Part 5/15:
Several individuals share their stories of rising despair: mortgage debts that become unmanageable when wages stagnate or decline; the fear of raising children amid economic uncertainty; and the realization that much of their income has been drained by interest payments rather than principal. One homeowner laments, “I just lost 800,000 yen on my property, and I don’t know whether to sell or renovate and rent out.” Others express feelings of betrayal and frustration, having bought into the housing market at its peak only to see their investments evaporate.