Working Poor in Japan

Working poor in Japan..there are many “working poor” people in late 20s and 30s in Japan. Many working poor people work as temporary daily workers. These people are sent to different places every single day..they collect their pay at their temp companies after their work. This 27-year-old man moved to Tokyo hoping to get an animation creator job. After not being able to find a work in the field, he registered for a temporary company just to get by on a daily basis.

日本にはワーキングプアの人達がたくさんいます。「ワーキングプア」とは現代の日本社会で日雇い派遣等で働きながら家賃を払うお金もないので、インターネットカフェで寝てギリギリの生活をしている若い人達の人の事です。

Another man who is in his 30s dropped out of Waseda University, prestigious university in Tokyo. He lives in an internet cafe and has been living day by day..He pays 2400 yen a night to stay at the Internet cafe and makes 1 million yen a year..it is about $10,000 USD. That is below poverty line. It’s funny how he admits that he is at the bottom of the social economical status. He says he doesn’t deal with working for a company, getting married or having kids.

このドキュメンタリーの３０代の男性は早稲田大学を中退した後、インターネットカフェで寝泊まりしながらその日暮らしの生活を続けています。インターネットカフェは一晩２４００円程度で、この男性は年間の収入が１００万円程度です。彼はきちんと正社員として働いたり、結婚したり子供を作ったりするのが煩わしいといいます。

The third 24-year-old man has been in this situation and has been wanting to get out. He also lives in an internet cafe and sleep in a tiny room. He makes 800 yen an hour. His father works for a factory and is worried about his son not being able to find a full-time career position. He just can’t afford to go back to school to get a credential to find a good job.

Unfortunately this is the reality of modern Japan..these people are called “freeters”. Thy are not in school or have a full-time career position. This guy who dropped out of Waseda University seems to have given up on his life..he probably had enough in competitive Japanese educational system. I wrote about Japan’s extremely competitive college admission system.