When Mamoru Kawasaki, 45, was forced to leave a well-known information technology company in March, he had heavy housing debts and a family of five to support, but also enough savings to live on for the time being.
Yoshio Matsushima, 55, managed to repay his debts with retirement allowances when he lost his job at the end of February, enabling him to own outright a house on the outskirts of Tokyo.
In the case of Nobuhiro Koike, who is 37 and single, more than a decade of job hopping in the IT industry has eroded his earning capacity. He is managing to survive thanks to support from his parents, who have allowed him to live with them.