Haragei is a word you don't hear very much anymore. Literally "belly art," haragei refers to the variety of persuasive communication that is done not with words but with the silent force of personality. Think of being stared down by a man sitting like a pot-bellied stove in front of you. But to be a mukuchina hito (a reticent or taciturn person) is still a virtue in Japan. The person of few words invariably trumps an articulate or glib opponent.
Despite the fact that haragei has gone the way of all flesh, Japanese modes of verbal communication have not changed significantly since World War II ended in 1945. Today's leaders are no more skillful at speaking their minds cogently and transparently than the leaders of the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Perhaps even less so. There is not much of what is called "meaningful dialogue" circulating in the air in this country. Japanese polemics are acrimonious: They are about personalities, not issues.
The young generation of Japanese men — and, to a lesser extent, women — has been characterized by society's elders as being withdrawn, passive, unmotivated and diffident. Now a report on their condition has been issued by a government agency.