The possibility of Japan's economic decline! Spiritual

 The possibility of Japan's economic decline! Spiritual

The Possible Decline of Japan’s Economy from a Spiritual Perspective

I’d like to share an unusual perspective on why Japan’s economy might face a decline—through the lens of spirituality. Recently, I felt a strong sign pointing in that direction.

Here’s what triggered it: when you search the word “spiritual” in Japanese (スピリチュアル) on Google, the suggested keywords that appear underneath include “spiritual” and “yabai” (やばい).

Now, “yabai” is a Japanese slang term with a double meaning. In some contexts, it can mean “awesome” or “amazing.” But more often, it carries a negative connotation like “dangerous,” “risky,” or “bad.”

So the fact that “spiritual” is paired with “yabai” as a top search association suggests that, in the public consciousness, spirituality in Japan is increasingly being viewed in a negative light.

From a spiritual perspective, when a society collectively associates inner growth and higher awareness with danger or negativity, it risks losing balance. And in Japan’s case, this cultural undercurrent could also reflect—and perhaps even contribute to—the stagnation or decline of its economy.

How Google’s Search Suggestions Reflect Japan’s Collective Mindset

Google’s search engine has a feature: when many people search for the same words together, those combinations begin to appear as suggested keywords.

So when “spiritual” (スピリチュアル) is frequently paired with “yabai” (やばい), it reveals something about the collective mindset in Japan. It suggests that a significant number of Japanese people view spirituality in a negative way, associating it with risk, danger, or even something untrustworthy.

This reflects a deeper cultural pattern. Japan is historically an agricultural society, where harmony and shared values are highly emphasized. As a result, people often align their opinions with the majority. From this perspective, spirituality—often representing more individual or minority viewpoints—can easily be pushed to the margins, treated almost like an opposition party within a democratic system.

The possibility of Japan's economic decline, “spiritual growth,” and “spirituality”

The Decline of Japan’s Economy and the Question of Soul Growth

From a spiritual perspective, there is an important connection between the health of a nation’s economy and the growth of the soul. On this blog, I’ve often spoken about soul growth: just as intellectual growth happens through moments of insight, spiritual growth—what we might call spiritual maturity—also deepens through these inner awakenings of the heart.

When a person’s spiritual stature rises, their inner presence grows stronger. They gain the creative power to uplift others, and their broader awareness allows them to see life from many perspectives. In simple terms, this is what it means to become an “adult” in the spiritual sense.

By contrast, when one’s spiritual stature is low, their inner presence is weak. They are more likely to prioritize their own emotional satisfaction over enriching others. With fewer inner awakenings, their worldview narrows. Spiritually speaking, this resembles being a “child.”

Low spiritual maturity often manifests as stress and a restless need for recognition. This energy can spill into harmful behaviors—such as verbal abuse, child neglect, bullying, toxic parenting, harassment, stalking, or even violent crime. If such people become too numerous, the very harmony of the natural world could be threatened.

From this perspective, it may be that those in Japan who dismiss spirituality as “yabai” (slang for “bad” or “dangerous”) are themselves operating from a narrower, less mature state of consciousness. In other words, their rejection of spirituality might itself be a sign of limited soul growth.

The possibility of Japan's economic decline, the Japanese of the past, and “spirituality”

Japan’s Economic Decline and the Forgotten Spirit of Its Innovators

Looking at Japan’s possible economic decline through a spiritual lens, we can see a striking contrast between past and present.

Take the case of Hisashige Tanaka, a late-Edo period inventor often called “the Edison of the East” and later a founder of Toshiba. As a child, he was bullied. But when he created a mechanical trick box, people were astonished. Seeing their joy, he devoted himself to building intricate mechanical dolls—not for money, but to bring smiles to others.

Today, Toshiba is a weakened company. Perhaps it has lost sight of the spirit that Tanaka embodied—the desire to uplift others through creativity.

After World War II, Japan’s people had to rely on one another just to survive. Compared to today, there was a much stronger sense of human connection, and many truly wished to enrich the hearts of others. This spirit translated into bold innovations.

For example, the president of Sony once proposed developing a portable device to listen to music while walking—the Walkman. Many around him insisted there was no demand. Yet, when it was built, it spread across the world, transforming culture itself. It was precisely that desire to fulfill people’s hearts that fueled Japan’s economic rise.

Now, however, when many in Japan associate “spirituality” with something “yabai”—slang for “bad” or “dangerous”—it reveals a weakening of that very spirit: the drive to satisfy others’ hearts. From a spiritual perspective, this erosion of empathy and vision may point toward Japan’s economic decline.