Month of May Disease - Japan's Chronic Seasonal Ennui
The month of May in Japan brings with it a chronic disease. It is called "Go Gatsu Byo" 五月病 - literally "Month of May Disease." In the month of May in Japan, discussion of Go Gatsu Byo is almost unavoidable. So what is it?
In Japan at the end of April and beginning of May, there is a cluster of holidays called "Golden Week." The origins of this holiday and its name will be the subject of a future article, but for right now, all we need to know is that there are four holidays in very short order. In many important ways, the year starts on April 1 in Japan. Schools, government agencies, large corporations, and others all have the effective start of the year on that date. That will also be the subject of a future article. The important thing to understand is that after a month of new schools, new jobs, and new environments, Japan takes a full week off. After people come back from this week off, they often come back and instead of being energized and focused, they exhibit symptoms of depression, lacking energy and motivation, with weak appetites and a general lack of enjoyment. Although it is a term in common use, it is not an officially recognized medical diagnosis.
Japanese researchers identify Go Gatsu Byo as "adjustment disorder" brought on by stress. Japanese society is highly interdependent, so being at a new school or a new job where one does not know others can be highly stressful. Even if the new opportunity was viewed with excitement, being in a new environment can be stressful. In particular, those who are highly motivated and hard-working tend to burn out by making extraordinary efforts to acculturate to the new environment, and the week-long vacation of Golden Week takes those who are stressed and puts them in an environment where the stress they've suppressing can come out.
The symptoms of Go Gatsu Byo are:
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Although it is called "May Disease," experts say that it can take 3 to 6 months to fully recover. When I worked in Japan, May was a common month to have a so called "人間ドック" (Ningen Dokku) or "human drydock" to ensure employees who are having significant medical and mental issues can speak with health professionals. Traditionally "ningen dokku" was focused on physical issues, but recently mental health checkups have been added.
The most important element to avoiding May Disease is creating an environment which is not hyper-competitive, where people can talk about personal issues and take personal time as needed. This is not the default environment in Japanese companies, so managers must be trained and mentored on how to do this. It will take time, but modern firms are beginning to recognize the importance of this and are making adjustments. The days of the stoic "salaryman" are on their way out, and in terms of net quality of life for Japanese workers, this is a much needed change. Hopefully soon May will cease being a month when people burn out, and become a month when people can enjoy the blooming azaleas and moss phlox.