Convenience Store Woman, and some reflections on job stigma in Japan

If you're anything like me, you've probably increased the amount of books you've read in 2020 quite substantially, courtesy of the pandemic. I've found a lot of solace in reading, and one of my favorites from this year has been 'Convenience Store Woman' by Sayaka Murata. The fictional book follows the life of 36-year-old Keiko Furakura who works at a convenience store called Smile Mart, and has done so since her late teens. Everyone in her life expected her to get a "real job" and get married - but she liked working where she did. She was good at working where she did. In fact, there's a moment in the book where she says:

“More than a person, I’m a convenience store worker…My very cells exist for the convenience store.”

One of my 2020 'Stay at Home' reads: Convenience Store Woman. It's an interesting - albeit fictional - story, that tackles some common societal issues in Japan.

Now, this is a fictional piece, but I do wonder why oftentimes society looks down on certain jobs, especially ones in the service industry. This year, I think we've seen just how important these roles are -- whether it's the person working at your local supermarket, your local convenience store, or your favorite fast food place -- they're all jobs that seem to get lumped into the category of 'dead-end jobs', but they're absolutely essential to the functioning of society. 

I also found it even more interesting that convenience store roles are seen as dead-end jobs, because this article notes how hard it is to get Japanese nationals to fill vacancies at many of them. Why? Because they require completing a complex range of tasks for quite modest pay - and often irregular, shift work hours. Shouldn't it be celebrated, then, if someone loves their convenience store job? Clearly they are someone with initiative, someone who can multi-task, and someone who has a broad skill-set -- to me, all of those are wonderful assets to have!

I think it's great to chase the job you want, if you have your eye set on a particular career. I also think it's great to stay in a job if you like it, even if society thinks you should "aim higher". I for one am incredibly grateful for all of the convenience store workers here, who make life function so much more smoothly. I don't think they get thanked anywhere near as often as they should!