Somewhere and somehow we are all the same. We all belong to the same species. We all were born and we all were children. But at some certain early stage external forces start to influence the internal state of each indiviual.
Every child has a dream. And from the beginning, at least that is what I believe, every child has the same chance to pursuit this dream.

Unfortunately children are the weakest link in the fabric of our society and therefore the easiest to get affected. This thought is not new. I was aware of how humans unfold and in which stage they will develop and get shaped most within the shortest time.
But recently, this topic came up to my mind and I started thinking about it again.

A few days ago I went to 小平第十五小学校 (Kodaira Jugo Elementary School) with my Kanji class. This project intented to bring together Japanese elementary school students and international students from Tsuda University for an intercultural and language exchange. In small groups of three we were visiting one class of sixth graders. We had to prepare self-introductions in English, Japanese and in our mother language. Moreover we were asked to bring a few photos of nice and visit-worthy places in our hometown. After we introduced ourselves to the children, they had to present something about them in exchange. All of them started to tell us their name, their hometown and their birthday. But the main part I’m driving at is the last part of their introduction. Each child came up with self-painted pictures of their dream – the dream of what they want to be in their future.

I was so moved when I heard about all of these assertive and creative visions of these 12 year old children. Everything was in the program: a police officer, a hair dresser,
a teacher, a peace maker, a rugby player, a bus driver, a fire fighter, a nurse, a cashier. And the reasons for what made them dream these dreams were just too cute. I could not stop smiling.

I don’t want to say that I doubted that Japanese children are just normal children with bright untouched dreams of what they want to become when they get older.
… but to be honest, I did. At least a bit. Since I am studying in Japan now since a few months already and had lots of chances to get in contact with Japanese students in my age, I slightly developed the feeling that in the Japanese society there is no space for dreams. Of course there are always exceptions but the majority of these girls is doing exactly the same. I am not talking about their major or their free time activites, but about their views on their future and what they think they have to do. In the main, the pattern is finishing school, entering university, starting job hunting in the end of the third year, finishing university after the fourth year and starting to work straight away.
And where it all seems to lead – regardless of what they have studied for four years – is salaried relationship. Not too surprisingly that I started to think Japanese people in general gave up the whole thing with dreaming.

But the children at this school made me question the situation in Japan. Why are Japanese people in my age thinking so differently from German people in my age although they used to think what I was thinking when I was a kid?
Why do they develop these ideas and when do they give up their dreams?

In contrast: Why am I able to do what I want to do? Why do I feel that I can go my own way and take my own decisions? Why have I been able to take a gap year after school for doing a working holiday in Australia? Why am I able to study a whole bachelor’s degree in Japanese Studies just because I am interested in learning about the Japanese culture? And why do I not feel pressure of time at all while doing all these things?

The reason might lie in the roots and history of our societies but also in what our societies are like today. It made me so happy to see all these kids and to hear about what they are dreaming of. But at the same time it made me so sad to sit in front of them and to know what they are all (probably) going to end up with.

I wish more societies in the world would concentrate on enhancing individuality rather than just aiming for their own growth and power as a nation to compete the others.

 

Three questions to think about: 

1) How is the situation in your country? Are indiviuals able to pursuit their dreams or do they get all pushed into the same direction?

2) What might be the reasons for Japanese people to think in that way from a certain stage in their lives?

3) Looking to the future, do you think that there will be a change in the young Japanese peoples minds?