Sometimes referred to as a kind of social problem in Japanese discourse, the hikikomori phenomenon has a number of possible contributing factors — young adults may feel overwhelmed by modern Japanese society, or be unable to fulfill their expected social roles as they have not yet formulated a sense of personal tatemae and honne needed to cope with the daily paradoxes of adulthood. The dominant nexus of the hikikomori issue centers around the transformation from young life to the responsibilities and expectations of adult life — indicati ...

See also:

Hikikomori, Hikikomori - Causes, Hikikomori - Three contributing factors, Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform, Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms, Hikikomori - The phenomenon's effects on its victims, Hikikomori - Typical patterns for hikikomori behavior, Hikikomori - Violence and hikikomori, Hikikomori - Media and the hikikomori, Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents, Hikikomori - Treatment, Hikikomori - The Psychological argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - The Socialization argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - Worldwide, Hikikomori - Related Japanese topics, Hikikomori - Medical diagnoses for hikikomori behaviors

Read more here: » Hikikomori: Encyclopedia II - Hikikomori - Causes

Competition is the act of striving against another force for the purpose of achieving dominance or attaining a reward or goal, or out of a biological imperative such as survival. Competition is a term widely used in several fields, including biochemistry, ecology, economics, business, politics, and sports. Competition may be between two or more forces, life forms, agents, systems, individuals, or groups, d ...

Including:

• Competition - Sizes and levels of competition
• Competition - Consequences of competition
• Competition - Competition in different fields
• Competition - Economics and business competition
• Competition - Competition in biology and ecology
• Competition - Competition in politics
• Competition - Sports competition
• Competition - Competition in education
• Competition - The study of competition
• Competition - Competitiveness

Read more here: » Competition: Encyclopedia - Competition

Japan (Japanese: 日本, Nihon or Nippon) is an East Asian country surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Philippine Sea, the East China Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. To the west is Korea (North and South), to the north Russia, and to the southwest China mainland and Taiwan. One of the world's leading industrialized countries, the "Land of the Rising Sun" is composed of over 3,000 islands. The largest and main islands are, from north to south, Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū. The Ryukyu Is ...

Including:

• Japan - History
• Japan - Pre-history
• Japan - Classical era
• Japan - Medieval era
• Japan - Modern era
• Japan - Government and politics
• Japan - The Parliament
• Japan - The Imperial Household
• Japan - Foreign relations
• Japan - Geography of Japan
• Japan - Climate
• Japan - Ecoregions
• Japan - Regions
• Japan - Prefectures
• Japan - Economy
• Japan - Agricultural sector
• Japan - Industrial sector
• Japan - Service sector
• Japan - Society
• Japan - Demographics
• Japan - Religion
• Japan - Education
• Japan - Language
• Japan - Culture
• Japan - Military
• Japan - Miscellaneous topics

Read more here: » Japan: Encyclopedia - Japan

The Japanese education system, like those found in China, Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea is demanding upon the youth. High expectations, high emphasis on competition, and the rote memorization of facts and figures for the purpose of passing entrance exams into the next tier of education in what could be termed a rigid pass-or-fail ideology, induce a high level of stress. Echoing the traditional Confucian values of society, the educational system is still viewed as playing an important part in society's overall productivity and success. ...

See also:

Hikikomori, Hikikomori - Causes, Hikikomori - Three contributing factors, Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform, Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms, Hikikomori - The phenomenon's effects on its victims, Hikikomori - Typical patterns for hikikomori behavior, Hikikomori - Violence and hikikomori, Hikikomori - Media and the hikikomori, Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents, Hikikomori - Treatment, Hikikomori - The Psychological argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - The Socialization argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - Worldwide, Hikikomori - Related Japanese topics, Hikikomori - Medical diagnoses for hikikomori behaviors

Read more here: » Hikikomori: Encyclopedia II - Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform

The Japan Institute of Labor classifies freeter into three groups, the moratorium type that wants to wait before starting a career, the dream pursuing type, and the no alternative type. Some freeters belong to more than one group. The moratorium and dream pursuing type of freeter deliberately chooses not to join the rat race in the usually strict and conservative companies (see: Culture of Japan) but instead wants to take a time-out to enjoy life or have specific dreams incompatible with a standard J ...

See also:

Freeters, Freeters - Current Situation, Freeters - Causes, Freeters - Effects, Freeters - Difficulties starting their own household, Freeters - Difficulties starting a career, Freeters - The marriage option, Freeters - Health and pension insurance, Freeters - Freedom of Choice, Freeters - Effect for the Japanese society

Read more here: » Freeters: Encyclopedia II - Freeters - Causes

Having a hikikomori in the family is often considered embarrassing, so usually it is acknowledged as an internal private matter of the family, and many parents wait for a long time before seeking help by a third party within the hikikomori support industry. Also, in Japan the education of the children is traditionally done by the mother, and the father may leave the problem of a hikikomori to the mother, who feels very protective of her child. Initially, most parents simply wait and hope that the child will eventually overcome his problems a ...

See also:

Hikikomori, Hikikomori - Causes, Hikikomori - Three contributing factors, Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform, Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms, Hikikomori - The phenomenon's effects on its victims, Hikikomori - Typical patterns for hikikomori behavior, Hikikomori - Violence and hikikomori, Hikikomori - Media and the hikikomori, Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents, Hikikomori - Treatment, Hikikomori - The Psychological argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - The Socialization argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - Worldwide, Hikikomori - Related Japanese topics, Hikikomori - Medical diagnoses for hikikomori behaviors

Read more here: » Hikikomori: Encyclopedia II - Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents

While many people feel the pressure of the outside world, and may feel uncomfortable in public, a hikikomori reacts by complete social withdrawal to avoid all outside pressure. Typically male, they may lock themselves into their bedroom or another room of their parent's house for prolonged periods of time, often measured in years. They usually do not have any friends. Hikikomori males have been reported to have a penchant for pornography. A hikikomori's days are characterized by long spells of sleeping, while their nighttime hours are spent ...

See also:

Hikikomori, Hikikomori - Causes, Hikikomori - Three contributing factors, Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform, Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms, Hikikomori - The phenomenon's effects on its victims, Hikikomori - Typical patterns for hikikomori behavior, Hikikomori - Violence and hikikomori, Hikikomori - Media and the hikikomori, Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents, Hikikomori - Treatment, Hikikomori - The Psychological argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - The Socialization argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - Worldwide, Hikikomori - Related Japanese topics, Hikikomori - Medical diagnoses for hikikomori behaviors

Read more here: » Hikikomori: Encyclopedia II - Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms

Freeters are a relatively new phenomenon in Japan. The word freeter was used first around 1987 during the bubble economy, referring to young people that deliberately chose not to work despite a large number of jobs available at that time. During this time, freeters were also somewhat glamorized as people pursuing their dreams and trying to live life to the fullest. In the first years of the 21st century, the number of freeters began rising rapidly. In 1982 there were an estimated 0.5 million freeters in Japan, 0.8 million in 19 ...

See also:

Freeters, Freeters - Current Situation, Freeters - Causes, Freeters - Effects, Freeters - Difficulties starting their own household, Freeters - Difficulties starting a career, Freeters - The marriage option, Freeters - Health and pension insurance, Freeters - Freedom of Choice, Freeters - Effect for the Japanese society

Read more here: » Freeters: Encyclopedia II - Freeters - Current Situation

There are different opinions about the treatment of a hikikomori, and the opinions often split into a Japanese and a western point of view. Japanese experts usually suggest waiting until the hikikomori reemerges, whereas western doctors suggest dragging the hikikomori back into society, by force if necessary. While there are a growing number of doctors and clinics specialized in helping hikikomori, many hikikomori and their parents still feel a lack of support for their problems on an institutional level and feel that society at large ...

See also:

Hikikomori, Hikikomori - Causes, Hikikomori - Three contributing factors, Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform, Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms, Hikikomori - The phenomenon's effects on its victims, Hikikomori - Typical patterns for hikikomori behavior, Hikikomori - Violence and hikikomori, Hikikomori - Media and the hikikomori, Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents, Hikikomori - Treatment, Hikikomori - The Psychological argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - The Socialization argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - Worldwide, Hikikomori - Related Japanese topics, Hikikomori - Medical diagnoses for hikikomori behaviors

Read more here: » Hikikomori: Encyclopedia II - Hikikomori - Treatment

While total social withdrawal seems to be mainly a Japanese phenomenon, there are reports of similar phenomena developing in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong which possess similar high pressure educational systems. With the appearance of NEET in the United Kingdom and Twixters in the United States in recent years, there are indications that hikikomori may be part of a larger global phenomena in affluent and hig ...

See also:

Hikikomori, Hikikomori - Causes, Hikikomori - Three contributing factors, Hikikomori - Social pressures to conform, Hikikomori - Withdrawal symptoms, Hikikomori - The phenomenon's effects on its victims, Hikikomori - Typical patterns for hikikomori behavior, Hikikomori - Violence and hikikomori, Hikikomori - Media and the hikikomori, Hikikomori - Reaction of the parents, Hikikomori - Treatment, Hikikomori - The Psychological argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - The Socialization argument on hikikomori, Hikikomori - Worldwide, Hikikomori - Related Japanese topics, Hikikomori - Medical diagnoses for hikikomori behaviors

Read more here: » Hikikomori: Encyclopedia II - Hikikomori - Worldwide

Lower-secondary school covers grades seven, eight, and nine-- children between the ages of roughly twelve and fifteen--with increased focus on academic studies. Although it is still possible to leave the formal education system after completing lower secondary school and find employment, fewer than 4 percent did so by the late 1980s. Like elementary schools, most lower-secondary schools in the 1980s were public, but 5 percent were private. Private schools were costly, averaging 558,592 Yen (US$3,989) per student in 1988, about four times more than the 130,828 Yen (US$934) that ...

See also:

Secondary education in Japan, Secondary education in Japan - Secondary vs. High school, Secondary education in Japan - Lower-Secondary School Junior high school, Secondary education in Japan - Upper Secondary School, Secondary education in Japan - Curriculum, Secondary education in Japan - Teachers, Secondary education in Japan - School codes, Secondary education in Japan - Minorities, Secondary education in Japan - Job placement, Secondary education in Japan - After-school activities, Secondary education in Japan - Special Education, Secondary education in Japan - Reference

Read more here: » Secondary education in Japan: Encyclopedia II - Secondary education in Japan - Lower-Secondary School Junior high school

The ministry's Course of Study for Elementary Schools is composed of a wide variety of subjects, both academic and nonacademic, including moral education and "special activities." "Special activities" refer to scheduled weekly time given over to class affairs and to preparing for the school activities and ceremonies that are used to emphasize character development and the importance of group effort and cooperation. The standard academic curriculum include Japanese language, social studies, arithmetic, and science. Nonacademic subjects taught ...

See also:

Elementary school in Japan, Elementary school in Japan - Course of study, Elementary school in Japan - Teachers, Elementary school in Japan - Equipment, Elementary school in Japan - Lunch, Elementary school in Japan - Problems, Elementary school in Japan - Society's view, Elementary school in Japan - Reference

Read more here: » Elementary school in Japan: Encyclopedia II - Elementary school in Japan - Course of study

By 1603 Japan had been reunified by the Tokugawa regime (1600- 1867), and by 1640 foreigners had been ordered out of Japan, Christianity banned, and virtually all foreign contact prohibited. The nation then entered a period of isolation and relative domestic tranquillity, which was to last 200 years. When the Tokugawa period began, few common people in Japan could read or write. By the period's end, learning had become widespread. Tokugawa education left a valuable legacy: an increasingly literate populace, a meritocratic ideology, and an em ...

See also:

History of education in Japan, History of education in Japan - 6th to 15th century, History of education in Japan - 16th century, History of education in Japan - Edo period, History of education in Japan - Meiji period, History of education in Japan - Pre-war 20th century, History of education in Japan - Occupation period, History of education in Japan - Post-occupation period, History of education in Japan - 1980s, History of education in Japan - History of Women's Education

Read more here: » History of education in Japan: Encyclopedia II - History of education in Japan - Edo period

College entrance is based largely on the scores that students achieved in entrance examinations (jap. nyūgaku shiken 入学試験). Private institutions accounted for nearly 80 % of all university enrollments in 1991, but with a few exceptions, the public national universities are the most highly regarded. This distinction had its origins in historical factors--the long years of dominance of the select imperial universities, such as Tokyo and Kyoto universities, which trained Japan's leaders before the war--and also in differences in ...

See also:

Higher education in Japan, Higher education in Japan - College Entrance, Higher education in Japan - Universities, Higher education in Japan - Junior Colleges, Higher education in Japan - Special Training Schools, Higher education in Japan - Miscellaneous Schools, Higher education in Japan - Technical Colleges, Higher education in Japan - Graduate Education, Higher education in Japan - Reference

Read more here: » Higher education in Japan: Encyclopedia II - Higher education in Japan - College Entrance

Japan - Pre-history. Archaeological research indicates that the earliest inhabitants of Japan migrated over land bridges from Korea and Siberia, at least 30,000 years ago. Vague evidence suggests that some may have later come by sea from Southeast Asia during a period of migration toward the Pacific Ocean. The first signs of civilization appeared around 10,000 BC with the Jomon culture, characterized by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer lifestyle of pit dwelling and a rudimentary for ...

See also:

Japan, Japan - History, Japan - Pre-history, Japan - Classical era, Japan - Medieval era, Japan - Modern era, Japan - Government and politics, Japan - The Parliament, Japan - The Imperial Household, Japan - Foreign relations, Japan - Geography of Japan, Japan - Climate, Japan - Ecoregions, Japan - Regions, Japan - Prefectures, Japan - Economy, Japan - Agricultural sector, Japan - Industrial sector, Japan - Service sector, Japan - Society, Japan - Demographics, Japan - Religion, Japan - Education, Japan - Language, Japan - Culture, Japan - Military, Japan - Miscellaneous topics

Read more here: » Japan: Encyclopedia II - Japan - History

Competition - Economics and business competition. Seen as the pillar of capitalism in that it may stimulate innovation, encourage efficiency, or drive down price. According to microeconomic theory, no system of resource allocation is more efficient than pure competition. Competition, according to the theory, causes commercial firms to develop new products, services, and technologies. This gives consumers greater selection and better products. The greater selection typically causes lower prices for the products compared to what the price would be if there w ...

See also:

Competition, Competition - Sizes and levels of competition, Competition - Consequences of competition, Competition - Competition in different fields, Competition - Economics and business competition, Competition - Competition in biology and ecology, Competition - Competition in politics, Competition - Sports competition, Competition - Competition in education, Competition - The study of competition, Competition - Competitiveness

Read more here: » Competition: Encyclopedia II - Competition - Competition in different fields

Competition - Economics and business competition. Seen as the pillar of capitalism in that it may stimulate innovation, encourage efficiency, or drive down prices, competition is touted as the foundation upon which capitalism is justified. According to microeconomic theory, no system of resource allocation is more efficient than pure competition. Competition, according to the theory, causes commercial firms to develop new products, services, and technologies. This gives consumers greater selection and better prod ...

See also:

Competition, Competition - Sizes and levels of competition, Competition - Consequences of competition, Competition - Competition in different fields, Competition - Economics and business competition, Competition - Competition in biology and ecology, Competition - Competition in politics, Competition - Sports competition, Competition - Competition in education, Competition - The study of competition, Competition - Competitiveness

Read more here: » Competition: Encyclopedia II - Competition - Competition in different fields

Japan - Pre-history. Archaeological research indicates that the earliest inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago migrated over land bridges from Northeast Asia about 30,000 years ago. Other evidence also suggests that some may have later come by sea from Southeast Asia during a period of migration toward the Pacific Ocean. The first signs of civilization appeared around 10,000 BC with the Jomon culture, characterized by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer lifestyle of pit dwelling and ...

See also:

Japan, Japan - History, Japan - Pre-history, Japan - Classical era, Japan - Medieval era, Japan - Modern era, Japan - Government and politics, Japan - The Parliament, Japan - The Imperial Household, Japan - Foreign relations, Japan - Geography of Japan, Japan - Climate, Japan - Ecoregions, Japan - Regions, Japan - Prefectures, Japan - Economy, Japan - Agricultural sector, Japan - Industrial sector, Japan - Service sector, Japan - Society, Japan - Demographics, Japan - Religion, Japan - Education, Japan - Language, Japan - Culture, Japan - Military, Japan - Miscellaneous topics

Read more here: » Japan: Encyclopedia II - Japan - History

The school uniform is an established part of Japanese life. Stylized school uniforms are prominent for instance in the Japanese comic Sailor Moon, or in Cardcaptor Sakura, as well as Ling Xiaoyu and Miharu Hirano's school uniforms in the Tekken games. Asuka Kazama's school uniform is a different style than Xiaoyu and Miharu's school uniforms, however (examples of this uniform include Lori's (Shiori) school uniform seen ...

See also:

Japanese school uniform, Japanese school uniform - School uniforms in popular culture and everyday Japanese life, Japanese school uniform - Uniforms

Read more here: » Japanese school uniform: Encyclopedia II - Japanese school uniform - School uniforms in popular culture and everyday Japanese life

Otaku culture outside Japan often makes extensive use of Japanese loanwords. This can create an effect that is similar to Engrish, where the otaku will use Japanese phrases in conjunction with English. Such "reverse Engrish" (sometimes also called "Eihongo", "Otakuese" or "Otakuisms") can lead to the loanwords taking on different meanings from their original Japanese use (for example, otaku). Use of these loanwords are sometimes known as otakuisms, and they are (ideally) used when precise English equivalents to concepts ...

See also:

Otaku, Otaku - In Japan, Otaku - In English/Internationally, Otaku - Japanese loanwords, Otaku - List of common loan words in non-Japanese otaku culture, Otaku - Fictional works about otaku

Read more here: » Otaku: Encyclopedia II - Otaku - Japanese loanwords

In the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Japan experienced intense contact with the major European powers. Jesuit missionaries, who accompanied Portuguese traders, preached Christianity and opened a number of religious schools. Japanese students thus began to study Latin and Western music, as well as their own language. see: Nanban trade period ...

See also:

History of education in Japan, History of education in Japan - 6th to 15th century, History of education in Japan - 16th century, History of education in Japan - Edo period, History of education in Japan - Meiji period, History of education in Japan - Pre-war 20th century, History of education in Japan - Occupation period, History of education in Japan - Post-occupation period, History of education in Japan - 1980s, History of education in Japan - History of Women's Education

Read more here: » History of education in Japan: Encyclopedia II - History of education in Japan - 16th century

Graduate schools became a part of the formal higher education system only after World War II and are still not stressed in the 1990s. Even though 60 % of all universities have graduate schools, only 7 % of university graduates advance to master's programs, and total graduate school enrollment is about 4 % of the entire university student population. The pattern of graduate enrollment is almost the opposite of that of undergraduates: the majority (63 %) of all graduate students are enrolled in the national universities, and it appears ...

See also:

Higher education in Japan, Higher education in Japan - College Entrance, Higher education in Japan - Universities, Higher education in Japan - Junior Colleges, Higher education in Japan - Special Training Schools, Higher education in Japan - Miscellaneous Schools, Higher education in Japan - Technical Colleges, Higher education in Japan - Graduate Education, Higher education in Japan - Reference

Read more here: » Higher education in Japan: Encyclopedia II - Higher education in Japan - Graduate Education