Japanese Teens 2025: Dreams of Stability in an Uncertain Future
A nationwide survey reveals how Generation Z and Generation Alpha navigate anxiety, career choices, and identity in modern-day Japan.
What’s new: A 2025 survey by Sony Life Insurance Co., Ltd. of 1,000 middle and high school students shows rising anxiety about Japan’s future and a growing preference for stability over ambition.
Why it matters: These findings provide insight into how Japan’s youngest generations, who are digital natives shaped by global uncertainty, view careers, family, and identity in a rapidly changing society.
By the numbers: From June 6 to June 16, 2025, an online survey was conducted targeting middle and high school students nationwide. A total of 1,000 students participated in the survey, including 200 middle schoolers and 800 high school students. The survey was part of the sixth annual "Survey on Middle and High School Students' Perceptions of Their Future." The survey results were based on 1,000 valid responses.
61% of middle schoolers and 54% of high school students believe their future will be bright.
Yet, 77% of high school students feel anxious about Japan’s outlook, which is up five points from 2024.
Civil servant is now the top career choice for both male and female high school students.
68% of middle schoolers and 60% of high school students want to get married, though one in three female high school students say they don't want children.
80% of middle schoolers are fine with girls wearing slacks as part of their school uniform, and 75% support boys wearing makeup.
State of play: While it's wise not to read too much into the results of any survey, given the sample size, these results are likely accurate in terms of direction. Let’s see what’s trending.
Occupations rising: civil servant, teacher, and IT engineer.
Occupations fading: YouTuber, entertainer, and game streamer1.
Meaning in life: Gaming for boys and idol support and music for girls.
Most admired trait in adults: good manners.
Go deeper: Although the same general set of occupations seem to get shuffled around, there were some significant year-over-year differences. Also, please note that each respondent could select up to three choices.
This year, the greatest number of middle school girls aspire to be entertainers, such as singers or actors, but civil servant was a close second.
The most popular occupation last year was also an entertainer.
This year, the greatest number of middle school boys aspire to be civil servants. (I don't think I even knew what a civil servant was in middle school.)
Last year, being a YouTube content creator was the most popular occupation by a wide margin.
It seems that many students change their minds once they enter high school.
This year, the greatest number of high school girls aspire to be civil servants.
Last year, the most popular occupation was nursery school or kindergarten teacher.
Just like the girls, the greatest number of high school boys aspire to be civil servants this year.
Last year, the most popular occupation was IT engineer/programmer.
Catch up quick: Since 2017, the annual Sony Life survey has tracked the hopes of young people. While answers used to reflect dreams of becoming YouTubers or entertainers, they now reflect inflation anxiety, global instability, and a pivot toward safe, traditional roles.
Context: Japan’s Generation Z and Generation Alpha are coming of age amid rising living costs, natural disasters, and geopolitical instability, including the war in Ukraine, tensions between Iran and Israel, and U.S. tariffs. It's no wonder that "stability" beats "dream big."
“Boys, be ambitious!” - William Smith Clark (1826–1886) came to Japan in 1876 as the founding president of Sapporo Agricultural College, now known as Hokkaido University. He would be appalled by these survey results.
Between the lines: Today’s teens tend to separate passion from profession. They’re content to keep their hobbies, such as gaming, fandom, and music, as personal joys, not necessarily linked to careers. This is a shift from earlier generations, who felt pressured to monetize their talents.
Friction point: High school girls are becoming more skeptical of traditional family paths. Nearly one-third reject the idea of having children, which highlights how demographic headwinds may worsen.
The intrigue: When asked which celebrity they would consult about their future, boys chose HIKAKIN, Japan’s YouTube pioneer. Girls, on the other hand, picked Matsuko Deluxe, a TV personality known for her blunt honesty. However, when asked who they wanted to become, both genders overwhelmingly chose Shohei Ohtani, the global baseball star who embodies talent, discipline, and humility.
Commentary: First, there's the big "if" of whether these kids were answering truthfully. Despite promises that their answers would remain confidential, I suspect many did not believe it. Thus, they may have answered by selecting "safe" choices or by guessing how their parents and teachers would want them to respond.
However, let's assume that the results are genuine and reflect truthful responses. If so, then this generation isn't "less ambitious"; they're more practical. In a world where disruption feels constant, their pragmatism may be a sign of resilience, not resignation.
That said, come on! I have nothing against civil servants — we all need them for society to function — but I would feel better about Japan’s future if the survey results reflected more of an entrepreneurial spirit.
As my two Gen Z sons like to tell me, "Okay, boomer!" Considering the significant generational differences between today's middle and high school students and my perspective as a Gen Xer, what do I really know? It seems that Japan’s teens dream less about fame and fortune and more about stability, relationships, and authenticity. Their outlook reflects not just personal fears but also the broader uncertainties shaping Japan’s future. That’s a bit unsettling!
What do you think? Are these survey results concerning?
All responses to this quick poll are completely anonymous, even to the author.
Link to Japanese Source: https://www.sonylife.co.jp/company/news/2025/nr_250731.html
#RealGaijin #JapanYouthSurvey2025 #JapaneseTeensFutureOutlook #GenZJapan #GenAlphaJapan #中高生意識調査2025 #日本の若者将来不安 #Z世代 #α世代 #リアル外人 #ソニー生命保険 #中高生が思い描く将来についての意識調査
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A game streamer is typically considered a content creator or online entertainer whose occupation revolves around broadcasting live or recorded gameplay to an audience on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, or Kick.
Interesting to see the changes in preferred careers in just one year. And I did not expect Matsuko Deluxe as the celebrity that teen girls would most like to consult with about their future. But I find it oddly comforting that they chose Matsuko--a fellow Gen Xer--over some influencer or celeb. I've never heard of!
I guess the survey results are not unexpected in some ways. With all the national and global challenges that the previous generation created and left for these youngsters to deal with, I wished the younger generation's responses would have be more ambitious or idealistic, instead of the pragmatism conveyed. But then, it begs the question whether current leaders are good examples for these young people to look up to in order to make bold career directions.