This document summarizes a research study examining personal success and happiness for single Japanese women over 30 years old. It discusses how these women see themselves as singles in modern Japanese society and how they define success and seek happiness. The stigma of being unmarried and childless at an older age in Japan is explored through interviews with 5 participants analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three main themes emerged: how the women see themselves independently versus how others see them, their pursuit of happiness beyond societal expectations, and searching for well-being within themselves and their environment.

1. Examination of personal success
and meaning in life for Japanese
single women aged over 30
years old.
Tomoko Ago
University of East London
Master of Applied Positive Psychology

2. Research Question:
What’s Happiness… Success?
 How each single woman see
herself as being a single in the
modern Japanese society?
 How they define personal
success and seek happiness?

3. Why this research?
“Makekinu”(Loser-dog)
 Aged over 30 years old
 Neither married or have
children
Married People = Winners ?
Singltons = Losers?

4. The growth of singles women
in Japan
1980 2010
30-34yo 9.1%  34.5%
35-39yo 5.5%  23.1%
(Census, Japan Statistic Bureau , Ministry of
Internal Affairs & Communications, 2011)

5. Relevant Research
 Stigmatisation to single people in
society
Depaulo, B. M., & Morris, W. L. (2005);
Hertel, J., Schütz, A., Depaulo, B. M., Morris,
W. L., & Stucke, T. S. (2007).
 Marital Status & SWB / Happiness
Argyle, M. (2001); Myers, D. G. (2000);
Haring-Hidore, Stock, Okun, and Witter, 1985)

6. Method:
Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA)
• 5 participants (ave. 35.6 y.o)
• Semi-structured interview
• Analysing verbal & non-verbal
message
• 3 Main themes/9 Sub-themes

7. Findings : Main Theme 1
Self in the eyes of “I”
Autonomy
Self-
Acutualisation
Changing
personal
Value
- Proud of themselves
- Living as following
their “Inner voices”

8. Findings : Main Theme 2
:
“Self” in the eyes of others
Struggling
“to be
myself’”
Pressure
of age
Sense of
“Minority”
“Itai-hito”
A “Painful” person in the
social context

9. Findings : Main Theme 3
Positive
Relationship
Serving
beyond self
 Self-Worth
 Source of Happiness

10. Discussion 1: Two Selves
Negative
Self
Positive
Self

11. Discussion 2: The Pursuit of Happiness

12. Conclusion: Searching for the best
Being
as I am
Environment

13. Thank you for your attention!
&
Any Questions?
contact:
tomoko.ago@gmail.com

14. Reference
Argyle, M. (2001). The psychology of happiness. New York :
Taylor & Francis.
Depaulo, B. M., & Morris, W. L. (2005). Singles in Society and
in Science. Psychological Inquiry, 16, 57–83.
Haring-Hidore, M. H., Stock, W. A., Okun, M. A. & Witter, R. A.
(1985). Marital status and subjective well-being: A research
synthesis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 47, 947-953.

15. Hertel, J., Schütz, A., Depaulo, B. M., Morris, W. L., &
Stucke, T. S. (2007). “She’s single, so what? How are singles
perceived compared with people who are married?.”
Zeitschrift für Familienforschung-Journal of Family
Research, 19(2), 139–158.
Japan statistic bereau, Ministry of internal affiars and
communicaitons. (2010). Census 2010, Retrieved from July
15th, 2013, from http://www.e-
stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/ListE.do?bid=000001029548&cycode=
0
Myers, D. G. (2000). The Funds, Friends, and Faith of Happy
People. American Psychologist, 55(1), 56–67.
doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55

16. Raymo, J. M. (2003). Educational attainment and the
transition to first marriage among Japanese women.
Demography, 40(1), 83–103.
Rosenberger, N. (2001). Gambling with virtue: Japanese
women and the search for self in a changing nation,
Hawaii: University of Hawaii press.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2002). Overview of self-
determination theory: An organismicdialectical
perspective. In E.L. Deci & R.M. Ryan (Eds). Handbook of
self-detemination reseatch. NY: The university of
Rochester press.
Sakai, J. (2003). Makeinu noToboe (Howl of the lose
dogs) , Tokyo: Kodansha