Ishimura Kazuhito, 45
Freeter (freelance part time worker) in Osaka
What’s your job?
I’m a freeter. Until last month I worked construction for about three months but hurt by back. I was lifting heavy objects which weighed up to 60kg. In five hours I would lift three or four tons! I worked five days a week and got paid each day, 8,000 yen for five hours.What about now?
It’s a strange job. You’ve probably never seen it, but I sit on a chair at a street intersection and count the number of cars for surveys. It’s gotten busy lately, three or four days a week. Other times just once or twice a week. I average about 10,000 yen a week, which is enough. I have no rent so most goes for food.Is your hometown Osaka?
Shikoku, Ehime prefecture, near Kagawa prefecture.Why did you move to Osaka to begin with?
I went to an vocational school for two years, learning heavy machinery. After graduating I worked at a company for almost 20 years. Certain economic and personal circumstances, which I don’t want to talk about, caused me to live here in the park about 11 years ago.So your job was related to that?
Completely unrelated. In the years from my graduation computers have more or less taken over, making humans unnecessary. You might say the schooling I received became obsolete. I was behind the times.Is your present job boring?
Yes, it’s boring.Do you plan to coninue?
For the time being since I have no other prospects. I would like to work with car engines but it seems I missed my chance. It’s easier than my previous job, but has bad points. I work in 24 hours blocks, in a rotation, which means I work two hours, then get a one hour break, so I work 16 hours in that 24 hour period. I’m busier in winter because there’s lots of road construction then. Also governments try to use their budgets before the end of March.That’s good, right?
Sure, but it’s cold! Economically it’s good, but not for the body. Working those 24 hour periods is tough, especially in mountain regions. Sometimes we go all the way to Shiga, Nagoya or Kanazawa. We also go to Shikoku. I’d like to visit my mother and brother at those times. My father passed away. My mother is a good woman. I go back home about once a year, usually at Obon. We visit my father’s grave.Any plans for the future?
I’d really like to work tuning engines. My grandfather used to fix bicycles so I think about doing that sometimes, for a side business.the end