Japan's Teens Dream of Being... a Civil Servant

In Japan, the dream of being a YouTuber apparently dies around age 15, replaced by the dream of being a civil servant.

From YouTuber to... Civil Servant?

A new survey by Sony Life asked about 1,000 Japanese middle and high schoolers what they want to be when they grow up. The results are a journey.

For middle school boys, the #1 dream job is "IT Engineer/Programmer." Makes sense. Right behind are "CEO," "YouTuber," and "Pro Athlete." All the cool, flashy jobs you'd expect.

But then they get to high school. And the #1 dream job for boys becomes... "Public Servant." The path from "I'm gonna be a creator!" to "I would like a stable pension, please" is shockingly short here.

And for the Girls?

The girls follow a similar path from passion to pragmatism. Middle school girls' top pick is "Entertainer" (singer, actor, etc.), with other creative jobs like "Designer" also ranking high.

Fast forward to high school, and their #1 choice is also "Public Servant." Number two? "Company Employee." The dream of the stage is replaced by the reality of the office cubicle. At least "Illustrator/Manga Artist" is climbing the ranks, so some of the creative spirit is holding on.

The Salaryman Grind Starts Early

So, why the big shift? The survey asked that, too. The reasons given by high schoolers for wanting a government job were things like "no risk of being laid off," "good welfare," and "stable salary."

They're 16 years old and already optimizing for job security and benefits. I think I was still trying to figure out how to pass my driving test at that age. It's that moment you realize you've gone from coming to Japan for adventure to quietly appreciating the predictability of your monthly paycheck. The conditioning starts early. 😅

So Long, Marriage and Kids?

Maybe related to all this pragmatism, interest in marriage and having kids is also down from previous surveys. For both middle and high schoolers, fewer of them said they want to get married or have kids in the future.

The most telling stat, though? Nearly a third of all high school girls surveyed said they don't think they want to have children. That's a whole other conversation, but it feels like part of the same picture.