What social problems demanded attention in the 1980s? How did social welfare policies attempt to deal with an increasingly aged population? What was the place of women
and young people in the years after the Bubble burst? WHY are these called The Lost Decades?

You should be thinking about demographic issues such as a low-birthrate, a high retirement rate, the rise of “freeters”, international economic competition especially
in Asia, political activism both within LDP factions, and among “regular people”, the rise of conservatism and nationalism. Of course, you cannot discuss ALL of these
issues in your 500 word response, but try to consider at least two of them.