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Interpersonal Mattering in Friendship as a Predictor of Happiness in Japan: The Case of Tokyoites

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  • Hiromi Taniguchi

Abstract

Drawing on data from the Survey of Midlife Development in Japan (MIDJA), this study examines the roles of friendship in happiness among Tokyoites, primarily inspired by a study linking interpersonal mattering and happiness in the US by Demir et al. (J Happiness Stud 12(6):983–1005, 2011 ). Consistent with their study and related studies by others (e.g., Tiefenbach and Kohlbacher in Happiness from the viewpoint of economics: findings from recent survey data in Japan. Working paper 13/1. Deutsches Institut Für Japan Studien/German Institute for Japanese Studies, Tokyo, 2013 ; Tokuda and Inoguchi in Soc Indic Res 89(2):349–360, 2008 ), this study finds that interpersonal mattering is a significant and influential predictor of happiness. Furthermore, for residents in Tokyo, the perception of positive relations with others completely mediates the relationship between friendship and happiness. The study also finds that self-acceptance partially mediates the friendship-happiness relationship. It remains to be seen whether the mediated pathway between interpersonal mattering and happiness can be generalized to broader social contexts such as the country as a whole or to societies in the West. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • Hiromi Taniguchi, 2015. "Interpersonal Mattering in Friendship as a Predictor of Happiness in Japan: The Case of Tokyoites," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(6), pages 1475-1491, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:16:y:2015:i:6:p:1475-1491
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-014-9570-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Melikşah Demir & Ayça Özen & Aysun Doğan & Nicholas Bilyk & Fanita Tyrell, 2011. "I Matter to My Friend, Therefore I am Happy: Friendship, Mattering, and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(6), pages 983-1005, December.
    2. Bruno Frey & Alois Stutzer, 2005. "Happiness Research: State and Prospects," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 63(2), pages 207-228.
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    4. Yasuharu Tokuda & Takashi Inoguchi, 2008. "Interpersonal Mistrust and Unhappiness Among Japanese People," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 89(2), pages 349-360, November.
    5. Frey, Bruno S & Stutzer, Alois, 2000. "Happiness, Economy and Institutions," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(466), pages 918-938, October.
    6. Melikşah Demir & Metin Özdemir, 2010. "Friendship, Need Satisfaction and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 243-259, April.
    7. Ruut Veenhoven & Joop Ehrhardt, 1995. "The cross-national pattern of happiness: Test of predictions implied in three theories of happiness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 33-68, January.
    8. Dolan, Paul & Peasgood, Tessa & White, Mathew, 2008. "Do we really know what makes us happy A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 94-122, February.
    9. Jason Raibley, 2012. "Happiness is not Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1105-1129, December.
    10. Robert Cummins, 1995. "On the trail of the gold standard for subjective well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 179-200, June.
    11. Romin Tafarodi & Greg Bonn & Hanyu Liang & Jiro Takai & Satoshi Moriizumi & Vivek Belhekar & Amruta Padhye, 2012. "What Makes for a Good Life? A Four-Nation Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 783-800, October.
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    1. Anne Matheson & Pamala J. Dillon & Manuel Guillén & Clark Warner, 2021. "People Mattering at Work: A Humanistic Management Perspective," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 405-428, December.
    2. Kazuhisa Miwa, 2025. "Small but Certain Happiness in Daily Life: Structure and Relation with Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(5), pages 1-27, June.
    3. Arzu Atan & Hale Ozgit & Fatos Silman, 2021. "Happiness at Work and Motivation for a Sustainable Workforce: Evidence from Female Hotel Employees," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Edward C. Chang, 2024. "Beyond Dispositional Optimism and Pessimism: Does the Tripartite Model of Meaning in Life Matter in Predicting Future Well-Being in Adults?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 1-18, June.

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