Happiness is not just an economic thing. It's also culture, and that takes generations to fix.

From an economic standpoint, Japan has a high standard of living. Good medical system, plentiful and cheap food, affordable housing, quality education, few crime and an endless amount of job vacancies.

On the other hand... the air quality has been awful this year..but you cannot have everything perfect in any country.

Perhaps people in Japan are more reserved, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happy.