Well, here's hoping everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a good one!
The issue of parasite singles became a watchword about the same time as hikikomori in Japan in the year 2000. It begs the question: are the two phenomenon related in some way?
According to media on the topic of parasite singles, they are young people, mostly women, who prefer the cozy nest of home to marriage, a choice which often results in a lower standard of living than at home with mom and dad. Might not a fair percentage of ‘parasite singles’ be in fact be misclassified female hikikomori?
Parasite singles, a word coined in 1999 in a book of the same name, Parasaito Shinguru no Jidai (Era of the “Parasite” Singles) by Yamada Masahiro, (Japanese site) is critical of the modern woman in Japan today. From the admiration of the Moga, or 'modern girl', in the 1920s in Japan to parasite single today, Japanese women, no matter what path they chose to forge for themselves, end up socially criticized.
On a less serious note, Japanese youth doubtful on their status can even take a test online to determine if they are indeed a Parasite Single. A bit odd don't you think?
It should not be surprising that experts in Japan proposed that the Parasite Single was unique to Japan; once again getting into the old Nihonjin-ron rub. However, research on youth in other countries, like the UK, may already be disproving this notion.
In addition, who can blame the young women in Japan? If we are to believe the media, their potential spouses have been spoiled from birth by mothers so while they may excel in academic pursuits, male suitors have come to expect such motherly papering from the opposite sex. Add to this, that living at home, those young women who choose to work can buy nice clothes and luxuries for themselves instead of using their wage to support themselves. After all, their parents provide them a nice life right?
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