Of Nurses and Stylists (Japan's Future)
So I was walking through the hall today at one of me schools are as always read the new posters that hung on the walls. I don't remember so much advertising for crap when I was in High School, but apparently there is a lot here in Japan. All my schools have posters about post-high school jobs, trade schools, etc. Here is what is real scary, but makes a lot of sense....
About half of all these posters are about working in Nursing homes.
Even one of my schools, Koga 2nd, has a whole building and classes dedicated to caring for the aged. This is because well, but suprise, if you know anything about Japan it's that it's population is super old. This also doesn't seem to be changing either. The younger generation is having fewer and fewer kids for a myriad of reasons (financially dependant on parents, lack of interest in family, mass birth of dudes without game) and Japanese people pretty much live forever. So add that up and I suggest buying into Real Estate next to geriatrics wards here in Japan.
The thing is that they attempt to glorify it with these anime-esque, cuties posters of some super nice girl helping out kind old people and finding happieness and fufillment in doing so. What they fail to publicize is old people spitting food at you like Mr. Peepers from Sat. Night live and pooping themselves right before your shift ends. I mean seriously, this is going to be the lives a solid portion of my students will lead.
"Dear Diary, finished work again. Old man Suzushio once again proved his digestive system, even at 92 has the power of a wood chipper, and cascaded the game room with shotgun radius scat. Muzuki proved that carrots can in fact be made to dribble, and she spat her corn rations at the dinning assistants not unlike an automatic assault rifle. Really happy to be here. Can't wait for tomorrow.. -Rick's student"
I paint my story with a palette of too many depressing colors, I know, so allow me to through something lighter... Let's say you don't want to clean up after old people, you cna have the other job that is thriving in Japan! That's right, if you've been here for more than a day you know what is on every corner of ever street....
The HAIR MAKE!
.........
Thats right, everyone wants to be a haitdresser/cutter/stylist here. It's pretty much the most popular thing in the universe. Which makes sense, since Japanese people spend a God Aweful amount of cash on their hair. I mean, a regular hair cut runs you 5000 yen, easy, unless youget it cut by some old 70 year old who well... I'd be affraid to give sharp things to to begin with.
So another quarter of the posters are kids, holding up scissors cheering for a future of hair spray inhalation and head massages. I suppose it could be worse. I just don't get how it's still so expensive for a haircut when there are SO MANY OF THEM. I suppose I could open up a barber shop, charge 10 bucks a head and throw the whole system off balance. That would be cool.
I've come to the realization that Japanese people consume like Crazy. I mean, I thought Americans were superfluous in their buying habits, but when you do the math you see that hte Japanese really have us. I mean they are the second largest economy in the world, even with a fraction of the people we have in America. They NEED to buy Prada Bags, Gucci jeans and Lexus....Lexi to stay afloat.
This could lead me into a really odd thing about the Japanese-American Economic bond, but I don't feel like getting that technical right now.
Safe to say though, when I need a hair cut or help when I am older, apparently Japan is te place to be.