But I think the nineties were a true watershed in the Japanese history. Japan is a different country than it was 10 years earlier. Values have changed. The economy has changed. Lifestyles have changed.
Younger people have different values.
There's a lot more competition in the economy. Foreigners are much more pervasive in society. There are so many blond or brown-haired Japanese, who all look the same. A lot of people say that shows how conformist Japanese are. But think of hippies in the U.S. in the sixties.