Japan, Fall of the Rising Sun Coming Here Soon

'In Greece, people my age are rioting on the streets.

'In Ireland, an entire generation is leaving the country for good.'

I just hope it works out for her.

'In Japan, young people can't even find love.'

Let's get married. Nice guy, nice face, whatever - just soon.

They're just all asking for husbands.

'I'm Stacey Dooley and in this series,

'I'm visiting three countries affected in different ways

'by the worst economic meltdown in living memory.'

And the sign basically says,

if you're here to take your own life because you're worried about money, don't.

You have to think about the kind of place you'd have to be in

to come somewhere like this and think, "My only way out..."

'I want to find out what it's like for the young,

'caught up in the crisis, and what might be in store for us in the UK.'

Welcome to Ireland, 2012.

'Tonight, I'm heading to the other side of the world, to Japan,

'to see what it's like to live in a country that's been struggling for 20 years.'

I can't believe how many people there are here.

'I discover what it's like to live rough in Tokyo.'

Would you like the Big Issue today?

Can you imagine staying somewhere like this for a couple of years? I can't. I'd lose me mind.

'I'm shocked by how far people go to get a job...'

SHOUTING IN JAPANESE

These guys are training to be in the army, or something very regimented.

They're uni graduates.

'..and I follow in the footsteps of those who lost all hope.'

-What does it say?

-We're all dead, we're all dead.

So, here I am in Japan, just arrived in Tokyo.

It's all very exciting. If you ask me my impressions of the young Japanese,

I'd tell you they're uber-trendy, they're massively into fashion here, gadgets are huge.

So it's crazy to think that I'm here to understand how Japan has been struggling.

'In the '80s, Japan was the envy of the world.

'It was an economic powerhouse, and nearly everyone had a job for life.

'They made everything from cameras to cars, and became very, very rich.'

Share prices in Japan have suffered their sharpest fall since Black Monday...

'Japan's bubble burst by 1991, with the Stock Market

'and property crash that wiped 85% off house prices,

'and the economy has barely grown over the past 20 years.

'In 2008, they were hit again by the global financial crisis.'

'This is the human face of Japan's recession.'

'Almost half a million people lost their jobs.'

What's interesting about Japan is that they've been living through a slow economy

for over 20 years. So, could they teach us a thing or two?

You know, is this what OUR future could potentially hold?

'I'm not in Tokyo long before I begin to notice the signs of Japan's decline.'

Just stumbled across this lane. It's like mini-camps. It's like where the homeless people base themselves

and they've literally made it into like a mini community.

So they've got doors and their homes are immaculate.

This is the side of Japan that I never, in a million years, thought existed.

And then look, five seconds round the corner -

this is what you think when you think Tokyo. It's crazy.

'These shelters are tucked away all over Tokyo,

'but there's no sign of the occupants.'

And I would just absolutely love to know whether or not young people are living in places like this.

So, we think it's around here, Fu?

I get the feeling that it's there. See? I think it's there.

'I've come with my translator, Fu, to a soup kitchen

'to see if we can find some young homeless people.'

Can't believe how many people there are here.

-A couple of hundred, no?

-Yeah.

HE SPEAKS IN JAPANESE

'10,000 people now sleep on the streets.

'That's over twice the rate as in England.

'But chatting to them is proving tricky.'

When you've finished, can I speak to you?

I'm trying to look for young people who are homeless.

Could I just speak to you for a minute? No?

Can I have a word with you? Is that OK?

'Most of the people here are older and no-one wants to go on camera.

'One of the organisers tells me there are young homeless in Japan

'but they don't come to places like this.'

I'm just really keen to know why there's so few young people here.

TRANSLATION:

Well, listen, thanks ever so much for having a chat with me. Really grateful.

Arigato.

Thank you.

There are young homeless people here in Tokyo,

but I'm not going to give up. They exist, they're somewhere.

I'll just have a nose somewhere else, aren't I?

'The next day, I learn that the Big Issue,

'the magazine sold by the homeless, has an office here.

'I've come to see if they can help me find young homeless people.'

-Hello. How's things?

-Hi.

-Nice to meet you. I'm Stacey.

'Miku Sanu runs the Big Issue office.

'Over the years, she's had nearly 1,000 homeless people selling the magazine.'

Are you noticing a change in the vendors?

Are they the same type, are different people coming through?

It's been changing, especially after the Lehman shock.

We've started seeing much younger vendors,

and also the number increased rapidly, especially in Tokyo.

How many young people, just young, do we think are homeless on the streets at the minute?

-We don't know.

-You don't know.

-It's difficult to tell,

because youth homeless

-is different here from what you see, probably, in UK.

-OK.

If one walked by you, you couldn't tell.

-So they're not the stereotypical homeless guys that you'd perhaps think, "They're homeless"?

-No.

They don't always sleep on the street.

Well, I can introduce you to one of my vendors,

who's in their 30s, and you can see how he lives his life.

Wow. I'd be really, really interested to see that, yeah.

'Just over 8% of Japan's youth are unemployed,

'compared to nearly 22% in Britain.

'But many young people here can now only get poorly paid, temporary jobs

'that won't even pay the rent.

'It's causing a new type of homelessness.'

So, this is our guy?

HE SPEAKS IN JAPANESE

Konnichiwa. I'm Stacey.

THEY CONVERSE IN JAPANESE

So how long have you been homeless for?

So where are you staying now?

How does that work?

I've never heard of this before.

It's a shop that has computer... internet connection,

but also has a reclining chair and you can stay overnight.

That's really... I've never known this before.

That's really interesting.

'It's extraordinary to think that people are actually

'living in internet cafes, but thousands are.

'I want to experience a night in one myself,

'so I've arranged to meet Masami where he's staying.'

Hello!

Konnichiwa.

'He often sleeps in different cafes every night.'

-Do we have to check in?

-Yeah, you check in.

First impressions are really different to what I imagined.

I thought it would be like an open space with computers,

you know, like you have at home, and just chairs.

It's actually like little baby huts, and so imagine the computer's behind this.

I am going to see where I'm sleeping for the night. Ready?

-WHISPERS:

-This is like a box.

I just want you to get a sense of how small this is.

You can't put your hands out. It's horrible.

Can you imagine staying somewhere like this for a couple of years?

I can't. I'd lose my mind.

So what is it like, living in an internet cafe?

But will you be able to do that with the money that you're getting now? Realistically?

'Masami used to work in construction but jobs have now dried up.

'He says once you fall through the cracks in Japan,

'it's almost impossible to come back.'

-OK, night, Fu.

-Night.

-I'll see you in the morning.

'With harsh strip lighting and a constant electrical hum,

'it takes me a while to get to sleep.'

'The next morning, Masami leaves early for another day

'spent looking for work and selling his magazines.'

I don't think it's completely and utterly out of the question

to think that things like this could start popping up

if the cost of living continues to go up and up and up,

and our wages just stay the same, and loads of us are losing jobs.

I'm sure Japan didn't think, 20 years ago,

that a lot of their youngsters would be living somewhere like this.

So, you know, crazier things have happened.

'I want to find out how big this problem is,

'so I go to meet a man with some answers.'

-Hello! How's things?

-Hey.

-I'm Stacey.

-Hi, Stacey.

-A real pleasure to meet you.

'David McNeill is a journalist who has lived here for 12 years.'

I just think it's quite fascinating because if you look at it,

-you think, "Hang on, things are still ticking along nicely."

-That's a Japanese phenomenon, in a way.

The things on the surface often look very good but underneath, there's problems.

It's not the kind of place where their problems are easily revealed. You have to dig.

So, David, what are the real changes that Japan is seeing at the minute?

This is the country that gave the world lifetime employment,

and this generation now is getting used to the idea

that that system that they used to have is crumbling

and also, there's about a third of the workforce, which is irregular,

and the big struggle for young people

is to avoid that kind of irregular part-time, insecure employment.

'David says, to understand how hard it's become to get the old, secure jobs for life,

'I should find someone applying for one,

'so I'm going to a Tokyo suburb to meet a young woman who's been looking for two years.'

-Konnichiwa.

-'Konnichiwa.'

-It's Stacey.

-Ooh. Konnichiwa.

-Konnichiwa.

-How are you?

You look lovely.

This pile is from companies that you've shown interest in?

It's so much, so many.

'Akane, a university graduate, has applied for over 60 jobs.

'She's even got advice telling her exactly what she should look like.'

That's just insane.

Is that showing you how to wash your face?

That just seems totally excessive, doesn't it?

As if, you know, maybe you're washing your face wrong

and that's why you're not getting the right job(!)

What happens if you are really unlucky

and you don't find a job in the next year?

How would you feel about that?

It sounds like there's a lot of pressure on your shoulders.

Akane's in an incredibly difficult situation,

she's been looking for a couple of years. Time is running out,

it's going to become very, very hard indeed, I think.

BELL RINGS

'Nine out of ten graduates get jobs here.

'In Britain, only eight out of ten do.

'But here, more and more graduates are ending up in part-time jobs

'they will never escape from.'

THEY SPEAK IN JAPANESE

I'm Stacey.

A pleasure to meet you.

Do you worry, just as a mum,

um, the pressure that your daughter is feeling?

Oh! Oh... What are you doing getting... I'm so sorry.

-Did she know her mum felt this way?

-What are you doing getting upset?

Please don't cry.

Well, I mean, how much harder does she need to work to make sure

she's setting herself up properly?

She's been looking for a job non-stop for two years.

To see her in bits and to see her upset is just showing

this girl's really worried about her future.

Best of luck. Lots of love.

-SIGHS

-Bye, guys!

SIGHS

I think what makes Japan so unique is the fact that you know

it's always had these extremely high standards -

that's nothing new.

But when you throw the fact that jobs are harder to get

that makes it even harder still, so you're really up against it

if you're a young person here in Japan at the minute

trying to find decent full-time employment.

'As good jobs become increasingly scarce,

'people here are going to any lengths to get a competitive edge.

'Parents can spend thousands

'sending their children to special schools

'that teach them how to impress a potential employer.

'And I'm meeting Akane at one.

'I've been sent precise instructions on what to wear.'

-So you've got to wear flat shoes.

-Yeah.

-Which I've done. Trousers.

And the shirt's totally ironed.

I don't think I could iron it any more. And a blazer.

-So how do I look?

-You'll find out.

-LAUGHS

-Oh, no.

SPEAKS IN JAPANESE

-Hello.

-Like to take a chair.

-Stacey.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Bringing down Stacey.

'Mr Watanabe and Yamakowa are tutors at the school.

'Their first lesson focuses on my dress sense.'

IN JAPANESE

He told you to dress like this but the only thing

that's common between this dress and your dress is the colour.

-Why is that?

-Don't you think I...?

-Honestly, do you not think I look a little bit like that?

-No.

How embarrassing is that? I've got people re-dressing me.

'Akane is told to tidy me up before we start our next lesson...'

Yeah, brilliant. Thanks ever so much. Thank you.

' ..how to make a good first impression.

'We learn how to walk...talk.'

Hi, my name is Stacey Dooley and I am very excited to meet you.

Hi, my name is Stacey Dooley and I'm very excited to meet you.

'We even learn

'how to perfect your smile using chopsticks.'

Every single thing that you do

is scrutinised within a inch of its life. Absolutely everything!

'Even the way you walk into a room has its hazards.'

-OK, you don't look behind.

-OK. Oh, gosh.

-After you enter.

Oh, yeah, my bum.

Your butt is sort of in...

-Yeah, that's not what anyone wants to see.

-Yeah, they don't want that.

-No, no-one wants that.

-No-one wants that.

'Akane and her friend, Yuki,

'have spent £1,400 for ten of these all-day sessions.'

How difficult is it to get the job that you want?

And has it always been that way?

Were your parents in the same position?

Back, back in the day, yeah, there was a time

that you'd submit an entry sheet and you would pretty much get accepted.

-Really? Really?!

-Back in the day when the economy was good.

'Today the pressure is on from all sides, not just to get a job

'but the right kind of job.'

It's a lot more serious than I probably imagined.

I probably underestimated it. It's very important for you guys.

There is a real feel of desperation.

I asked a couple of the lads, "What if you don't get the job you want?"

They said, "I cannot even think about that." And one said,

"You'd have to take me to hospital." I just wonder

whether or not this is a sign of the times. Could this happen at home?

Everyone tells me how tricky it is to find a job and I do get that.

So maybe we do have to look at

alternative ways to try and prep ourselves.

We do need to make ourselves so amazing

that they can't turn us down.

And honestly, I've got my fingers crossed for you.

I'm sure you'll get there. Oh, look, have you not heard of this before?

Fingers crossed.

LAUGHTER

I've given you a bit of English culture.

'I've seen how getting a secure job for life has become a struggle

'but I've heard that hanging onto one can be even harder.'

There's a security company that have hired university graduates.

So they've said I can come along and see the training,

and take part and get a real feel for what it's like.

'I've been invited by one of Japan's biggest security firms,

'Alsok, to spend 24 hours training

'with their new crop of managers, just outside Tokyo.'

Let's do this.

SHOUTING

Stop it! What is that? (I don't like it.)

SHOUTING

-I don't know.

-Fu, please don't.

SHOUTING

Stacey Dooley.

Stacey Dooley.

IN JAPANESE

'Intense training routes for new recruits are common here.

'I've been enrolled on one of the tougher regimes.'

Sheet.

It's like I'm in the army. Oh, thank you. Hello.

-Hello, my name is Yuhi Umishima.

-Oh, lovely to meet you. I'm Stacey.

Hello!

'There's no time to talk to Yuhi.'

Oh. I'm coming!

'The 350 trainees here have beaten thousands of interested candidates

'to get to this camp.

'But they must now pass this training week

'or Alsok won't employ them.'

I think the thing that surprised me most is the fact that

these guys aren't joining to be in the army

or something very regimented.

They're uni graduates and they're training to be in management.

And this is the kind of training. It's totally unbelievable.

'I have a feeling it's going to be a tough 24 hours.'

'It's roll call in 15 minutes

'and everything must be checked before we go.'

Neck tie, yes!

The tie is fine. The table is good. The bin is good.

STACEY WAILS

SHOUTING

They're just going through the rules now that we have to adhere to.

To stay focused. Shout your answers at the top of your lungs.

'The recruits have to master military drills,

'self-discipline and company policy in the space of a week.

'This will teach them

'to work together and test their focus and resolve.

'22-year-old Yuhi has already been here for 24 hours.'

So how's your training going? How are you finding it?

-I mean, are you excited? Are you happy that you've got this job?

-Yes.

How many did you go for?

'It might not be my first choice of job, but the effort that you hear

'that the others are putting into their training is extraordinary.'

IN JAPANESE

How do you feel knowing that you've got a full-time job?

I've been pulled out of training and I'm going to go

and have a chat with the camp commander.

This is really important.

Stacey Dooley, trainee!

Thank you.

'Mr Kwai says Alsok has been running this training programme

'for over 30 years.'

Have you seen any significant differences with the recruits now?

You know, since the economy slowed down?

Do you think that's because they can't believe

that they've got a job? Do you think they're more grateful?

'If they pass, these employees will start on

'a basic wage of about £30,000 which will rise

'every year until they retire.

'These are the people that are the lucky ones.'

But I think they realise they have to work that much harder.

They strive to make sure that they're going above and beyond

all the time, just to make sure that they're still employed

and keeping the job they've managed to get.

Um, and they don't seem to mind.

You know, they really seem up for it

and they're going to give it their all, no matter what.

'It's time for me to go but I'll return at the end of the week

'to see if my new friends graduate or if they fail.'

Wow...

This is their personal time.

This is down time, actually. It's ten past nine.

They've got a lesson at ten till eleven and they're up again at six.

Now, when you're flicking through the papers at home, you often read

articles saying our generation aren't ready for the workplace.

We don't know how easy we've got it.

And they say that immigrants tend to work harder than us.

And I've often taken that with a pinch of salt, if I'm honest,

but spending time here and seeing these guys in action,

they're not mucking about.

Maybe we do need to step our game up,

especially if our economy continues to be really slow.

Alsok's recruits may be happy,

but others are finding that hard times

mean harder working conditions, to the point where some believe

their health is being put on the line.

ANNOUNCEMENT IN JAPANESE

I'm on my way to meet someone, who felt her employer's demands

were so outrageous, she complained to her trade union.

Hello. Erika?

Erika! Konnichiwa! Stacey.

SHE SPEAKS JAPANESE

Lovely to meet you. Will we go in? It's cold!

24-year-old Erica is a trainee manager

at a popular restaurant chain.

Is this a widespread problem?

I noticed that the manager of the cafe

was taking an interest in our conversation.

You've been nodding throughout. Do you agree with what Erica is saying?

How many times a week are you doing them?

That is a ridiculous amount of hours.

It's a miracle you're still stood up.

If these working hours continue, what are your main concerns?

What is karoshi? I've not heard of this.

So there's an actual term for being worked to death, karoshi?

It's insane to think that you've got

so many young Japanese people feeling completely overwhelmed

because they're so desperate to get these full-time jobs,

yet I'm hearing that once you've got the full-time job,

sometimes things are so overwhelming

because you cannot keep up with the constant workload

and the constant pressure.

So much so that they're working themselves to death in some cases.

It's something that I've never heard of at home

but it's a term that's known over here - karoshi.

The Government says that there are 300 deaths from overwork every year.

Some unions say the true figure runs into the thousands.

Death from overwork isn't the only phenomenon costing lives.

Over the past three years here,

the number of young people taking their own lives

because they are struggling to find work has nearly trebled.

I'm heading to a forest that is notorious as a place where people go

to end their lives.

Over the past 20 years,

thousands have come here to die.

Konnichiwa!

Hello!

It's a vast, lonely place and easy to get lost.

Luckily, I've got guides.

We've literally stepped foot in the forest

and already we've come across this sign.

The sign says if you're here to take your own life

because you're so worried about money, don't. Ring this number.

It's really shocking.

It gives you an idea of the scale of the problem here.

HE SPEAKS JAPANESE

Suicide counsellors Mr Sowaguci and Mr Yoshida put up the sign.

They come here every month from Tokyo to maintain it.

-Thank God.

-Come this way.

Thank you.

I feel a bit uneasy.

Look. What is that, Hiro?

People who come here to think about end their lives,

they will use a rope to lead the way back to the exit.

In case they've had a change of heart, they've left a trail.

It's heartbreaking how many of these things there are.

There is no way of knowing why each line came to be here,

but every year, up to 100 bodies are found.

You have to think about the kind of place you'd have to be in

to come somewhere like this and think,

"This really is my only way out."

What is that?

We've come across an old camp.

The trees surrounding it are covered in writing.

Hiro, what does it say?

"We're all dead. We're all dead."

Are these bodies?

Are they bodies?

Nothing there. Nothing.

Since 1998, in the wake of the slump,

suicides have risen to over 30,000 a year.

Mr Sowaguci and Mr Yoshida think the young are particularly vulnerable.

HE SPEAKS JAPANESE

Let's go.

Around the corner, we come across some flowers

where a body was found.

These people weren't totally alone

because people have come here to put flowers.

Perhaps if they had just...

I hope he or she rest in peace now.

This is important to have a think about because

at home we're all moaning and say, "The Government, the economy,

"X,Y,Z, things aren't great."

But I don't think we're seriously worried that it could affect

our whole generation at this stage.

But what if our economy is in a bad way for 20 years

like Japan has been?

So...

It's a real worry, isn't it? It's a big thing.

For many here, life goes on.

THEY SPEAK JAPANESE

The Japanese are just so polite!

There's a church behind me and every person that walks in,

they are welcoming and saying hello to. It's lovely!

I'm travelling to Imado in Tokyo

to learn about an unexpected impact the economy is having

on everyday life.

A record number of men in their early 30s are now unmarried.

On reason for this is they feel too financially insecure

to get hitched.

I've never been anywhere like this.

Since the dip in the economy, a trend that has got bigger over here

is konkatsu.

This basically means marriage hunting, looking for love!

I've come to a shrine that's devoted to that.

I'm meeting a girl and she's going to talk me through her story

and tell me her thoughts on it all.

This ancient shrine is said to bring luck to those looking for love.

Today it's crammed with women praying for partners.

Konnichiwa!

-Nice to meet you!

-Nice to meet you! I'm Stacey.

-My name is Hannah.

Hannah, 33, works in accounting. She's looking for a husband.

How long have you been looking for a husband?

BELL TOLLS

How important is it that you find this husband?

Japanese women's desire to marry men in stable jobs

is a big factor behind the konkatsu trend.

It certainly seems to be the case that konkatsu is booming.

It's a really big industry.

All these things that you can see - and there are thousands -

are what people write their prayers on.

They pray for a husband, pray for a wife

and tie it to this big...frame.

"Love, love."

This one... Come and see this.

"Let's get married."

"Nice guy, nice face. Whatever. Just soon."

THEY LAUGH

That's brilliant!

Hannah and I decide to try one of the shrine's special rituals

designed to bring luck in the hunt for a partner.

-Stacey.

-Stacey.

-Yeah.

-Stacey...

This shrine is old but the priest tells me

the konkatsu trend has kept her very busy for the past three years.

SHE BANGS GONG

SHE CHANTS IN JAPANESE

SHE CLAPS

Konkatsu has started a multi-million pound industry.

This ancient ceremony cost £20.

The shrine does a booming trade in good-luck charms.

Single ladies but not for long!

-Happy, come on, come on.

-Happy, happy.

But to maximise her chances, Hannah says

she's got something else up her sleeve.

What are the plans for today?

-Can I come?

-Yes.

-Let's go!

We can't keep the man of your dreams waiting.

THEY LAUGH

I don't know if it's that quick.

You think it could happen tonight?

We find our husbands?

-Konkatsu party?

-Yeah.

-I hope so.

Every week, thousands of young, single ladies across Japan

go to konkatsu parties.

It's a bit like speed dating but there's no messing about.

It's all focused on getting hitched to a Japanese salary man.

Hannah, can you tell me any advice for these parties?

-Keep smiling.

-OK.

And don't hesitate.

Our konkatsu party, costing £50,

is set up to help the ladies bag a man earning over £60,000 a year.

Lucky 15.

Now, I'm a bit nervous.

Yes.

All guests fill out questionnaires

to learn more about each other.

Did you have experience...

SHE SPEAKS JAPANESE

Have you been dumped by somebody?

STACEY LAUGHS

Yes!

HE SPEAKS JAPANESE

An emcee is on hand to make sure everything goes smoothly.

My name is Stacey. Are you OK?

Do you feel OK?

HE SPEAKS JAPANESE

Don't get yourself in a tizz...

Unfortunately, you can't plan for first-night nerves.

-Don't be nervous.

-He's real nervous.

-I know. Just relax.

What is he trying to say?

That could not have been more awkward. The poor guy

was dripping with sweat so much that we had to stop!

THEY SPEAK JAPANESE

At home, we do have speed dating and online dating

but here it's just another level.

It's on steroids. It's marriage.

They're not looking to date. They're looking to find husbands and wives.

Fast.

My favourite holiday is... I like sunbathing...

THEY SPEAK IN JAPANESE

-He likes it too.

-Ah!

THEY SPEAK JAPANESE

I like funny men.

After seven dates each, the results aren't exactly encouraging.

What does it say?

'It seems neither of us would be leaving with a husband.'

It's crazy to think that the economy has affected

so many different aspects of people's lives,

and relationships is a really big thing,

and you just never know, do you?

England's in recession, things are tough at home.

Could that have an effect on our dating scene? You never know.

'I've been in Japan for two weeks

'and finding positive stories about young people's experiences here has been hard.

'But I've heard that some are learning to adapt.'

The thing about Japan is that the younger people here

aren't openly protesting, so they're not out on the streets

and they're not saying how tough it is for them.

I've arranged to go and meet a guy.

He said he's going to take me to a place

that he thinks will quite surprise me. I'll find out more there.

-Hello! How's things?

-Hi, hello.

-Real pleasure to meet you.

-Yeah, me too.

-I'm Stacey.

-I'm Noritoshi.

'Noritoshi, a sociologist, has written a book that says

'some young people are starting to thrive in these hard times.'

So, talk me through this book, Happy Youth Of A Desperate Country.

Cos I've seen a very different side to the side you speak of,

so it'd be good to see both sides.

'To prove his point, Noritoshi sends me

'to a Tokyo suburb to meet some people who have come up with

'an extraordinary new way of surviving in Japan today.'

SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR

-Hello, you must be May.

-Yes.

-I'm Stacey. Real pleasure to meet you.

-Thanks for having me.

-Yes.

-So this is your home?

-Right.

-Wow.

-Come in.

-Looks like lots of people live here.

-Right. This is the first floor.

-Oh, Konnichiwa.

-Hello.

-This is where people work.

-And how many people live here?

-Around 20.

-20 people in this one house?

-Right.

'And they share one office,

'one kitchen, one bathroom and just one bedroom.'

-This is where people sleep.

-Oh, wow.

A few people can sleep in here and if more people want to sleep,

they have to find a place in the living room or basement,

somewhere else.

-So you don't have a bedroom?

-This is a bedroom, but we share.

'This group came about after one of its members

'searched for like-minded people online.'

Do not step on this one. It's got lizard in...

-A lizard?

-Yeah.

-In here?

-Yeah.

-Where?

A living lizard?!

Of course there's a lizard in a bag on the stairs!

-Everyone's cool with that?

-Yeah.

Bathroom there.

Oh, I've just seen a naked Japanese boy!

THEY LAUGH

'To many Japanese,

'the way these part-time workers live is anything but normal.'

People who are hired permanently within our age

thinks that we're, like, misfits.

Has anyone actually worked for an organisation or a business full time?

And what was wrong with the workplace?

She had to work all night long for quite often,

like, three or two times in the week, so she couldn't go back home,

she couldn't take a bath for three days straight.

Really?

You're sleeping at work?

And she came to think about herself, "Why am I doing things like this?"

So she decided to quit.

'Many of them feel that the hours

'you have to put into full-time jobs isn't worth it.'

He's more frightened to get the whole job

rather than working part time,

cos he's 28 right now

and he's been watching his friends getting jobs, and they start

to become sick mentally or getting fat and sometimes sent to hospital.

He's been seeing, like,

part-time jobs can earn more than full-time job

if you think in hourly wage.

So if we calculate when she was working,

the wage would be like 300 yen per hour.

That's under three pounds.

That's under minimum wage at home in the UK.

'Most are happy to work part time,

'but I wanted to know if they'd faced the same problems

'as others I'd met.'

Did you guys feel any real pressure from the parents

to get that permanent job?

He does. She does. He does feel...

So you've done this to try and prove to society

that you don't have to take the traditional route?

You can still continue to live a life.

Right.

'Everyone here supports each other financially,

'and they use their spare time and money to pursue their passions.'

I study print-making.

I'm a producer and DJ.

I'm a musician.

Director.

'It's a unique living arrangement, but it seems to work.'

THEY CHEER

These guys won't sit around and tell you how petrified they are

about the future and that they worry about the economy all day every day.

I think they take it into account,

but they're very much about the here and now, enjoying life now.

One of the lads said, "I don't want to live a life where,

"if I died tomorrow I wouldn't be happy."

So it's a very different approach

to that I've heard before here in Japan, but I like it.

DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

'Later that night, there was a party,

'and Noritoshi came round to visit.'

Why have you suggested I spend time in this house?

'Noritoshi says surveys are starting to show

'that more and more people in their 20s are happy.

'He believes they've stopped worrying about the future.

'Instead, they are downsizing

'and finding security in friendships and family.'

Not getting that full-time job,

not getting that lifetime position isn't always a bad thing?

It's a bit of a mixed bag, I suppose.

The first half of the day I spent feeling really inspired by them,

and I was really pleased for them that they were able

to feel happy in the here and now.

But speaking with Noritoshi and thinking about it a bit deeper,

you kind of think, "Well, what about their future?

"What does their future hold for them?"

'Who knows? Perhaps if you take care of the present,

'the future will take care of itself.

'Before leaving Japan, I returned to see my friends at Alsok.'

So it's graduation day today.

They have to take this test and then they find out if they've passed or not.

So it'll be a great opportunity to speak to them,

hear how they're feeling, see if they've perhaps got any concerns

or they're worried about how hard they might have to work to keep this job.

Konnichiwa? Ah, Konnichiwa.

Konnichiwa, Stacey.

Oh, there it is! Thank you.

We must hurry.

I'm actually really excited. I hope today goes well for them.

It's a big deal getting a job, especially in this day and age.

Hello! How are you feeling?

How's the rest of the week been?

Good for you. And how are you feeling?

D'you think you'll have passed?

Arigato gozaimasu.

What have they done to my friend?

He's not mucking about, he means serious business.

Oh, God, I hope they both do well.

HE YELLS ORDERS

'To pass, these management recruits

'must perform their military drill flawlessly.'

I can't believe it.

'The transformation in the space of a week is impressive.'

THEY SHOUT

I think that's it.

'With so much riding on this,

'I was worried how people would react if they failed.'

I'm just so, so pleased for them.

They're all getting really emotional.

'As they are congratulated by their instructors,

'there isn't a dry eye in the house.'

I've listened to so many people telling me how desperate they are

to get a job and how important this is,

but I don't think you can really understand the enormity of it until you come somewhere like this.

This is a momentous time in their life

and it's a real pleasure to see it.

THEY CHEER

Congratulations! How are you feeling?

You did it!

What are your parents going to say?

Congratulations. What does this mean for you?

You passing today, what does it mean?

-Two more days.

-Yeah.

If you think of the reasons why Japan is so successful,

one of the main things is because they're so big on teamwork.

On the flip side, so many young people here are panicking

and struggling because they're not part of a team

and there's a pressure to be a part of this team, be part of society.

The very thing that makes Japan so great and successful

is also the same thing that's putting fear in youngsters.

'It's the end of my time in Japan

'and the end of my journey to discover how my generation

'are coping with the worst economic crisis in living memory.

'I've been to Greece, where they're in the middle of a catastrophe...'

We're going to resist and we're going to win.

'..and Ireland, where they're losing hope...'

Good luck.

It's not that I'm going because I want to go.

I'm going cos I have to go.

'Here, I've seen the suffering of a generation

'that hasn't known any good times.

'But what I'll remember the most are the stories of those

'who have taken the sometimes difficult steps

'to try and improve their lives.'

It is possible to make it work for you

if you're willing to try new things, if you're willing to accept

that the heyday may not come back for a very long time.

We're living here, let's make it work.

That can only be a good thing, can't it?

I'm under no illusion that it's easy to live through a recession

or a crisis, because it's not. I've seen how difficult it can be.

But we're here, we might as well accept the fact

that it's not going anywhere.

We're going to have to live through this,

so we've got to make it work for us, got to make it happen.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd