The cohort of people born from 1947 to 49 are called baby boomers in Japan. In each of these three years, an average of 2.7 million babies were born, thus generating a large cohort of about 8 million. The cohort stands out from all other generations with respect to population. When they entered primary and secondary schools, the previous school facilities were not sufficient to accommodate them, and many prefab school buildings were built. The percentage of enrollment in higher education of the cohort was only 20％; the remaining 80％ took jobs after graduation from junior high school or high school. Many of them moved from their hometowns to metropolitan areas such as Kanto, Kinki, and Chubu to take jobs. Junior high graduates who moved to the metropolitan areas for a job were especially known as “Golden Eggs”. Many high school graduates who enrolled in higher education also went to metropolitan areas to study at colleges and universities. Thus, about one-third of the cohort moved to metropolitan areas to seek jobs and higher education. The cohort was also called “high flyers of the postwar democratic education system”, and started the student movement to fight against the established authority of colleges and universities. Whether junior high graduates or college graduates, many of them took jobs in the manufacturing industry. They are the ones who formed the standard family unit with 2 or 3 children when they married, and started living by themselves in metropolitan areas. Most wives stayed home to take care of the household and children and did no form a regular labor force. The men became “corporate warriors” in companies, but many lost their jobs to corporate restructuring in the 1990s. Now, most of the cohort are retired from their regular jobs, and have started living their second lives. Many of the cohort are cut off their traditional social structures that could allow them to live with other generations in their hometowns, and are still seeking ways to adjust themselves in the social settings in which they have chosen to live.
