Inspiring Change: Japan’s Youth Civic Engagement

• Published in: The international journal of interdisciplinary civic and political studies Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 25 - 51
• Main Authors: Gumasing, Rhea, Querijero, Nelson Jose Vincent, Alinsunurin, Maria Kristina, Mendoza Armiendo, Regina, Resuello, Marjorie, Rola, Armand Christopher, Takaya, Keiichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kraków Common Ground Research Networks 2024
• Subjects: Citizen participation; Cognition; Data; Money; Political participation; Respondents; Seminars; Social cohesion; Youth; Japan
• ISSN: 2327-0071; 2327-2481
• DOI: 10.18848/2327-0071/CGP/v19i02/25-51

The study examined civic engagement among youth in Japan, their motivation for it, and various ways in which civic engagement can be furthered. A total of 138 respondents completed online surveys and gave in-person interviews, which included youth living in Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Results show that the youth are civically engaged in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Cognitive: the variations in responses highlight the diverse ways youth participate in regular discussions and information consumption. Affective: results underscore the diverse spectrum of youth engagement in face-to-face activities related to civic and social causes, with education tutorials and environmental clean-ups/tree planting taking the top spots. Moreover, data also reveal that a good portion of the youth donate money to civic causes. Psychomotor: The data reveals that the youth have undertaken a variety of community initiatives in the last twenty-four months. From civic and political engagement to environmental stewardship, health initiatives, and educational seminars, the findings highlight the diverse interests and commitment levels within the surveyed population. Data would likewise reveal that the levels of civic engagement with social cohesion, cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills show a strong positive relationship. With the right informational and structural support, as well as economic resources, young people could engage more frequently and on different occasions because they see it as their responsibility to contribute to their community.