Cake shop worker - the top profession choice for kids in Japan

Sometimes I worry about the rigidity of school life in Japan for my children. I can't help but feel like the pressure of academic achievement and success is a lot higher here than it is in my home country, with expectations of prestigious universities and certain careers already ingrained in a lot of kids.

I was encouraged, then, to see an article via the Japan Times covering the most sought-after jobs for elementary school starters this year had the top "dream career" as a bakery shop owner. I know that it's only new school starters, so perhaps their idea of a dream job is still quite whimsical and rooted in fun -- after all, what kid wouldn't want a variety of baked goodies at their disposal? I still thought it was lovely that kids didn't immediately have the doctor, lawyer, engineer vibe about them. In fact, second and third place were police officer and athlete respectively -- maybe inspired by the ever-popular Shohei Ohtani!

A poll of new elementary school starters saw the role of bakery shop owner being their most sought after career. Pic Credit: Darth Liu via Unsplash

It was an important reminder to me as a parent that nurturing a child's individual dreams and skills is so important. Of course, those dreams change as we get older -- in the early 90s when I started primary school (elementary equivalent in Australia), I wanted to be a marine biologist for a while because I thought dolphins were the coolest thing ever. That bounced around a bit, with aspirations of being everything from a hairdresser to a schoolteacher to a journalist. I never felt any pressure to be anything specific, and I think there's something nice about feeling like you have the flexibility and support to follow your own path and dreams.

My own kids have thrown around ideas of being artists and florists to professional LEGO builders (is that a career option?!) and firefighters. I love that they gravitate towards things that inspire them, rather than what they feel like society should have them do.

I think for many people, life would be a lot more joyful if they were given the opportunity to pursue something they genuinely loved. Of course, I know there are bills to pay--maybe that's where the pressure from some parents comes from here--but I also try and remind my kids that it's okay to want a simpler life.