원문정보
초록
영어
This study focuses on the middle-aged and elderly generation, a driving force of Japanese society, to examine their life struggles and shifts in perception. This generation has endured the full consequences of the aftermath following Japan’s period of rapid economic growth. The prolonged economic downturn subsequent to the burst of the economic bubble led to continuous corporate restructuring, threatening job security for this generation. Among them, the so-called ‘Lost generation’ experienced new forms of labor in the post-bubble era, facing intensified economic insecurity. The deterioration of the employment and income environment at that time led to declines in marriage and birth rates, contributing to Japan’s current severe low-birth-rate crisis. Additionally, the number of middle-aged freeters (irregular workers) and hikikomori (social recluses) has increased, and many have been burdened with dual anxiety, prioritizing the caregiving of their aging parents while being unable to prepare for their own old age. Those entering old age without the financial means to secure a stable retirement are highly likely to be excluded from social safety nets such as welfare programs. As the severity of this crisis intensifies, the hardships faced by this generation?who play a central role in Japanese society and serve as a driving force for the future?are closely linked not only to family issues but also to broader structural problems within society. To examine these challenges, this study focuses on the concerns, conflicts, and crises of the middle-aged generation as depicted in the novels of Kakiya Miu, shedding light on their generational hardships. The novels reflect the realities of contemporary Japanese society, portraying various aspects of the lives of the middle-aged generation. Through this novel, it becomes possible to examine the widespread anxiety and crises in Japanese society, as well as the ways in which the middle-aged generation navigates these challenges and endures their generational hardships.