese people on the global stage. Significance and importance of Japan's voice, Japan's role is on the constant decline.
We, Japanese young people, were born in the midst of or in the aftermath of the bubble economy and therefore have never experienced a strong and buoying economy. Japan, as we know it, has always been under struggle, the "lesson to be learnt from its mistakes" by other Western nations and emerging economies at the best, and sometimes the target of mockery. Politics has been filled with problems, and even after we've seen the largetst political reform in half a century, "Seiken Koutai", we are not yet able to see any bright future. Records say more than 30,000 take their lives per year, 1 million are suffuring from depression and much more are so disillusioned by the real world as to choose to insulate themselves in their comfortable private room, killing time watching animes where everything eventually turns out right.
We're born into this society, only to find it is always us young generations who are to blame. Our lack of motivation, prevailing apathy and declining levels of education presede a gloomy future for Japan, they say. Not only globally but also domestically, we're stuck. We don't see a bright future awaiting us. We're fed up with being blamed for Japan being as it is now.
However, we're also fed up with taking no action and just seeing great opportunities passing before us. We're tired of seeing Japan plummeting into further economic difficulties. Change has to be made. It is high time we started to make a difference.
I strongly believe that we can still make great contributions to the world, only if we regain confidence, pride and dignity. We shouldn't be myopic and make our hands full with domestic issues, though. There are people in the world who need our help more urgently. We can still lead and direct global initiatives, helping solve world's most imminent and serious problems; poverty, pandemic deseases, nuclear, middle east, the korean peninsula, declining influence of America and broken power balance...
So, I'd like to propose a plan to hold lively discussion under #jyg tag (which is shorthand for Japanese Youth Global). Under the belief that nothing will happen unless we initiate actions, and that changes will be made if we do take actions, I'd like to ask you to join us. It might be a small initiative -merely a platform of discussions on global issues-, but as a great Japanese proverb goes, "tiny dust will eventually accumulate into a mountain". I hope great ideas, great communities and great movements that may in the future change the world will be born from here.
I appreciate if you will RT this to spread our philosophy towards the world.