[note Senryu] #29: The Theme is "New Breed" (141-145)
My heart is Gen Z! My body is a Showa-era person past sixty! I am Grandpa, a Gen Z supporter!?
It might already be an obsolete term, but the word "New Breed" is a nostalgic term for the around-sixty generation.
This word was selected as a buzzword in the 1986 Buzzword Awards.👇
There was an explanation like this on Wikipedia.
New Breed (Shin-jinrui) is a coined term created by Shinichiro Kurimoto, used in the 1980s. It was widely used in mass media such as television, radio, and popular weekly magazines from around 1979, defining the youth of that time as "having different sensibilities, values, and behavioral norms than before," and was treated both negatively and positively (in short, conveniently).
(Omitted) Currently, as something that clearly defines the New Breed, there is
generational classification in marketing, and it is often defined as those born between April 2, 1961 (Showa 36) and April 1, 1971 (Showa 46). Also called the "New Breed Generation." Those born in the early 1960s also overlap with the "Common First Test Generation," who were the first to experience the common first-stage university entrance exam.
Now, I will challenge myself to write five Senryu poems with the theme of "New Breed," incorporating my perspective as a grandpa on what a "New Breed" is.
Long ago, the New Breed also reached sixty
"New Breed" is clearly defined in marketing generational classifications as those born between 1961 and 1970. War-time generation (born 1930-1938) Post-war generation (1939-1945) Baby boomer generation (1946-1950) Fault generation (1951-1960)
New Breed generation (1961-1970)
Baby boomer junior generation (1971-1978) Post-bubble generation (1979-1983) Declining birthrate generation (1984-1988) Yutori generation (1989-1993) Deflation generation (1994-2000)
Unfortunately, I was born in 1960, one year earlier than the New Breed generation, so I am the "Fault" generation😅
Well, in any era, young people are probably "New Breed" to adults, right?
For Grandpa, Gen Z is truly a "New Breed."
Young people are always beyond understanding
In any era, young people are beyond the understanding of old folks. For Grandpa, my grandchildren are not just cute, but their speed of understanding digital devices (PCs, tablets, smartphones, etc.) and their speed of learning are worthy of respect.
(Grandchild) Grandpa, can you search for Sushi-da typing?
(Grandpa) Is this right?
(Grandchild) Just watch. You do it like this.
This has become a solid topic for "Grandpa's grumbling."
Fourth graders don't just 'Google' things to look them up. They 'Tag-ru' (search via tags) and 'Toku-ru' (search via social media/Tok) apparently!?
It seems it's 'Google -> Tag-ru -> Toku-ru'👇
Rather than stuffing human heads with rote memorization, for young people who know that they can find out immediately by checking their smartphones now, I think it's much more important to educate them on how to think about what to do next using that information than just memorization!?
To bring out the young power that is beyond our understanding, teachers should switch from teaching to coaching and draw out their incredible power!
Japan's future is surely bright.
Generational division, is this also a follower of the US?
The "Dankai generation" (baby boomers) and the "New Human generation" were the result of post-war reconstruction success stories that aimed to catch up with and surpass the United States.
However, the Japanese people did not just learn from and copy the U.S.; they built their own unique evolution and a culture of "kaizen" (continuous improvement) on the front lines.
The definitions of generations at that time also reflected a uniquely Japanese character.
However, as a result of continuous improvement and the creation of exclusive village-like structures (keiretsu and subcontracting systems), we have ended up in a society with 30 years of no growth and stagnant wages, and Japan is currently in the middle of relearning from the West (reskilling).
Before we knew it, we started using the "Gen Z" label, which follows the U.S. Gen X and Gen Y definitions. We have returned to copying the U.S.
We are back to square one, copying the U.S. and acting as followers with the goal of catching up and surpassing them again. Good luck, Gen Z!
Humanity evolves into shellfish
Alarming situations such as global warming, mutual killing (war), and the existential crisis of humanity are progressing.
Even if Homo sapiens are the ancestors of modern humans, human history is only a few hundred thousand years old. Could it be that we might go extinct because we cannot live wisely and cooperate with each other? Perhaps we will evolve and return to being shellfish, which can sustain life even in harsh environments?
It is said that the common ancestor of the genus Homo and chimpanzees diverged 2 to 10 million years ago, and the common ancestor of Homo sapiens and Homo erectus is believed to have diverged about 200,000 to 1.8 million years ago.
From the perspective of Earth's history, in the blink of an eye, humanity has continued to put a burden on the global environment and damage biodiversity.
I truly hope that the new humans born after 2100 will build a peaceful, calm society without conflict or wealth gaps, and ensure the survival of humanity.
The 60th birthday is a milestone, not the end
The New Human generation (born between 1961 and 1970) will also be reaching their 60th birthdays one after another. Human life expectancy has extended to the point where we talk about the 100-year life era.
When you think about it, the average life expectancy in the Edo period was 32 to 44 years old; from that perspective, reaching the age of 60 means experiencing twice the life of people back then.
Reaching 60 itself is like a miracle to people of the past.
While this is likely due to the development of medicine, the evolution of testing and treatment equipment that supports medicine, the digital revolution, and better food,above all, it is precisely because there were no brutal wars that the Japanese New Human generation is able to reach their 60th birthdays one after another.
Just being alive is a huge bonus! It would be great if we could enjoy the rest of our lives with that mindset, wouldn't it!?
Thank you for reading until the end.
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