Youth Culture in Japan

In: Social justice: a journal of crime, conflict and world order, Band 21, S. 185-203

Abstract

Examines the history of youth culture in Japan from preindustrialization to contemporary times. By dividing youth culture into periods, the shift in class culture from the farmer class in preindustrial times to the urban class & culture during the 1930s-1940s is revealed. During the 1970s, an affluent society emerged creating a youth culture that began to break away from the military & rural influences. The shinjinrui (new species) of the 1980s were marked by their individualism, expressionism, & a predilection toward consumer behavior. The 1990s or baby-boomer generation is manifested by flattering, fluidity, & anticipatory adaptability. It is suggested that similarities between US & Japanese youth have been increasing since the 1980s. 2 Tables, 36 References. M. Greenberg