
Yokai who don't work, working people: A look at work-life balance and modern yokai

Introduction: A declaration of hard work and an encounter with a monster
In October 2025, Sanae Takaichi, who became Japan's new Prime Minister, declared, "We will throw away the phrase 'work-life balance.' We will just work, work, work..." That's some incredible passion. But when I heard those words, I felt a vague sense of dread.
It's not a new thing that "work" has been considered a virtue, but when it's too one-sided, it can almost feel like a "curse." If "living = working" becomes the given, then what will we become?
It was at times like these that I felt it would be good to borrow the eyes of a yokai to look at things from a different perspective.
Yokai are symbols of "inaction"
Think back to that famous line from the theme song of "GeGeGe no Kitaro." "Yokai don't have jobs or anything." That alone is enough to make you envious.
Yokai are truly "nothing" beings. They don't go to work, they don't have titles, they're not pressed for time, they just exist there. They're a little scary and mysterious, but there's also a freedom to them that's somehow enviable.
They are not bound by the rules of the human world. Productivity? Efficiency? It has nothing to do with them. In fact, you could even say they are the poster children for inefficiency. But that's exactly what makes them so fascinating.
Overworked society and "possessive" people
The idea that "those who continue to work hard should be rewarded" is a value that is at the root of modern society. Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks likely stem from this belief.
But...wait a minute.
Do you have to keep working hard without taking a break? Doesn't that feel like you're almost "possessed" by something?
We're all obsessed with something these days: emails, notifications, tasks, deadlines... It's like we're possessed by modern-day ghosts.
A perspective from a non-working monster
In that respect, yokai are free-spirited. When they do something, they do it, but when they don't, they don't do it at all. It's as if they have a motive, but also they don't. It's not that they're true to their desires, but rather that they simply take the stance of "I do it because I want to."
When you look at these monsters, you can't help but want to say, "Isn't that okay?"
As Yokai-ya, we don't really understand the term "work-life balance." If we were only concerned with maintaining a balance, wouldn't we end up not being able to focus on the things we're truly passionate about?
"Living a biased life" - doesn't that sound very eerie?
Proposal: Living with a Yokai Brain
In the common sense of human society, yokai are "useless beings." But that's what makes them interesting. That's why they're unforgettable.
Immerse yourself completely in what you love. Value your own feelings without worrying about what others think or say about you. If you could live like that...it would be a little like a monster, and somehow free, wouldn't it?
Take a moment to step away from your "roles" and "titles." Then, awaken the "monster brain" that lies dormant within you. This kind of time is surely what is needed in today's society.
Conclusion: Maybe we should become a little "monster"
We don't live just to "work." Rather than wearing ourselves out for reasons like "it's work" or "everyone else is doing it," we live like monsters, at our own pace, absorbed in the things we love.
It's okay to be a little biased or a little eccentric.
I think that this is the "monster way of life" that will allow us to survive in today's world.
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