Japan: “What are you up to now?” has become a taboo question · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

With the world economy in a recession, the local auto industry in the slumps, even department store hours curtailed in an attempt to cut costs — not to mention temporary facilities, parks and net cafes filling up with the country's new homeless — many in Japan have lost some of their hope in the future.
In an entry that attracted a great deal of sympathy from readers [ja], blogger koheko reflects on the impact of the slowdown in the national and global economy on human relationships with friends and colleagues [ja]. Not only has life become difficult in material terms, the blogger explains, but it has also made conversations difficult, as many topics — particularly those to do with work — are now taboo:
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