precarious future (日本の危うい未来)

Japan’s precarious future

日本の危うい未来

The Crisis of Aesthetic and Ethics: Is Japan’s Virtue Fading?

The Japan Guild of Voices, Warmth and Light fears that the “goodness of Japan” (Nihon no yosa) may be becoming a thing of the past.

Japan is a nation with a history passed down through countless generations. Yet, we believe that if we, the people living in the present, continue down this current path, that goodness will gradually be lost.

What is it that we, as a society, currently find “beautiful”?

We are drowning in a form of fixation known as “Hentai bunka” (perverse culture), pursuing only intense, stimulating aesthetics that exist outside of common sense. We obsess over fictional beings with massive breasts or eyes, flawless minors, or imaginary presences that never challenge us. We choose only the easy stimulus for the brain over words that could nourish the heart. Furthermore, we waste time consuming only what achieves “likes” in a conformist, totalizing system, utterly failing to cultivate the sentiment to feel wabi-sabi.

We believe this unconscious choice is eroding our society. Inward focus abuses digital power, leading to irresponsible attitudes where true feelings are never spoken. Individuals struggling with low self-esteem, digital dependence, and a tendency to blame society for their unhappiness are also caught in this flow, pursuing frenzy as a way to cope with misfortune.

We have entered an age of frenzy where attention has become the currency. Capturing attention has become the sole objective, while the true value of the content is irrelevant. People lie, induce misunderstanding, and push unwanted things onto others. This frenzy is rapidly accelerating the worst aspects of our society.

We may also be overly reverent toward an education system that is not directly connected to solving societal problems or creating new value. Indeed, many Japanese entrust their entire lives to school education. However, if this education fails to address the reality of society and remains stagnant, the problems we face will undoubtedly become far more serious.

We cannot afford to neglect this situation. We must immediately confront the current reality and correct our course.

The Evolving Virtue: Japan’s Modern Spirit Under Test

The Japanese virtues we have long cherished are having their forms transformed and are being severely tested in our modern digital age.

What was once a strength, “Harmony” (Kyōchō-sei), is now suppressing the individual’s true voice and fueling insidious attacks online. Likewise, the spirit of Wabi-Sabi, which quietly loves austere beauty, is surrendering to the momentary gratification provided by SNS, leading to an addiction to “likes” and viral content.

Furthermore, our proud “Diligence” has, for many, devolved into “passive obedience”—a blind following of authority and social norms. Consequently, many people now feel like “invisible individuals”—unable to hold their own opinions, unable to have their voices heard, unable to see those they wish to connect with, and unable to be seen by those they seek.

The new challenges presented by the digital society have sharply illuminated the darker, flip side of these treasured traditional virtues.

The Deepening Pathologies of the Digital Age

Digital Dependency and the Abuse of Power
The tendency toward introversion and the avoidance of direct confrontation have led to irresponsible behavior in the digital space, often fueled by anonymity. Frustrations and stresses that cannot be released in real life manifest online as libel, slander, and pointless “flame wars” (enjō). This is the inevitable result of having been handed a powerful tool without the opportunity to learn how to wield it responsibly.

Low Self-Esteem and the Blame Game
The spread of social networking, which makes comparison to others dangerously easy, often erodes self-esteem rather than nurturing it. Constantly being measured against others creates the feeling of being an “invisible individual,” which leads to a psychological stance of blaming society for one’s own problems and disavowing responsibility.

Chasing Frenzy to Fill the Void
In a modern environment with few opportunities to cultivate quiet sentiment, people pursue endless stimulation and frenzy to fill their inner emptiness. Since this is only a temporary high, it never leads to true satisfaction. This chase creates an addictive state that demands ever-stronger stimulation, ultimately stripping away the power to light happiness from within.

The Crisis of Information Consumption in Modern Society

Modern society is flooded with instant, high-calorie information, much like digital fast food.
Short videos, brief posts, and exaggerated or distorted expressions are easily consumed, offering momentary gratification.
However, because this information is consumed without deep thought, it robs us of the habit of reading and contemplating at length—the way one might savor a carefully prepared meal.

The Degradation of Humanity
Short-form content tends to simplify human emotions and thought. This hinders the development of our capacity to understand complex issues and subtle nuances, causing us to seek superficial pleasure and stimulus over profound reflection. This leads to a risk of losing empathy and patience, resulting in shallow communication in personal relationships.

The Deterioration of Japanese Culture
Japanese culture possesses an inherent depth—concepts like wabi-sabi and Ma (negative space/interval)—that cannot be grasped in an instant. When people become accustomed to instant information, the essential value of such culture is overlooked, and only the easily digestible, superficial elements gain attention. For example, there is a concern that the long, steady practice of traditional arts or the humble work of an artisan will be dismissed in favor of flashy presentations and photogenic snippets, causing the true essence to be lost.

A Call to Action: Correcting Our Course

The desire to correct this trend is a call for a new “Japanese Spirit”—one that successfully merges the best parts of our past with the demands of the present.

If our school education continues to remain silent regarding these issues, the situation will only worsen. Future education must include more than the mere transmission of knowledge; it is essential that the following elements be integrated into the curriculum:

Ethical Digital Citizenship Education:
We must teach students how to behave as responsible members of the digital world. This requires learning about online responsibility, information literacy, and respect for others.

Opportunities for Self-Exploration and Dialogue:
We need to help students deeply understand their own values and emotions, while fostering the skills of honest dialogue—how to respectfully convey one's thoughts while honoring the perspective of the other person.

Cultivation of Critical Thinking:
Nurturing the ability to discern truth from the flood of information and continuously ask “Why?” is essential for living a proactive life that is not swept away by the current frenzy.

This problem cannot be solved by schools alone, but education is undeniably the starting point for change.
We must believe in the potential of this generation and foster the wisdom and inner strength needed to navigate the digital world.
This is what we must do for the future.