One thing that I am prone to repeat persistently in this site and other arenas as well is that the young (and particularly the youth of Japan) should take the leap and leave the comfort of their home ground behind! The world is becoming flatter in a figurative sense, and it is important for the youth of Japan to actually see it up close and experience for themselves what it is to see the outside world and also Japan from the outside looking in.
One thing that I am prone to repeat persistently in this site and other arenas as well is that the young (and particularly the youth of Japan) should take the leap and leave the comfort of their home ground behind! The world is becoming flatter in a figurative sense, and it is important for the youth of Japan to actually see it up close and experience for themselves what it is to see the outside world and also Japan from the outside looking in.
The network of friends and relationships that a person makes when he or she is young is a valuable asset, and those connections established with others in the course of overseas experiences when young will serve to become great assets and a treasure with global value in the years to come.
However, myself and many others like Yoko Ishikura (see her book in Japanese) who push the idea of studying overseas during high school or college or even taking time off from studies to get a taste of what it is like to live overseas. Unfortunately, while many in Japanese society promote the idea of things like a “gap year”, the reality is that measures and reforms have yet to be put into place that ensure ‘ordinary’ employment for those individuals who decide to “take off” two to three years after https://kiyoshikurokawa.com/en/wp-content/uploads/typepad/201105131044.pdfgraduation from university.
I recently have written several papers related to this subject: Reforming the Healthcare Personnel Education System – Social System and Personnel Resource Innovations(in Japanese) which was published in IDE, a journal read widely by educators and Push the Young Out of the Nest: Why Is International Exchange Important? which was published in Chemistry and Chemical Industry, a journal read widely by academics and company employees in the field of chemistry.
While others may not agree with my opinion, those who offer up reasons for not leaving Japan are doing a disservice to youth of Japan who are our future. Youth should have the option to embark on these experiences and it is the duty of adults to support and facilitate these choices.
However, as I have pointed out again and again on this site (in Japanese), (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 4) the events of ‘3.11’ have made the weaknesses of the Japanese social structure painfully obvious.
The only real path that Japan has for its own future is to nurture and educate as many individuals as possible who have the desire to spread their wings and experience the new global world.