五月病 – Depression in May
April is an important month in Japan. It is a month for change where students are entering college, new graduates are entering into the workforce. Then at the end of April from the 29th to May 5th is Golden Week. This is a time where people go on vacation for a week and get to de-stress from the daily routine.
After all, that change and excitement the only thing left is a little depression known as 五月病.
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What does 五月病 Mean?
五月 is the Japanese word for May. The Kanji 病 means illness and is used as a suffix to represent types of illnesses or diseases. If we take this word at the literal value it means May Disease. It is not a physical disease but instead more of like being depressed. So it is not an actual mental illness but more just a social phenomenon.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/What is 五月病?
In Japan, April is when companies hire new employees in mass and when the school year starts. As with any sort of major change in life, there is a period of excitement and uneasiness. After this original excitement wears off or becomes routine people may start feeling like they are unable to adapt or cope with the change. This can cause people to get depressed.
Also, after people go on vacation and get a break from the daily routine it can be hard to go back to work or school. Golden Weekends at the beginning of May. These two forces together are the perfect combination to make people feel down. Since all of this happens in May, the name 五月病 is assigned to this phenomenon.
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