UCLA
Center for East Asian Studies
Japanese Youth and Popular Culture
March 16, 2000
Japan Economic Newswire || Japanese Youth Culture || News File Index
Japanese youth more nonchalant than in U.S., China: survey
Senior high school students in Japan are easier-going than those in the United States and China, according to a survey by a Tokyo-based institute released Thursday.
Asked whether they would want to have a carefree existence if they had money, 75% of senior high school students in Japan who responded to the survey said yes, compared to 68% in the U.S. and 23% in China, according to the Japan Youth Research Institute survey.
About 42% of respondents in Japan said they do not study on weekdays outside of school, compared with 13% in the U.S. and 8% in China.
Asked what made them feel satisfied, 75% of respondents in China cited a good record in their studies, followed by 69% of U.S. respondents. Only 34% of respondents in Japan gave this reason, while 39% said they feel most satisfied during school festivals.
Asked whether a good education would enable them to live with greater self-esteem, 88% of respondents in the U.S. said yes, compared to 58% in China and 12% in Japan.
The institute surveyed a total of about 7,300 junior and senior high school students in the three countries between November and December last year.
Copyright 2000 Kyodo News Service
