Japan braces for more social problems

By A.K.P. Mochtan

TOKYO (JP): Blame it on lunacy, madness or insanity. Whichever reason prevails, the string of bizarre incidents that perturbed Japan in 1999 leaves the economic powerhouse of Asia much to contemplate. The most critical area requiring attention is not economics or politics. It is the social conditions, which showed increasing signs of disquiet in 1999.

Some of these incidents occurred previous to 1999, but the very fact that they recurred imparts that certain antisocial trends are at work and are seriously affecting Japanese society.

In 1995, the Aum Shinrinkyo group dominated the headlines with its deadly sarin gas. In 1999, it was the Honohana Sanpogyo and Life Space cults that kept the vernacular press and the police busy. The same old song could be heard all the way. It was about manipulation at an extraordinary level and sometimes involving death.

In the case of the Honohana Sanpogyo, fraudulent tactics by the leader of the sect resulted in the swindling of some 60 billion yen from 30,000 gullible followers. In another grand hoax, the Life Space group was found to have kept a mummified corpse in a hotel room in Narita. The body was that of a follower supposedly undergoing treatment. It was also learned that the group detained children and teenagers, claiming to purify their souls. All along, the sect imposed exorbitant charges for its services.

Dubious religious groups are not the only culprits responsible for the series of bizarre incidents. Individuals too have had their share in wreaking havoc on Japanese society.

In Kyoto, a youth stabbed to death a seven-year-old boy who was playing in a school ground. The killer, still on the loose, left a note saying that he bore grudges against the school. In the crowded shopping area of Ikebukuro, Tokyo, a young man took out a knife and indiscriminately attacked passersby, resulting in two deaths. In Yamaguchi prefecture, a man rammed his car into the Shimonoseki train station, got out of the car with a knife in hand and slashed awaiting passengers. Five died in the incident.

The list continues. A Tokyo housewife, whose husband is a priest, strangled to death a two-year-old girl, simply because she could not stand seeing the girl's mother being socially more successful. A more absurd incident involved the hijacking of a domestic airplane and the slaying of its captain. The hijacker was apparently tempted to fly the plane under Tokyo's famous Rainbow Bridge, as depicted in one of the computer games so ubiquitous in the country.

Poisoning was also rampant, either in food or drinks. The motives varied, from collecting insurance fees to youthful pranks. The end result was the familiar widespread public panic.

The public obviously loathe the incidents. Most are dumbfounded, even angry, at the unintelligible motives. But strong reactions aside, the country's myth as a safe place is clearly beginning to crack.

The deadly nuclear accident at the uranium processing facility in Tokaimura further marred Japan's safety record. There were other incidents, such as the continuing fall of debris in tunnels of Bullet Train lines, the failure of the H-2 rocket carrying the country's communication satellite and the crash of a military jet that caused a power black out over wide areas of Tokyo and Saitama prefecture. Put simply, the country can no longer claim absoluteness in its safety measures.

An "unsafe" Japan will likely bring many repercussions. A secure and predictable social environment is fundamental to Japanese society. It is the bedrock of achieving the famed ideal of wa or harmony. The homogeneity of the citizen has been a great help in realizing this, further fostered by the nation's strong orientation toward group affiliation and kinship. The set of bizarre incidents and the ripples of social insecurity it caused, therefore, touched at the nerves of the Japanese.

Declining interests toward education and the generally indifferent attitude by the young generation compounds Japan's headaches. Worse, entry to permanent jobs is becoming limited due to economic restructuring. Traditionally, it was the corporations that shaped most of the young generations, turning them into the omnipresent "salarymen." With lesser economic opportunities and proper guidance, no wonder some are feeling frustrated and lost.

Pressure from living in highly urbanized, fast-paced communities poses another problem. There is no doubt that many of the big cities in Japan rank among the best in the world in terms of physical infrastructure and services. But, high costs of living, tiny residential spaces and the high urban population offset many of the conveniences, thus significantly reducing the quality of life in Japan.

The various agencies and groups comprising the government, non-government and individuals concerned with these issues, are well aware of both the scope and acuteness of the social problems that have besieged the nation. It is finding the right solutions that has been elusive, if not impossible.

Some of the problems are deeply ingrained in the general characteristics of the country itself, like the lack of space. Accordingly, one of the best prescriptions to overcome a problem is often to simply learn to live with it.

Obviously, there will always be nonconformists who will go astray and defy the expected norm. The critical questions are how large this group of non-conformists will be and what forms of action will they choose to express their differences.

With a general lack of religious faith, low quality of life, apathy toward education and restricted economic opportunities continuing to be the country's salient features, anticipating social challenges centering on these issues should rate high in Japan's national agenda in the new century. We can only wish there will be no out-of-proportion problems -- in frequency, scope and with regard to victims and losses.

The writer is an observer of international affairs, currently residing in Japan.