 
Kootaroo, 16, first-year, private high school, boy, Tokyo
I receive a monthly allowance (  o-kozukai ) of 5,000 yen from my parents. My afternoons are busy with school club activities (  kurabu katsudoo ), so I don't have time to take a part-time job (  arubaito ). Sometimes I help out with chores around the house and receive some extra cash. My birthday was this month, so I bought a DVD player, something I had wanted for a long time, using savings from my monthly allowance and money my parents gave me for my birthday. I also bought two DVDs.
 What I'm really into now is martial arts. I'm a member of the judo club at school, and we have practice everyday after school. On Saturdays and Sundays we usually have matches. Two days a week, after judo club practice is over I go to the community sports gym for lessons in shoorinji kenpoo. After that much exercise, I usually stop at the convenience store on my way home for onigiri and a drink. You know, you get really hungry!
|
 Details of Kotaro's Accounts ( yen )
|
Mo./Day |
Item |
Income |
Expenses |
Balance |
| 11/27 |
Savings from previous month |
34,000 |
|
34,000 |
Birthday present |
10,000 |
|
44,000 |
Monthly allowance |
5,000 |
|
49,000 |
Electric hair clippers |
|
3,980 |
45,020 |
Lemon soda drink |
|
100 |
44,920 |
| 28 |
Apple juice |
|
100 |
44,820 |
| 30 |
Lemon tea candy |
|
160 |
44,660 |
| 12/2 |
DVD player |
|
19,800 |
24,860 |
Pride GP ( DVD ) |
|
6,800 |
18,060 |
| 5 |
Konnyaku jelly snack |
|
60 |
18,000 |
| 6 |
Kakutoogi Tsuushin
( martial arts magazine ) |
|
640 |
17,360 |
| 8 |
Zero no Satsujin
( The Zero murder ) ( book ) |
|
550 |
16,810 |
| 9 |
Game center charges |
|
300 |
16,510 |
| 10 |
Raamen ( eating out ) |
|
800 |
15,710 |
| 11 |
Apple juice |
|
100 |
15,610 |
| 12 |
Extra cash for household chores |
500 |
|
16,110 |
Onigiri, raamen, pastries |
|
700 |
15,410 |
Coke, kinako-mochi |
|
180 |
15,230 |
| 19 |
 Milk tea ( drink ) |
|
100 |
15,130 |
| 21 |
Pride-10 ( DVD ) |
|
4,800 |
10,330 |
|
Kurabu katsudoo ( club activities ): One survey** found that more
than 60 percent of Japanese high school students are members of school
clubs, which are of a wide variety of types, including sports, culture-related, and science-related activities. Clubs provide the opportunity to pursue hobbies, receive training in skills and sports, as well as get to know students of other classes at school, establish relationships with all kinds of people, and make friends. (See the TJF Newsletter, no 18, A Day in the Life).
Arubaito ( part-time works ): The Japanese word for part-time or casual employment derives from the German Arbeit ( work ), and refers to chiefly to work done by high school and university students in their free time in order to supplement the allowances given them by their parents. According to one survey,** about half of Japanese high school students have had part-time jobs at one point or another, commonly as waiter / waitress, kitchen helper or as attendants in convenience stores, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and gas stations. Many utilize their longer vacations to earn money on part-time jobs. The hourly wage ranges from about 750 to 1000 yen.
