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Free from the trap of materialism
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
Japan has been known for decades as an economic giant—an Asian tiger. But after the long period of recession that followed the so-called “bubble” economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japanese society started to feel empty and spiritually “poor.”
During past periods of high economic growth, as many as 80% of the Japanese people felt proud to belong to a middle-class society. Now many feel they are becoming less affluent because of changes in the workplace, among other things.
Lifetime employment used to be something to count on; now more and more companies are creating temporary positions, and workers can’t predict how long they will be employed. As in other countries, the gap between high and low incomes is widening. In the last few years, the top cause of death for people in their late 40's and 50's has been suicide.
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