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Scholars assign several reasons to this development. Firstly, the economic crisis has
reduced the income ofmany families and some are not able to afford the secondary or
tertiary schooling and their offspring istherefore obliged to work (Eiswein, Pilz, 2012:
521). Secondly, the Japanese education system isvery rigid and does hardly allow second
chances. The system is closely interlinked with the labour market, with universities
or schools recommending pupils to companies, which leaves the chances of finding regular
employment for drop outs very slim (Furlong, 2008: 315). The only employment
possibilities available for students, who have dropped out of the education system, are
part time or temporary jobs (Honda, 2005: 6). The third group of Freeters identified by
scholars are those who voluntarily choose to live onpart time jobs, refusing to sacrifice
their lives to acompany. They are generally well educated, come from upper ormiddle
class families and were mostly diligent students who made their parents proud before
their decision to quit school. This group, which makes up about 25% of all Freeters,
consciously rebels against the current society structure byrefusing to step into their parents’
shoes (Eiswein, Pilz, 2012: 522). Those approximately 450.000 Freeters donot
want to enslavethemselves tolarge corporations where they are expected to devotetheir
lives to the company. They place astrong emphasis onbeing free, enjoying their hobbies
and spending time with theirfriends. Even though theyoften have agood education
and the chance of being offered afull time position inacompany, they consciously rule
out this option inorder to maintain the freedom apart time job gives them. The stereotypical
“Salaryman” has become the negative icon ofthe rigid Japanese employment
culture and isdespised (Honda 2005: 6).
Amore extreme form ofrefusing to be part of society is displayed by the socalled
“Neets”. “Neet” stands fornot in education, employment or training and refers to people
between the ages of15-34. They are often insome kind ofeducational transition
(school-to-school, school-to-work, orwork-to-work), and have not managed (yet) to
move on to thenext step (Khondaker, 2006: 221). Neets generally livewith theirparents
who support them, which also gave them the name “parasite singles”. According tothe
Japanese Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, there were 600.000 Neets inJapan as
of 2010 (MHLW, 2011: 20 in Eiswein, Pilz, 2012: 512). A survey conducted by
Rahman in 2006, showed that Neets lack the willingness towork, strongly dislike the
formal work environment and are often over-sensitive and unable toadjust tonew settings
(Rahman 2006: 228). Similar toFreeters, Neets refuse to fit inand do not want to
be part of their parents’ society. Their rebellion ismore passive and mostly arises from
the fact that they do not see any place for them inthe working society, sothey refuse to
participateatall.