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Paper short abstract:

This study aims to summarize the main ideas of recent youth studies in Japan, focusing on those living in non-urban areas, and examine the presence/absence of disparities in the living conditions, resources and values among those living in different regions on contemporary Japan.

Paper long abstract:

This study aims to (1) summarize the main ideas of recent youth studies in Japan, focusing on those living in non-urban areas, and based on these ideas (2) examine the presence/absence of disparities in the living conditions, resources and values among those living in different regions on contemporary Japan based on the sociological and youth study perspectives.

Regarding (1), the following three points are considered necessary when studying non-urban youths in contemporary Japan.

(a) Diversity in non-urban areas: In the past, there were noticeable differences between urban areas and other areas. However, recent studies have pointed out that the impacts of the differences between provincial cities and disadvantaged rural areas are even more significant (Abe 2013; Kutsuwada 2017).

(b) Mobility: The target of this study was not only based on location points (residence) but was also based on lines (range of livelihood in the daily life, the possibility and conditions of individual actions and movements). Due to the relatively high mobility of young people compared to the other age groups, we will also consider the effects of the characteristics of such research subjects on their actual conditions and values.

(c) Trans-locality: This concept was recently coined in Japan by the research team that the author participates with the following two implications. The first is to think of the target individuals as humans who can overcome the local restrictions. The second is the building of a theoretical framework that is applicable to many localities that considers the limitations of studies that cite particular local cases.

Regarding (2), the data from the surveys that the author participated will be analyzed (the results of mail-in surveys that target people with ages 16-29 years old in all of Japan in 2014 and people with ages 20-39 years old in two areas in Aomori Prefecture in 2018 will be explained). Based on analyses of life satisfaction, evaluation of areas, human relationships, etc., we will show that recent discourses in Japan on the happiness of living in rural areas have been overturned and that people's values do not merely correlate with the level of urbanization.