It is no wonder that the suicide rate in Japan is twice that of the United States and prosperity does not translate to the happiness of the workers and their families. Those that commit suicide have decided that life is too much and the alternative will free them from frustration and pain. They live with so many stresses in their lives, such as long commutes on trains and subways, watchful coworkers to check the time of their breaks, and group conformity. Sometimes, as I read the opinions, studies, and reports about the Japanese people, it looks like the whole country will implode, yet the Japanese have always adapted and faced their challenges without complaint.
I read somewhere that 58 percent of Japanese women do not want to marry, and have no problem with entering a restaurant alone. When the host asks “How many?” the woman answers “Hitori” (one). Many women will apply for jobs at foreign companies located in Japan, believing that they have a better chance of being promoted. Ambitions stifled and with little help from husbands if they do pursue a career, women in Japan still remain second class citizens.
Throughout their long history Japan has been plagued with civil wars, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It is the bushido of culture ingrained in their psyche that compels them to rebuild and thrive.