This last decade of the 20th century has been labeled a "lost decade" for Japan. The Heisei recession that began in May 1991 bottomed out in October 1993. In subsequent years, however, Japan's economy continued to stagnate, contrary to general expectations. A decade of economic drift has created a sense of paralysis in Japanese society, a feeling that the nation is in a dead-end situation. That feeling lingers even as the 21st century approaches.

In its heyday, the Japanese economy inspired confidence everywhere. It was the source of national pride. Pundits calling it "first-rate," in contrast to the nation's "third-rate" politics. The endless slump of the 1990s, however, has punctured that pride. But the loss of economic vitality is not the only reason why the final decade of this century has been a lost decade for Japan. In my view, there is another reason: the absence of a national goal.

The second reason has much to do with the Japanese attitude toward religion. Japan, it is said, has no particular religion. The fact is that many Japanese have the flexibility to make selective use of three religions -- Buddhism, Shintoism and Christianity -- as the occasion demands. This has given rise to the view that the Japanese are polytheists. But polytheism is not tolerated in most of the rest of the world; monotheism is the norm.