OnPart-timeJobs

    byHarukiMurakami

    TranslatedbyChristopherAllison

    WhenIwasastudent,whichwasmorethantenyearsagonow,theaveragehourlywageforpart-timeworkwasaboutthesameasacupofcoffeeinanaveragecoffeeshop.Tomakeitplain,attheendofthe1960sitwasabout150yen.“Hi-Lite”cost80yen,andicbookswereabout100yen.SinceIjustboughtrecordswiththemoneyImadew,Icouldbuyonerecordforeveryday-and-a-halfoflabor.

    Now,paredtoa300yencupofcoffee,thestandardwageforparttimeworkis500yen.Itlooksasthoughthemarketpricehasgedalittle.Youbuytworecordswithonedayslabor.

    Ifyoujustlookatthenumbers,itseemslikeourstandardoflivinghasgotteerinthosetenyears.Fromalifestylepoint-of-view,though,Idontthinkthingshavereallyimproved.Intheolddays,housewivesdidnthavetotakeparttimejobs,andtherewasnoloan-repaymenthell.

    Numbersarereallyplicated.YoutalwaystrustwhattheGeneralAtingOfficetellsyou.GNPisatotalsham.IftheyploppedGNPdownientranceofShinjukuStationaanyonewhowaoeupandtouchitthenImighthavesomefaithinit.Butshortofthat,Ittrustanythingwithsolittlesubstance.

    Inthisrespect,IthinkKenichiroTakemura(politico-eidit)andKakueiTanaka(formerprime-minister)areamazing.Thoseguys,knowingfullythattheirfiguresweredubious,choseonlytousehatsaidthesituationwasfine.Ifusedonlytothatextent,well,justoebookwillsuffice.

    Anyway,IstillremembertherecordsthatIboughtwiththemoneyfromthepart-timejobofmyschooldays,andhowIlistehemdevotedly.Butitwasnttheirheirvolumethatreallymattered;theimportantthingwastheirqualit