Japanese university students tend to be in a never-ending wave of consumption

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Shunto Kobayashi from Niigata, Japan
Student of Yokohama City University
9.2023~6.2024 Oulu Business School in Finland
Owner of fish&chips food booth "Potato&Fish" in Japan
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Moi:)
I'm writing this in English because my lovely older brother asked me to write about what I learned in Finland in English!

I'll write about what I think about happiness now.
My definition of happiness changed a lot while living in Finland, which is the happiest country in the world.

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After spending some time in Finland,
I realized

I was in a never-ending wave of consumption in Japan.

In Japan,
We buy many clothes that we can't fit in our closet.
We drink many times a week with friends even if we don't have much money in our bank. (I don't drink that much:D)
We eat out or drink every after club and circle.

Sadly, that is all the Japanese university students do and I did.

However, in Finland,
all the clothes are more expensive than in Japan.
Alcohol is so expensive compared with Japan.
If I eat out, at least, it costs 2500 to 3500 yen. That's the price you can eat a special lunch in Japan.

So, I can't do anything I did in Japan in Finland.
Firstly, it was so boring for me. I didn't know what to do:(

However, after a month, I realized I was having a good time without any of them.

I went to my friend's place to cook, watch anime and movies, play some video games, and take a sauna:)
It was fun, but firstly I felt weird at the same time haha
Playing "Smash Brothers" or "Mario Cart" after school is exactly what I did when I was in elementary school lol
Also, I was just relaxing on a bench next to a lake behind my dormitory sometimes.

Actually, that is totally enough to be happy! (even better)
Then, I realized I was in a never-ending wave of consumption and it's a common situation for Japanese university students.

Maybe, you have to spend money and time to consume something in capitalism, but you don't have to spend money and time to be happy:)

After I found that, I took a mini-survey to my friends who study at university and asked "Do you have enough money? Enough time? or both?"
Most of my friends answered, "I don't have both."

Now, I'd love to make you rethink about your way of spending money and time for your happiness and your life:)

Don't consume. Find your own way to be happy!
Moi moi:)