Many people are looking for short-term jobs in their spare time due to soaring prices and concerns about the future. The popularity of matching apps that connect people looking to work in their free time with employers is on the rise, eliminating the need for resumes and interviews. Operating companies for these apps are increasing, with the total registered users of the top 3 companies exceeding 15 million. One example is Satoshi, a 67-year-old man living in the suburbs of Tokyo, who started working in his spare time and found fulfillment. Understanding one’s own abilities and situation objectively is key to success in work, as shown by examples like engineer Satoshi Nakamoto. His wife, a successful businesswoman, taught him the importance of self-awareness and self-forgiveness.
Due to rising prices and concerns about the future, many people want to work short-term jobs in their spare time. The popularity of matching apps that connect people who want to work in their spare time with employers is increasing. By registering on the app, there is no need to submit a resume or go through an interview process.
The number of companies operating these apps continues to grow, and the combined number of registered users for the top 3 companies exceeds 15 million.
Satoshi, 67, who lives in the outskirts of Tokyo, started working in his spare time half a year ago. “Two years ago, my daughter (40) who I live with yelled at me saying, ‘You’re going to get fat and develop dementia,’ and I decided to give up,” he said.
Living means just confirming where you are right now
Satoshi Nakamoto graduated from a local national university’s engineering department and worked for a machinery-related manufacturer until retirement.
“I wanted to become an engineer when I joined the company, but I was assigned to sales, and I have been in sales ever since. The company seems to understand the importance of placing people in the right positions,” he said.
Satoshi Nakamoto is optimistic, unafraid of failure, and has a strong sense of service. Sales did not seem to accept him.
“Yes, I don’t like to lose. It’s not a matter of courage, it’s a matter of strategy in a game. I told myself, ‘This is my current position, and to improve, I need these skills, so I intend to do that.’ People who don’t see results seem to push forward without considering their situation. The important thing is to objectively analyze your own abilities and condition, so all I do is follow what my boss says.”
He creates a hit list, gets the field staff to remember his face, and goes on business trips and sales visits. The basic training for sales is to handle a lot of work.
“My father, a Showa-era baby, taught me this way of thinking. After graduating from high school, he worked as a factory worker at a major manufacturer, eventually rising to become the company’s president. His favorite phrase was ‘confirm your place.'”
After Satoshi Nakamoto retired at the age of 60, he became the vice president of a subsidiary. His life as a company employee was smooth sailing.
“There were many failures and apologies, and there were times when I cried out of helplessness, but that was it. I realized that it was self-destructive behavior and stopped blaming myself.”
It was his wife who made him realize this. When Satoshi Nakamoto was 25, he fell in love at first sight with a woman five years older than him and married her, overcoming opposition from those around him.
“My wife works in sales at a foreign company. When the company introduced its own system, she came to explain it. She had a tight body, wore a black suit, had heavy makeup, and smelled like perfume. This atmosphere closely connected her to Japan.”
His wife graduated from an American university and was completely different from the Japanese women Satoshi knew.
“She is quick-witted and speaks fluent English. Her father-in-law worked for an international company, and she spent her childhood in the United States. She must have experienced a lot of racial discrimination in the US. And he said this: ‘When I start talking about regret and self-blame, he says, ‘Blaming oneself leads to inner decay,’ and cuts off the conversation.”
[After serving as vice president of the subsidiary for 4 years, his wife passed away…continue to next page]