Japan, A Story of Love and Hate
Verzio FF Naoki, 56, had it all in Japan's bubble economy days: he ran a business with 70 employees, drove a brand new BMW, and lived in a 6-bedroom house. But when Japan's economy crashed in the early 1990's he lost everything, ending up divorced and penniless. He was saved from livi...
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| Institution: | Open Society Archives at Central European University |
| Language: | English Japanese |
| Published: |
United Kingdom
2008
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10891/osa:a9811f3c-0021-46f3-9a03-98c2ada7dff4 |
| Summary: | Verzio FF
Naoki, 56, had it all in Japan's bubble economy days: he ran a business with 70 employees, drove a brand new BMW, and lived in a 6-bedroom house. But when Japan's economy crashed in the early 1990's he lost everything, ending up divorced and penniless. He was saved from living on the street by his new girlfriend, Yoshie, 29, who took him in, despite living in a tiny one-room apartment with no windows. At his age, the only job Naoki can find is a part-time one at the post office. Here, part-time means working 7 hours a day for about 400 Euro a month. Yoshie now has to find extra work to support him, slaving for 15 hours a day in 3 jobs. Each evening Yoshie leaves Naoki at home to do the housework and heads for a sleazy chat bar, where she is paid to drink, flatter and flirt with married men. Sometimes she comes home drunk and teases Naoki about his poor income. After taking her nightly dose of sleeping pills, she cannot remember anything. Naoki sees his relationship with Yoshie like one between father and daughter. He admits that since losing his business he has lost his confidence and his ability to have sex with Yoshie, too. Their life is a love story of survival in the world's second richest economy. |
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| Published: | 2008 |