working life...

Another day has almost passed, well for me it has since I will be out of the office around 5.30. For most salarymen (and women) it is like a dream to finish at this time in the typical Japanese office. Whether it is due to the overload of work that they have or just the time they have to pass and follow suit with the other subordinates, the result is still the same, they work until the last train or out of the office around 10 (if they are lucky). This seems to be a common situation with most employees. Obviously, some people love to work and really enjoy their work - a kind of a hobby at the same time, although I would expect that this would be around 20%, correct me if I am wrong, please. I view work that it should be enjoyed, but you should also have a life after work that you can participate in the activities that you would like to do as well as spending time with friends and family. Although, on the other hand in Tokyo, I think a lot of people (particulary men), stay in their offices to avoid the stresses of family life and prefer the peace and quiet (?) of the office and the freedom. As you can guess, land is a premium in Tokyo, as in most large cities, therefore making houses, apartments small and cramped and without the privacy one may desire. Not really all that busy at work, but "staying late at the office due to work" is a good excuse as any.

Without work, one doesn't feel needed in society, yet with it, one feels the sense of restrictedness and the wall of rules and obligation to the company. The Japanese seem to like the suffering that goes along with work - the long commute, the rules of office, the cramped layout of desks, the dull interior, the annoying superiors, the sacrifice of the true desire of love...
the list goes on. There are so many instances that I see around me that seems to epitomise the suffering that goes in Tokyo (or Japan). The suffering only stops when they (Japanese) realise this, and usually this is portrayed as too late.

You know quite well, deep within you, that there is only a single magic, a single power, a single salvation...and that is called loving. Well, then, love your suffering. Do not resist it, do not flee from it. It is your aversion that hurts, nothing else.
Hermann Hesse