私が高校生の頃は、土曜日でも午前中は普通に授業があったように思う。大人の世界でもまだ「週休二日制」という言葉はなかったのではないだろうか。休みは日曜日だけが当たり前で、そのことに反対する意見があったようには憶えていない。働いて勉強して、みんなが成果を上げることに必死になっていた。
　ところがいつの間にか、「日本を休もう」等というコマーシャルが流行るなどして、働き過ぎは良くないという風潮が社会に広まっていった。私に言わせれば、それも余暇産業が仕掛けた儲けるための施策だったように思うのだが。とにかく欧米を真似て、日本でも週休二日制やその他有給休暇などのシステムが定着してゆく。最近では産休や育休に加えて、介護休暇などが整備されているようだ。男性のための育児休暇もある。日本人は次第に働かなくなっていった。
　また「過労死ライン」という時間外労働時間の基準が作られ、「発症前1ヶ月間に100時間超」または「2～6ヶ月平均で月80時間超」働くと、過労死が認定される基準値に達するそうだ。働き過ぎによる心身への悪影響は深刻で、体調不良や様々な疾患、うつ状態などを引き起こし、最悪の場合は自ら命を絶ってしまう人もいる。日本をこれからどのような国にしてゆこうとするのかを含めて、一人ひとりが真剣に考えていかなければならない問題だと思う。

　義務感や勤める会社への忠誠心、或いはやらないと職を失ってしまうというような危機感がモチベーションとなって仕事をするのであれば、働き過ぎは非常に危険なことであって、法律などで労働者を守る必要が出てくると思う。実際は自分の仕事にそれほどのプライドが感じられず、生活のために仕方なく働いているという人が圧倒的なのではないか。経営者は労働時間や労働環境に本当に配慮してあげなければ、今後、多くの真面目な日本人の命を失ってしまうことになりかねない。給料を払うだけではなく、トータルで雇う側の責任が問われる時代になってきたということだ。

　だがしかし、仕方なくではなく、心の底から働きたいと思っている人がいるはずだ。命に代えても自分の仕事に尽くしたいと思っている人。止めろと言われても、構わず働き続けたい人。働けないのなら死んだ方がましだと思っている人。私はそういう人たちから生き甲斐を奪ってはならないと思う。その人から仕事を奪うことで、魂をも奪ってしまうのなら、それは殺人に限りなく近い行為なのではないか。頑張りたくて頑張って、その結果頑張りすぎて死んでしまうのなら本人も本望なのではないだろうか。
　死のうが病気になろうが本人の勝手だと思う。自分でそうなると分かっていながら選んだ道だ。確かに周りの人々に迷惑をかけることになるし、悲しませてしまうだろう。謝って済むような迷惑ではないのかもしれない。でも私はそれが神さまと本人との間で、本気で話し合った結果のことであれば、周りがとやかく言うことはできないように思う。命を懸ける自由はその人にある。

　この世では一人では生きていけない。自分で気づいているかどうかにかかわらず、私たち一人ひとりは他人の世話や犠牲の上で命を紡がせてもらっている。そういう意味では自分勝手に生きるなんてことは許されないのだろう。しかし一度しかない人生だから、命を懸けずにはいられないような何か価値のあるものに出会えたのなら、死ぬほどにトライしてみれば良いと思う。出会えた事実はこの上なくラッキーなのだから。

　血肉の命よりも大切なものが、ある

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The Right to Work

　When I was in high school, I think we usually had classes in the morning even on Saturdays. Even in the adult world, I don’t think the term “two days off a week” existed yet. The only day off was Sunday, and I don’t remember there being any opposition to that. Everyone was working and studying, and everyone was desperate to achieve results.
　Before long, however, commercials such as “Let’s take a break from Japan” became popular, and a tendency spread through society that too much work is not good. In my opinion, this was just another profit-making scheme by the leisure industry. In any case, emulating the West, a two-day workweek and other paid leave systems took root in Japan as well. Recently, in addition to maternity and paternity leave, nursing care leave has been established. There is also childcare leave for men. Japanese people are gradually working less and less.
　In addition, a standard for overtime hours called the “overwork death line” has been established, and if a worker works “more than 100 hours in the month before the onset of illness” or “more than 80 hours per month on average over two to six months,” he or she is said to have reached the threshold for being certified as having died from overwork. The negative effects of overwork on the body and mind are serious, causing poor health, various illnesses, depression, and in the worst case scenario, some people take their own lives. This is an issue that each and every one of us must seriously consider, including what kind of country we want Japan to be in the future.

　If people are motivated by a sense of duty, loyalty to the company they work for, or the threat of losing their jobs if they don’t do their jobs, then overwork is a very dangerous thing, and I think it is necessary to protect workers through laws and other means. In reality, the overwhelming majority of people do not feel much pride in their work and work only to make a living. If management does not give real consideration to working hours and working environment, we may end up losing the lives of many serious Japanese people in the future. It means that we are now in an era in which the employers are being held accountable not only for paying salaries, but also for their total responsibility.

　However, there must be people who want to work from the bottom of their hearts, not because they have no choice. Someone who wants to dedicate himself to his work even if it costs his life. Someone who wants to keep working even if they are told to stop. Those who would rather die if they can’t work. I don’t think we should take away their reason for living. If we take away their souls by taking away their work, it is an act that is as close to murder as possible. If a person works hard because he wants to work hard, and then dies as a result of working too hard, I think he would want that too.
　Whether he dies or becomes ill is up to him. It is a path that he chose, knowing that it would happen. It is true that he will cause trouble and grief to those around him. It may not be the kind of trouble that can be solved with an apology. But if it is the result of a serious discussion between God and the person himself, I don’t think people around him can say anything about it. The freedom to put one’s life on the line lies with that person.

　We cannot live alone in this world. Whether we realize it or not, each of us is given life through the care and sacrifice of others. In that sense, it would be unacceptable to live selfishly. However, we only live once, so if we come across something worthwhile that we cannot help but risk our lives for, we should try it to the death. The fact that you have encountered it is the luckiest thing in the world.

　There is something more important than life of flesh and blood.