Hello.
- Acts of kindness
- Words of compassion
These are natural behaviors for people living in Japan.
Is your life smooth sailing?
No matter the reason for becoming unemployed, let’s try shifting our perspective to that person’s point of view.
In Japan, engaging voluntarily in unpaid service—so-called volunteer work—can actually be the most efficient path for the future.
Do you understand why that is?
Some people seeking employment may feel that volunteer work, which doesn’t support their livelihood, is meaningless—and that view deserves respect.
Public servants at employment offices or lawyers who offer consultations—if they themselves have lived smooth lives without complex job loss experiences—would likely never suggest volunteering as a solution.
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During the summer break of my third year in high school, I volunteered at a local elderly care facility (a special nursing home).
My tasks included folding diapers and setting out chairs for orientation—about 2 to 3 hours of service.
After graduation, I aspired to contribute to society through music.
At vocational school, I supported international students and built friendships.
Soon after, I returned home.
(From here began 25 years of unwanted jobs.)
I was invited to work at the company where my uncle was employed.
- I worked as a sash installer at a small company near the elderly care facility I had volunteered at two years prior.
(Benefit) I installed an aluminum sash terrace at that same care facility.
⚡ First Job Loss
I was laid off due to the company’s financial difficulties.
___ I helped support my family by tending and harvesting my grandmother’s hobby farm.
- I worked in local manufacturing.
(Benefit) Because of the three-shift system, I relied on a 24-hour supermarket.
(Benefit) After late-night shifts, I’d stop by a nearby convenience store and was kindly given a warm oden skewer. ("oden" is wormth foods, Season is the winter.)
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🔁Second Job Loss
Due to the effects of the Lehman Shock, I was laid off as a temporary worker.
However, I was told, “You can still stay if you want,”
—but since the salary would be halved, I declined.
- I encouraged former colleagues who were in the same situation.
- I voluntarily created administrative materials for a certain support initiative, free of charge.
- I devoted myself wholeheartedly to caring for the cat I once kept at home.
- I picked up litter—like discarded trash and cigarette butts—at the local park on my own initiative.
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• I took a job at the post office, introduced by an acquaintance.
🌀Third Job Loss
Due to a leg injury from a postal delivery bike and lingering pain from the aftereffects, I repeatedly joined and left the company.
- I assisted in caregiving for my bedridden grandmother at home.
- I offered advice and support to an acquaintance in a difficult situation.
- I shared philosophical insights to provide psychological support.
- (Causal)
I continued voluntarily picking up trash in the local park. - (Causal)
One day, I happened to pass by an elderly person who had been foraging for wild plants and had wandered onto the road, confused and unsure of where they were. They stopped me, and I guided them home. They said, “I would’ve been scolded by my family…” and, although tipping is not customary in Japan, they insisted, “Please accept this—it’s just a token of appreciation.” I didn’t want to take it, but I gratefully accepted the tip.
Even after my illness, when I was nearly out of money…
- (Causal) I continued picking up trash in a small parking lot next to a convenience store, in the rest area, and along the adjacent beach.
- (Causal) When I went to buy a canned coffee at a nearby convenience store, the clerk kindly brewed me a hot coffee instead—which was even cheaper.
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-
I took a job at a 24-hour supermarket.
(Gratitude) This was a way to repay the kindness I had received during my previous three-shift work period, when I had relied on this store for support.- During breaks between short shifts, I voluntarily picked up trash in the park.
- (Causal) I continued picking up litter in the small parking lot next to the convenience store, the rest area, and the adjacent beach.
- (Causal) As more fishing visitors began to use the parking lot, the atmosphere improved—more cheerful convenience store clerks gathered, and the overall vibe became more welcoming. (This transformation was truly artistic.)
- I offered encouragement to senior colleagues and acquaintances.
- I voluntarily collected trash along public roads.
- (Benefit) Even as a short-time part-timer, my total working hours increased.
- During breaks between short shifts, I voluntarily picked up trash in the park.
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・I began working at a cleaning company located near the public road where I had previously picked up litter.
- I found a partner for the first time, and I supported them through actions and heartfelt messages. (Service to another person)
- I performed unpaid overtime and supplemental duties.
- (Benefit) I cleaned the convenience store where I had once received a free oden skewer during my three-shift work period.
- (Gratitude) I temporarily volunteered to clean the 24-hour supermarket that had increased my working hours.
- (Gratitude) I went to wax the floors of the elderly care facility where I had installed a terrace 22 years earlier. (The terrace I had built back then was still there.)
- (Causal) I continued picking up trash in the small parking lot next to the convenience store, the rest area, and the adjacent beach.
- However, someone at the company who didn’t understand the spirit or structure of volunteerism criticized me, saying, “You selfish guy!” and “Trying to show off, huh?”
- (Disillusionment)
I stopped picking up trash voluntarily because I didn’t want to be called selfish by my coworkers. - Eventually, the convenience store clerk—who had quietly supported my efforts—began whispering criticisms about me in front of customers, joining in on rumors about my personal relationships.
- As more fishing visitors came to the parking lot, the amount of litter increased, and the area became dirty.
- The number of clerks at the nearby convenience store decreased, and the atmosphere turned gloomy.
- However, someone at the company who didn’t understand the spirit or structure of volunteerism criticized me, saying, “You selfish guy!” and “Trying to show off, huh?”
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🔚 Fourth Job Loss
I resigned due to harassment and overwork, which had become the reason for changing jobs.
- In order to find new employment for the sake of my partner, I obtained certifications and skills in a short period of time.
- (Painful farewell) My partner suddenly and eerily cut off all contact without explanation, leaving me in emotional distress.
- Through independent music production, distribution, and promotional activities, I became aware of my social role and began sharing information with the world.
As of now, I remain unemployed… What comes next is still unknown.
First Choice: Staff position in the music industry.
Second Choice: Staff role in cultural fields, including international work.
Third Choice: Staff role in international trade-related work.
That’s all.
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The key question is:
“Has the spirit of serving society truly manifested?”
It all began with a pure act of service during my third year of high school—an offering that wasn’t bound by money.
From that moment onward, within that same community, a chain reaction of benefits received and gratitude repaid has continued without interruption.
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🔥
I declined to join the local firefighting brigade designated for third-level emergency response in Japan, as I was busy with other responsibilities.
For some reason, the prestige associated with such a role seems to inflate people’s egos. Surrounded by local residents, I often face criticism for not being part of the brigade, which fosters a sense of discrimination.
However, when it comes to service, the only difference is whether one serves in the spotlight or supports from behind the scenes.
“In the realm of service, what difference does that make?”
Why is it that my heartfelt service—quietly carried out behind the scenes—is labeled as “selfish” or “just trying to look good” by members of the company’s firefighting team or by public perception?
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💰
There’s a background worth considering.
I heard from a local member of the firefighting brigade that when they go out on patrol duty—ringing bells at night with a “kaaan-kaaan-kaaan” sound—they receive payment from the local government.
In this region, it’s about 1,000 yen per patrol.
In this way, public recognition and favorable conditions for employment at local companies are tied to both reward and reputation.
In the event of a large-scale fire within a Japanese municipality, third-level firefighting brigade members—though each holding their own regular jobs—are called upon to assist in firefighting efforts.
These are not self-directed firefighting units, but rather trained and organized responders who participate in drills and competitions nationwide.
They are young and middle-aged individuals stationed across Japan, standing by in readiness.
During a fire emergency requiring third-level deployment, brigade members abandon their company duties to respond—making them heroes in the public eye for their visible actions.
Therefore, the pride of those company employees who risk their lives as part of the firefighting brigade deserves respect.
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🕊️
However, when someone offers heartfelt, unpaid service—precisely because they are unseen by the public eye—
there exists a societal tendency to erase such individuals from recognition.
The general public perception ends up exposing them as if they were arrogant or inconsiderate.
This, I believe, strays from the essence of pure volunteer spirit.
<...And so, I ask poetically.>
And now—
Please, take a moment to reflect.
This may be something you didn’t know.
That’s why—
Let it settle in someone’s heart.
Remember this.
If you ever stumble in life, try to recall it.
Surely, it will offer some kind of hint.
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🌍
Now then, having analyzed and shared this background—
Are you relying solely on monetary rewards to support your life?
Even for those who are employed, there are unpaid initiatives such as clean-up activities that reflect a company’s environmental awareness.
It was the power of human compassion—rooted in volunteer spirit—that enabled us to overcome the devastation of earthquakes.
Japan is a culture where kindness is naturally embraced.
Thanks to this, even within our welfare society, a sense of health and balance is maintained.
--
Let’s simulate the following stages:
- A company engages in volunteer activities for environmental care. As a result, the company maintains environmentally conscious, stable production, and its sales continue steadily.
- For reasons such as prioritizing performance, the company stops its environmental volunteer activities.
- The local environment begins to deteriorate, and residents’ awareness of environmental care declines.
- The company’s internal environmental systems lose balance due to a decline in local mental health and lifestyle awareness, caused by human factors.
- Although the company’s sales increase due to prioritizing performance, it becomes busier managing internal environmental risks. Volunteer activities become even harder to maintain. (A vicious cycle)
- An unemployed local resident voluntarily boosts the cleanliness of the environment through independent volunteer efforts.
- The company’s volunteer activities become supported by this foundation.
- The local community’s mental health improves.
- The negative human impact on the company’s internal environmental systems begins to decrease.
- The company’s internal risk management stabilizes, creating surplus capacity.
- Amid performance prioritization, the company earns enough profit to afford increased labor costs.
- The company regains the ability to engage in volunteer activities.
- The unemployed local resident no longer needs to maintain the clean environment alone and unpaid.
- Despite being unrelated to direct profit, the fact remains that this unemployed person’s spirit and actions of free service had been supporting the company’s volunteer efforts.
- As a result of this volunteer spirit, the unemployed person—who acted without seeking profit—expands the space in which they can work, and enters an environment where employment becomes possible.
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🔄
Looking at all the stages above,
have you noticed how the flow clearly changes—centered around the keyword “unemployment”—due to the influence of Japanese social culture?
It may not seem like a major force at first glance.
However, the causal relationships—both in this simulation and in the actual outcomes of my volunteer spirit—demonstrate a completed cycle.
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🏢
Let me present another simulation scenario:
In the case of a product sales company:
Suppose the company’s volunteer activity involves sharing unbiased, fair health information with society.
However, if the company neglects this and focuses solely on profit, then yes—sales may surge dramatically.
But the burden of risk management also increases, and time costs rise.
As a result, the company can no longer deliver health information.
Society begins to lean toward supplements and imbalanced diets, leading to severe distortions in distribution and unprecedented demands for response.
In such a situation, an unemployed individual shares free, fair health information, helping to raise public health awareness.
- (I.) This leads the company back to a stable mode of operation, where product management and distribution can be handled as before.
- (II.) The previous intense fluctuations in sales had generated surplus labor costs.
Thanks to (I.), the company returns to a calmer pace of profit growth compared to its earlier busyness.
And through (II.), the company reinvests in labor costs tied to its sales.
Thus, the actions of the unemployed person have influenced these outcomes.
This demonstrates how volunteer activities and the spirit behind them interact effectively with Japan’s social systems.
These are:
“Reemployment processes that people with smooth-sailing lives cannot experience.”
“Things you won’t be taught at "Hello Work" in Japan.”
--
<And so, once again, I speak poetically.>
I wish not to struggle with money.
I wish not to struggle with daily life.
Even if I lose all means—
Please, don’t give up.
Remember this.
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🌏
If someone is from overseas, holds Japanese nationality, and finds themselves unemployed—
I might approach them and say:
“Would you like to do something together—something free and voluntary, rooted in mutual service?”
In that moment,
they may come to learn about a path toward work—a path that is only possible here in Japan.
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📎<Bounus Chapter>
Regarding my efforts to help colleagues beyond my own assigned duties,
I was once told:
“Stop doing volunteer work.”
This came from a male colleague I worked with—someone who was dating a woman with marriage in mind.
He had a personality marked by delinquent behavior toward society.
While he would do anything for the person he loved, he seemed to have no interest in serving those he considered insignificant.
(It appears his way of thinking rejected the idea of supporting others’ work within the same company.)
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💞
I once had a partner—someone I went out with and shared time as a couple.
Supporting such a precious person, or a future spouse, is in itself an act of unconditional love—a noble expression of the volunteer spirit.
In other words:
Work is a form of service that sustains life with someone you cherish.
To love that person is to serve them.
And to work is to embody that love.
This is a deeply important point in how I understand the meaning of work in my life.
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💬
What does it mean when someone who is already in a relationship says that work is not a form of service?
I don’t outright deny their view.
However, I believe the following attitudes are problematic:
- Is their approach to the relationship based on making the partner serve their own needs?
- Is it not about loving the partner, but merely satisfying personal desires?
- Is the mutual support between partners seen as something separate from charitable service—reduced to financial gain or social appearance?
- After marriage, does the relationship carry something beyond love—something transactional or performative?
To work is to serve.
To serve is to love.
And love gives work its meaning.
That’s all.
Mach appreciated, Thank you for reading.
Note:
Over the years, I’ve learned to shift perspectives and embrace a spirit of service to society.
Since my youth, I’ve dreamed of contributing to world peace through artistic expression—especially music.
I began participating in the activities of Japan’s Soka Gakkai during high school, and for more than 20 years, I’ve practiced the art of encouraging others through this path.
Throughout my young adulthood, I served as a volunteer security member at local Soka Gakkai centers, mainly through a youth training group called Gajyo-Kai.
Our mission was to protect the space while sharing Buddhist humanistic philosophy and hope for life.
Now, having just transitioned beyond the youth age bracket, I continue this spirit of service through Oujyo-Kai, where I speak about the profound teachings of Buddhism—known as Gosho—to inspire hope in others.
・To avoid any misunderstanding, I’d like to add a note.
In Japan, even friendly and open-minded people may react negatively when the word “religion” comes up in conversation—sometimes associating it with eccentricity or suspicion.
That said, Christianity has been widely embraced in Japan as a cultural influence, often through its integration into music, animation, and other forms of art.
Whether one believes or not is a personal matter, but its cultural presence is generally accepted—and that, I believe, is a beautiful thing.
As for my own beliefs, I’ve been engaged in the activities of Soka Gakkai, a movement rooted in peace, culture, and education.
Its core is dialogue—heart-to-heart exchanges that transcend cultural boundaries and foster trust and friendship.
This is grounded in the Buddhist principle that all people are equal in the dignity of life.
To cross oceans, I turn to music.
To cross the walls within the human heart, I turn to music.
This is the path of hope I choose to walk.
