Some days, it seems as if all of Japan is being run by part-timers. Every service job, from store clerks to ticket vendors to front-desk help, seems to be handled by nonregular employees. The enthusiasm of many freshly hired workers is matched by their lack of experience. One hardly knows what to expect when dealing with employees these days. Part-time workers can be friendly and smiling, yet not know the answer to even a basic question.

The shift from strictly regimented hiring to the omnipresence of part-time workers over the past decade has been a dramatic one. Greater freedom for some people to switch jobs within a permanently inexpert workforce has led to two very different kinds of results: On the one hand, young people can gain broad experience in the realities of society by working; on the other hand, part-time can become a cycle of low-wage employment from which some may never escape.

For most of those in college or technical schools, part-time jobs are a great chance to learn real-life work skills. Restrictions at high schools and the demands of the entrance exam make it hard for many young people to get a chance to start learning social skills, responsibility and the difficulties of work. Thus inexperienced young people can expand their horizons by working far beyond the limits of the next school exam.