Is Japan a
spiritual-oriented or materialistic society? The answer is definitively
spiritual, according to the most recent national livelihood survey by the
Cabinet Office. The highest percentage of Japanese ever — 64 percent — said
they are now placing priority on "spiritual fulfillment" rather than
"material richness."
The survey
also found the lowest percentage ever, 30.1 percent, pursuing wealth as their
main priority in life. The percentage of those pursuing spiritual matters has
led the annual survey since 1979. However, the relative difference between
spiritual and material values reached its highest gap this year.
Watching
the tragic destruction caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 surely
changed many people's life priorities. The sustained economic downturn has also
shown many people, whether they wanted to see it or not, that they can enjoy
their lives with less money than they once imagined.
The turn
away from affluence showed up in another result of the survey. According to
66.5 percent of people, what is most in need of improvement in Japan is the
economy. That doesn't necessarily mean they seek affluence. The ideal of the
Japanese economic miracle is receding even further into the past, replaced by
the realities of the current economic situation. People do not want to get
rich; they want the economy to function.
The ongoing
trend in Japanese life also involves a revaluation of lifestyle issues. More of
those surveyed, 37.7 percent, said they preferred pursuing leisure and
recreational activities, rather than a higher income (33.3 percent). Personal
fulfillment and human relations have begun to receive greater attention and
concern.
Unfortunately,
government policy and foreign relations do not always reflect this national
mood. It is not that the government should interfere in spiritual matters, much
less promote them, but the economic engines should not be repaired simply to
pump up the level of affluence, but to allow people to get on with their other
interests.
The survey
indicates that people now have concerns that go past the limits of material
acquisitiveness.
Politicians
on all sides of the political spectrum would do well to understand this ongoing
shift in public values. The survey indicates that Japan is moving beyond the
past overemphasis on economic and material growth, both individually and
nationally, to a more balanced view of what life entails, a view that includes
more nuanced and complex aspects of human experience.
That change
can only be for the good.
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| Japan's premier-in-waiting Yukio Hatoyama (not pictured) and his wife Miyuki pose for the media after casting their absentee ballots at a polling station in Tokyo August 26, 2009. (Credit: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon) |
"Recalibration of Free Choice"– Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth, 4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical) 8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)
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