Unable or Unwilling to Leave the Nest? An Analysis and Evaluation of Japanese Parasite Single Theories

In Japan today, there are more than 13 million so-called parasite singles, full-fledged adults who live under the same roof as their parents, contributing little to the household account and doing virtually no housework. Their parental dependency, as well as choice in lifestyle and the implications they pose for Japanese society has attracted much attention in Japan. Being an easy target, they are often criticized and blamed for Japan's current woes, leaving the true causes behind the increasing number of parasite singles inadequately investigated. This paper explores the parasite singles phenomenon and analyzes the prevailing Japanese parasite singles theories.