The meal of the lost generation

Japan clearly shows that isolation that begins at a young age can continue into the middle-aged and elderly years and drive them into poverty.

LEE YOUNG-HEEThe author is a Tokyo correspondent of the JoongAng Ilbo. Recently, a 45-year-old Japanese man, dubbed the “absolute quitter,” was featured on Korean media for what he eats for meals. He has been working for 20 years and saved up 96.3 million yen ($635,000) by living on a “stingy” diet. He posted his dinner menu of rice, a pickled plum and egg rolls.

He is not married and lives in an old apartment with a monthly rent of about 30,000 yen, living with minimal supplies. His moniker, “absolute quitter,” reflects his will to save up and retire. Naturally, he spends no money on hobbies.

He is a member of the “employment ice age generation” that appeared when Japan’s economic bubble burst and the job market was the worst. Now in their 40s and early 50s, they are called the “lost generation” in Japan.

In an interview with an economic magazine, he said, “When I graduated from college in 2002, the effective recruitment rate was 0.51. I was denied by more than 50 companies.” The effective recruitment rate refers to the number of jobs one jobseeker can find. The rate for the college graduates in Japan next year is 1.71.

The company he managed to be hired by offered a low salary and poor benefits. But he could not dream of changing jobs. Many of his friends were unemployed or had irregular jobs. This generation failed to land proper employment then, and they are still the poorest in Japan today.

They are of the age to buy homes and raise children, but the median wage of those in their 40s is lower than that of those in their 30s. According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, more than half of the households in their 40s have less than 2 million yen in savings. There are 400,000 hikikomori, or socially withdrawn loners, who became isolated at home due to failing to find a job and remained confined for decades.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s approval rating is hitting new lows each day, reminding me of the generation’s status today. While prices in Japan have been going up, it is still manageable compared to Korea. But people complain, “It is hard to live” and “What is the government doing?” A Japanese friend said that middle-aged Japanese people are really poor.

To the people who live like the “absolute quitter,” rising prices of eggs and vegetables would be fatal. In a survey by TV Asahi, 90 percent of the respondents said that their livelihood was affected by inflation and 48.7 percent said they are cutting food expenses.

A recent survey showed there are more than 510,000 young people who are isolated and secluded due to their failure to get a job in Korea. Japan clearly shows that isolation that begins at a young age can continue into the middle-aged and elderly years and drive them into poverty. Attention and support for them cannot be delayed any longer.