Book written by 2002 Abe Fellow Michael Zielenziger based on his project “Owning Up: Comparing the Response to Economic Crisis in Japan and South Korea Through an Inquiry Into Social Psychology.”

The world’s second-wealthiest country, Japan once seemed poised to overtake America as the leading global economic powerhouse. But the country failed to recover from the staggering economic collapse of the early 1990s. Today it confronts an array of disturbing social trends, notably a population of more than one million hikikomori: the young men who shut themselves in their rooms, withdrawing from society. There is also a growing numbers of “parasite singles”: single women who refuse to leave home, marry, or bear children.

In this trenchant investigation, Michael Zielenziger argues that Japan’s tradition-steeped society, its aversion to change, and its distrust of individuality are stifling economic revival, political reform, and social evolution. Shutting Out the Sun is a bold explanation of Japan’s stagnation and its implications for the rest of the world.

 

 

Publication Details

Title
Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Lost Generation
Authors
Zielenziger, Michael
Publisher
Random House Publishing Inc.
Publish Date
September 2007
ISBN
9781400077793
Citation
Zielenziger, Michael, Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Lost Generation (Random House Publishing Inc., September 2007).
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