Friday, February 11, 2005 at 06:05 JST
TOKYO ― Young people who characterize themselves as NEET, short for "not in employment, education or training," marched in Tokyo on Thursday to offer each other mutual support. The NEETs marched 7 kilometers from Shibuya to Shinjuku, holding up a banner reading "The first NEET festival."

Some of them were dressed like Darth Vader in the Star Wars movie series and other characters while others disguised themselves as Japanese pilgrims. The number of young people in the NEET category is estimated at around 520,000 in Japan, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. (Kyodo News)