Shutting Out The Sun
The world's second wealthiest country, Japan once seemed poised to overtake America. But its failure to recover from the economic collapse of the early 1990s was unprecedented, and today it confronts an array of disturbing social trends. Japan has the highest suicide rate and lowest birthrate of all industrialized countries and a rising incidence of untreated cases of depression. Even more troubling are the more than one million young men who shut themselves in their rooms ("hikikomori"), withdrawing from society, and the growing numbers of "parasite singles," the name given to single women who refuse to leave home, marry, or bear children.
"What makes Michael Zielenziger's account so useful and attractive is his focus on the real people who make up modern Japan. He shows what the change in Japan's overall fortunes has done to them, and how their response affects their country's future prospects — and its effects on the world. This is a fascinating look at a limitlessly intriguing culture."
James Fallows, national correspondent,
The Atlantic Magazine and author of
Looking at the Sun:
The Rise of the New East Asian Economic and Political System
Contact Michael: z@ShuttingOutTheSun.com
