84-year-old Japanese grandmother Yuriko handmakes over 300 pastries every night starting at midnight, preparing them for customers in the early morning. Most items are sold for less than 140 yen, which is under one euro.
On the one hand I could make about about it being a shame having to work at her age, but I do have to wonder (and no this isn’t support for Musk and baby havers) if the low birth rate in Japan keeps people working to keep the family business alive when there aren’t enough in the next generation to pick it up? Like in the West when small family farms collapsed due to the next generation migrating to industry and urban areas. Could be she just loves it
There's a longer video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksy3RgVaTcQ Obachan works with her adult son and seems to be having a great time. When asked about her favorite part, she mentions it's seeing her "kids" (patrons) all grown up with their own families, coming to get her pastries still. She could be minimizing with the 10 fold gate, but it seems like she's Pastry Ba-chan 4 life
I dream of businesses that operate so that the customer is happy and the people who do the work are paid enough. No need for hand-over-fist profits. Just everybody having plenty.
Thats sad as hell too. If people are unable to find things to do besides a job thats a failure of society or some other factor IMO. There are so many things you can be doing, lots of people unfortunately just have their entire identity based around work and dont know how to be themselves outside of their job
Could be just wanting to do something. I just watched a video about an older Japanese guy who retired and opened a wood fire pizza place in this remote area, makes a certain amount of dough for the day and when that's gone, that's it for the day. So people just don't want to sit around and watch tv all day.
They have a philosophy called Ikigai , meaning to find purpose. So alot of people regardless of age , will wake up and continue doing jobs /role as it gives them a purpose. They say it why they live longer, purpose gives them a reason to get up, go out, keep moving etc. Rather than just sitting on your arse in retirement and waiting to die.
She's japanese so it's ok. If she were american we'd be talking about how trump is making the elderly work and that this is typical late stage capitalism.
Yeah no. Japan is facing a massive aging workforce issue and the elderly are being forced to stay working because of such low birth rates. The US isn't the only place with problems.
Could be either or honestly. I know a lot of people see stuff like this and think "shame she has to keep working" which I think is fair for like grocery baggers etc. but honestly a ton of people really just find retirement to be boring. Personally heard about a lot of people that dream of "retiring" and running a bakery or an ice cream parlor or something just because it's something they enjoy.
That is something I'd like to do - run a little coffee shop and bakery. It is a pipe dream because...well, you see how shitty the US is right now. Se also: my health is likely the best it will be and decline thanks to a life of fatness and depression.
I worked with an older guy at Walmart. He worked in the shoe department. His severance package from his last job was 270k just because he retired. He said you can only mow the lawn and go fishing so many times.
I just wish i could look at content like this and say unequivocally “its wonderful to see someone following their passion” instead of wondering if they’re doing this because of an external or even internal obligation to work forever. Even if they say they’re doing it because retirement is boring, that can often mean that throughout their life they never learned how to truly exist outside of work so they dont know what to do with themselves once they dont have a job
A lot of people wouldn't really consider baking "work". How many women have you met throughout your life that constantly bake and make treats for people because they think it is fun and they can't eat all of it? I've known quite a few. I think part of this is you need to understand that just because somebody might make a business out of it that doesn't mean they love having a job, they just might like the activity. I like fixing things because it is like a puzzle for my brain, not work.
Welfare is still working fine in Japan. If you have no money (no house or anything) then govt just hands over you 130k to 140k (depends on places though) which is only slightly cheaper than working with minimum wage part time job full time and that’s actually enough to just live through without feeling that pathetic (if you want you can spend 50k on food which is more than enough for a person). So you can assume those working old people are doing on purpose, or extremely dumb/crazy
Fendeezy
She's so tiny, no taller than the display case.
voydkastor
Retirement, naw..
PenguinNamedWobbles
Cast her in howls flying castle live action.
layinginbedfeelinglikeaquesarito
On the one hand I could make about about it being a shame having to work at her age, but I do have to wonder (and no this isn’t support for Musk and baby havers) if the low birth rate in Japan keeps people working to keep the family business alive when there aren’t enough in the next generation to pick it up? Like in the West when small family farms collapsed due to the next generation migrating to industry and urban areas. Could be she just loves it
thomacocks
There's a longer video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksy3RgVaTcQ Obachan works with her adult son and seems to be having a great time. When asked about her favorite part, she mentions it's seeing her "kids" (patrons) all grown up with their own families, coming to get her pastries still. She could be minimizing with the 10 fold gate, but it seems like she's Pastry Ba-chan 4 life
10Upvotes
https://youtu.be/zoZfG1OOIpk?si=BLdc1HyXGzIsngFk if you'd like to more of the bakery, the customers, location Yaoki Bakery https://maps.app.goo.gl/aDFiTnbc3HX872fH9
HardyandRamanujan
I appreciate the warm good feels here but a hairnet might he a good investment, esp if she's wiping the chocolate off with her bangs like that
irrationaldesign
This is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.
REOJackwagon
"Time to make the doughnuts"
sadurdaynight
I remember the commercials, but the "atlas swear mod" vid has forever stolen the phrase for me
svga
favorite and forget... again...
TheButtInButterfly
i am so fucking lazy now that i think about it
ObeySparky
I am with you on that. It amazes me how little I can accomplish when I really don't try.
DKE3522
That's a tough lady
B0reas
Looks like my local Tofu lady. Same work ethics. Same back pain probably.
ThatRaccoonGuy
I dream of businesses that operate so that the customer is happy and the people who do the work are paid enough. No need for hand-over-fist profits. Just everybody having plenty.
kumihanska
Mmmm…. these pastries smell like authentic orphan crushing machine pastries.
backrideup9
The orphan crushing machine has moved on to the elderly.
friendsofsandwiches
Her back is killing me.
DarkDesertHighway
*Immediately corrects posture*
zulireth
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1M3cwN3ptYzc0OHBvcjJyNzV2bXlvaWloYW80bHBzZTh6bTB2NTNzcCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/FEItmTz4vKJWX0jWzE/200w.webp
ArmsLikeNoodlez
But does she have to vs retiring or is she forced to and simply deals with it out of pure obligation?
[deleted]
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LanceSackless
Thats sad as hell too. If people are unable to find things to do besides a job thats a failure of society or some other factor IMO. There are so many things you can be doing, lots of people unfortunately just have their entire identity based around work and dont know how to be themselves outside of their job
Bandlith
Could be just wanting to do something. I just watched a video about an older Japanese guy who retired and opened a wood fire pizza place in this remote area, makes a certain amount of dough for the day and when that's gone, that's it for the day.
So people just don't want to sit around and watch tv all day.
pullingsixty
I'm gonna guess its a family business and she's been at it her whole life. It's just what she does.
tinyCabbage
They have a philosophy called Ikigai , meaning to find purpose. So alot of people regardless of age , will wake up and continue doing jobs /role as it gives them a purpose. They say it why they live longer, purpose gives them a reason to get up, go out, keep moving etc. Rather than just sitting on your arse in retirement and waiting to die.
PocketCleric
Id call that a hobby
hjf2011
She's japanese so it's ok. If she were american we'd be talking about how trump is making the elderly work and that this is typical late stage capitalism.
TyphoonMuscles
?
It's only bad if circumstances force her to do this. If she does it just cus she's used it then it's cool.
Kiotetravels
Yeah no. Japan is facing a massive aging workforce issue and the elderly are being forced to stay working because of such low birth rates. The US isn't the only place with problems.
QuitLookinAtMineAim
No, she obviously enjoys it /s
QuitLookinAtMineAim
Lol, you guys think she does this because it's fun? Ffs
hyptosis
Alozar
Could be either or honestly. I know a lot of people see stuff like this and think "shame she has to keep working" which I think is fair for like grocery baggers etc. but honestly a ton of people really just find retirement to be boring. Personally heard about a lot of people that dream of "retiring" and running a bakery or an ice cream parlor or something just because it's something they enjoy.
Emiloo74
That is something I'd like to do - run a little coffee shop and bakery. It is a pipe dream because...well, you see how shitty the US is right now. Se also: my health is likely the best it will be and decline thanks to a life of fatness and depression.
Isthe4thtimethecharm
I worked with an older guy at Walmart. He worked in the shoe department. His severance package from his last job was 270k just because he retired. He said you can only mow the lawn and go fishing so many times.
yopick
Finding purpose apparently is very important to stay healthy as we get older too.
LanceSackless
I just wish i could look at content like this and say unequivocally “its wonderful to see someone following their passion” instead of wondering if they’re doing this because of an external or even internal obligation to work forever. Even if they say they’re doing it because retirement is boring, that can often mean that throughout their life they never learned how to truly exist outside of work so they dont know what to do with themselves once they dont have a job
Alozar
A lot of people wouldn't really consider baking "work". How many women have you met throughout your life that constantly bake and make treats for people because they think it is fun and they can't eat all of it? I've known quite a few. I think part of this is you need to understand that just because somebody might make a business out of it that doesn't mean they love having a job, they just might like the activity. I like fixing things because it is like a puzzle for my brain, not work.
fuguri
Welfare is still working fine in Japan. If you have no money (no house or anything) then govt just hands over you 130k to 140k (depends on places though) which is only slightly cheaper than working with minimum wage part time job full time and that’s actually enough to just live through without feeling that pathetic (if you want you can spend 50k on food which is more than enough for a person). So you can assume those working old people are doing on purpose, or extremely dumb/crazy