Japan: Bridging the Generation Gap · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

What with all the news last week of beheadings, shoot-outs and baby dumping — and subsequent soul-searching on the part of Japanese bloggers, at a loss for what to make of the nation's younger generation — I felt that it would be appropriate this week to highlight a slightly more uplifting story, by shifting the spotlight to a thoughtful response from an unusually self-reflective corner of the Japanese blogosphere.
The story this week regards an article which appeared in the newspaper Asahi shimbun on Saturday about a 16-year-old girl named Fukuya Natsumi, a fan of Visual Kei bands and Shoujo manga [girl's manga]. According to the article, young Fukuya-san, who graduated from middle-school last spring, has since been working 5 days a week, 8 am to 5pm, at a gyuudon chain, as well as 6pm-9pm shifts two to three nights a week at a restaurant, in order to make enough money to make ends meet, supporting her mother and one younger sister. Working two jobs, she was making 160,000 yen, or less than 1500 USD, per month. Needless to say, given this work load, it was not possible for her to continue her high-school studies.
From the point of view of mainstream news, the story starts last March when young Fukuya-san is suddenly told by her new boss at the restaurant where, by this point, she has worked for a whole year, that her dyed brown hair must be “made more black”. After thinking about the demand for a week, Fukuya-san refused to change her hair colour, and was subsequently fired from her job. Fukuya-san fought back through a union of young workers (Shutoken Seinen Yunion), eventually negotiating an agreement in which she did not have to darken her hair in order to continue working.
Gyaru in Shibuya, Tokyo (For a picture of Fukuya-san herself, see the Asahi article)
The story was widely commented on in Japanese blogs, notably sparking a heated debate at one bulletin board site which drew, at last count, a staggering 5600 comments. Rather than try to cover in any depth the range of opinions expressed on this topic across all blogs, I though this week I would translate just one particularly thoughtful blog entry and comments that it prompted, posted on Sunday (May 20) at That's the way I am and titled “Watashi ga oji-san ni nattemo” (Even when I become an “old man”). Blogger Yasu recounts his experience of meeting three young “gyaru” on the train one night:
人を外見で判断する癖が治ってません。
先日、夜１０時過ぎの電車内でのこと。２０歳前後の女性３人が乗ってきました。
髪の色は非常に明るい茶色、目はマスカラで真っ黒、スカート丈はマイクロミニ。
渋谷の某ファッションビルの店員か、夜の仕事をしているのか、はたまた学生か・・・最近の若い子はさっぱり見当が付きません。
I am not yet over the bad habit of judging people by their appearance.
Yesterday, just after 10pm, I was in the train when three girls, each about 20 years old, got on.
Their hair colour was an extremely bright brown, their eyes were jet black with mascara, and they were wearing very short skirts.
Maybe they were employees of some Shibuya fashion store, or doing some night-time work, or maybe students… these days, it's really hard to tell with these young girls.
３人のうち、２人が空いていた席に座り、残りの１人が立っていました。
すると、隣に座っていた女性がスペースを作ってくれたので、３人とも座ることができました。
その際、立っていた残りの１人が「あ〜、すいませ〜ん、ありがとうございま〜す」とキチンとお礼の言葉を述べたのです。
Of the three of them, two found places to sit, while the other girl stayed standing up.
At this point, another girl sitting next to them made some space so that all three could sit down together.
The third girl, who was standing up, expressed her thanks in a very proper way, stating: “Sorry to bother you! Thank you so much!”
正直驚きました、と同時に、彼女達のことを誤解していた自分がちょっとだけ恥ずかしくなりました。
その後の３人の会話は「え〜、あいつ〜、チョーキモいですぅ〜」系の会話でしたが、それでも彼女達が愛おしくさえ思えてきました。
I was honestly very surprised, and at the same time a little bit embarrassed about having misjudged these young women.
After that, the conversation turned to the “Really? … so-and-so … ew! gross!” type of conversation, but even so, they had become very sweet in my eyes.
夕べ読んだ記事。
この子はまだ１６歳でフリーターで茶髪ながらも、しっかりとした考えの持ち主のようです。
「最近の若者は・・・」などと思い始めている「セミ・オジサン状態」の私。
４０代のオジサンになっても、外見で若い人を判断せず、理解する努力をしていきたいですね。
I read this article last night. [Asahi article described above]
Although she is only a 16-year-old freeter [part-time/freelance worker], it seems that this girl holds very solid views.
And here I am, a “Semi-Ojisan” [“ojisan”=old man], starting to think things like: “Young people these days…”
But even once I turn 40, I want to work to really understanding who young people are, rather than simply judging them by their appearance.
A number of comments followed the blog entry. The first, posted on May 20, is by someone named “ryuu”:
”人を外見で判断しない”
なかなか難しいですよね。
リンクの16歳の女性は行動力もあって素晴らしいです！！
> 「最近の若者は・・・」
ギャル系ファッションの人を見ると確かに思います（笑・ついていけないとか・笑）
でも昔は自分もそう思われていたのかなー？
と思ったらおあいこだったりして･･･。
The next is posted on May 21 by “bujiichan”:
外見でみちゃいますね〜。
ギャルには素直にヒキますが。
でも意外と、けなげなほど良識的な事も言ったりしますよね。
「道にゴミすてちゃダメだよ〜」とかね。
人間は変わってないんですよね。
「最近の若いものはなってない！」なんてのは、江戸の昔から生きてる言葉だってのも忘れてはいけないと思います。
もっとも最近は、「今の大人はなってない！」なんて言われかねないですよね〜！
そのリンクの店長とかねヾ(≧▽≦)
“There is something wrong with young people these days!”, this expression has been around since way back in the Edo period and I think it's important that we not forget that.
Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if they start saying: “There is something wrong with today's adults!”
People like the restaurant manager in the article you linked to. (≧▽≦)
A comment by someone named “mocchi”, also posted on the 21st, follows:
人を外見から判断するのはある種しょうがないと思う。
一度もした事ない人はいないんじゃないのかな〜。
電車でつめてあげたのに何も言わない人ってむかつくよね。
つめた事を後悔したりする。
それからエレベーターで同じ階でおりるのにボタンをおしておいて先に降りさせてあげたのに会釈もないしに当然って顔された時とかむかつく。
たまにアメリカのクロスワードを後ろから言ってやるのが精一杯。
Note: The author wrote kurosuwaado (“crossword”) but probably meant kurasu waado (“crass word”).
でも１６歳の行動はすごいね。
私だったらこんなとこで働けるかとやめちゃうけど、ま〜そうする事自体が甘い人生おくっているのかも
And finally, a comment by “daikonhana”, also on May 21st:
まず、家計を支えてるってとこに、ぐっときました。
つい最近ですが、歩いていて自転車に道を譲ったら、いかにも悪そうな高校生が「あっざ〜〜す」と爽やかに挨拶していきました。
めちゃめちゃかわいく思えました。
First, when I read that she is supporting her family, I was touched.
Recently, during a walk, I made way for a bicycle to go by, and this high-school student, who looked like bad news, greeted me pleasantly, saying: “Thanks!”
I found it really cute.
For those who can read Japanese, Yasu also posted individual replies to each of these comments at his blog.