Japan, however, has other cultural hangups about things like mental health and vulnerability and difference.
I think it's probably a multiple things we need situation -- a robust welfare system and social safety net AND a cultural acceptance of failing and needing that help.
Japan has a super toxic work culture, and economic stagnation *shrug
These problems are like individual health. Everybody knows exactly what the solutions are: Stay active, eat vegetables, get enough sleep, etc etc. Technically simple, but not easy.
Not as bad as it was 20 years ago - which most of the stereotypes continue to perpetuate.
Hours worked are roughly comparable between the Scandinavian 4 and Japan [3]
Israel and Korea are the new Japan
> economic stagnation
Not much more different from Sweden or Finland, or Denmark+Norway once you exclude high value but low employment industries like biopharma and oil respectively.
Japanese GDP growth rates, interest rates, TFR, and median incomes largely converge with Northern Europe (or more like, Northern Europe converged with Japan by the 2000s).
Edit: can't reply to OP
Household disposable income is roughly comparable between DK and JP [0]
GDP growth rate is roughly comparable between DK and JP [1]
The only difference between DK and JP is age [2], but Denmark's demographics align with Japan's from 10 years ago, and given that Denmark's economic metrics have already aligned with Japan, it's safe to say that what Japan is today is what Denmark will converge to within the next 5-10 years.
If Japan is collapsing, then so is the rest of Northern Europe. If Northern Europe is booming, then so is Japan.
Welfare systems are a net good, but they aren't neccessarily the solution to this problem.