A government survey shows that 57 percent of young Japanese people have positive feelings about themselves, a rise of more than 10 points from five years ago.
The score is the lowest among the five countries where the survey was conducted.
Young people in Japan, the United States, France, Germany and Sweden were canvassed.
All of the four western countries had a score above 70 percent. France had the highest at 76 percent.
The online survey was conducted from November to December last year among people aged between 13 to 29. It was first conducted in Japan 2013, and again in 2018.
Only 23 percent of the respondents in Japan replied that their country has a bright future, a decrease of 8 points from five years ago.
Around 50 to 60 percent of the respondents of the other four countries gave a positive reply to the same question.
The Japanese government wants to change the sentiment of young people through improved policies on poverty, education and employment.