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9/28/2004

Chewing gum & death in the workplace

Filed under: — jeff @ 7:42 pm

I can’t believe how busy I’ve been at work the past couple of weeks. . . I feel like I’m slowly metamorphosing into exactly the kind of stereotypical salaryman whose pathetic existence I pity. Pretty soon I’m going to have to start chewing Lotte’s ‘No Time’ gum because I won’t be able to take three minutes to brush my teeth in the morning.

There’s actually a word in Japanese that means “death from overwork”: karoshi. Companies here are known to literally work their employees into the grave. In fact, in recent years there have been several lawsuits from families demanding compensation for the deaths of husbands and fathers sacrificed for the sake of the bottom line. Thankfully, I’m nowhere near that point (yet). Actually, if I were to reach such a level, I reckon I’d be more likely to flip out and kill someone else rather than succumb myself. I’m just that sort of “take action” kind of guy.

Anyway, back to work. . . .

I’ll leave you with the last of the photos from Kamakura. Enjoy!

A stone fox wearing a bib with bells at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu A stone lion in the back of Kenchoji's temple grounds A water basin with dragon spout at the Hansobo shrine A karasu tengu (crow goblin) at the Hansobo shrine A yamabushi tengu (mountain monk) at the Hansobo shrine

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