youth

There is a revealing trend in the Japanese working population. More and more of them are looking at job opportunities overseas. This is especially true for the young (25~29 years old) (総務省「人口推計」).

A modest house in western Tokyo might not seem like the birthplace of a Japanese social movement. But in this warren of tatami mats, a cluster of earnest students are sitting with their laptops, sipping cold tea and, through their nationwide network of 5,000 volunteers, quietly making a difference.

Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. was formed in 1995 and has since encompassed a wide range of environmental activities. One of our main functions is to educate Okinawa's youth on the importance of marine conservation. Several times a year O.C.E.A.N. members speak at schools around the island to promote environmental awareness. The Okinawa Junior O.C.E.A.N.

Masachika Ogihara once dreamed of becoming an engineer, but now he's convinced he made the right choice to be a farmer — a career the 29-year-old sees as having a huge potential for growth contrary to the common notions.

A 16-year-old high school student in Sapporo, already under arrest on suspicion of threatening another student, has been served with a fresh warrant for allegedly plotting to build a bomb to kill his classmates.

Secret of Japanese Slim was dispelled. The "fattening men and thinning women" trend in Japan, which was deemed extremely peculiar from the rest of the world, was caused by the eating habits affected by worries over employment.

Men in their 20s in and around Tokyo need to earn 1,345 yen an hour to maintain the minimum standard of living -- far more than the current minimum wage of 766 yen, figures from a labor think tank have shown.

Prefectural governments are moving toward tightening controls on dating-service cafes. According to current ordinances, people under 18 are banned from entering Internet cafes after 11 p.m. However, dating-service cafes are not subject to such regulations.

The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) is said to be gaining a following among young people in Japan. The JCP is attracting attention on the Internet, especially among young people having trouble finding jobs, while JCP executives are making frequent TV appearances and are regularly quoted by the press.