Nissan Seminar: Hiroshi Ishida (Toyko), 'Are There Second Chances in Japan? The Life-Course Dynamics of Disadvantage and Recovery'

Convener(s): Dr Alice Baldock and Professor Sho Konishi

Speaker(s): Professor Hiroshi Ishida (University of Tokyo)

This presentation examines whether and how individuals who experience disadvantage in Japanese society recover from setbacks and obtain opportunities to start over—what may be described as “second chances.” Disadvantage can arise at various stages of the life course and across diverse contexts. Focusing on family background, such as growing up in poverty, I investigate whether early-life disadvantages persist into adulthood and identify protective factors that may mitigate their long-term effects. The presentation concludes by considering the prospects for second chances in the context of contemporary inequality in Japan. Although disparities in advantage and disadvantage may appear fixed when viewed at a single point in time, adopting a life-course perspective reveals the potential for recovery and mobility out of disadvantage.