ABSTRACT
The concept of not in education, employment, or training (NEET) has been used frequently in Japan as in many Western countries since 2000. This chapter explains the unique circumstances which induced the Japanese government to make major changes from its original concept. Although the youth unemployment rate in Japan has increased since the 1990s, it has long been and still is considerably lower than other countries. According to the relatively conservative Japanese labour policy, housewives were not regarded as problematic NEETs. The post-war Japanese education system was introduced as a comprehensive school to promote democratization under the American occupation. Educational expansion in Japan advanced rapidly as a result of economic growth. Japan has long been known as a country that has succeeded in keeping its unemployment rate low.
