Japanese Youth in the Conservative Elite Society: Essays on the Liberal Young Super-Achievers

This is a collection of scholarly writings with extensive editorial comments on Japanese youth. The editors find it an irony that globalization and cultural infusion/diffusion has enabled Japanese conservative elites to bank on a very small minority of liberal young super-achievers to be creative and innovative to revitalize and maintain their conservative hegemony in the society. A declining national economy, a tight youth labor market and educational meritocracy have widened socioeconomic differences among Japanese youth. A majority of youth masses are either poorly motivated academically or performing poorly. Postindustrial and postmodern syndromes have rendered many Japanese youth materialistic, socially apathetic and conservative. Conservative ruling elites in both public and private sectors have been cultivating highly motivated, innovative and reform-oriented young achievers in such a way that the future elites would manage and guide large conservative youth masses.