By Wang Yifeng

Working as a barmaid, a job that Japanese women once avoided, is now enviously highly paid. The profession is even prioritized by girls in Japanese high schools over that of public servants and nurses.

Such mindset, looking down on have-nots rather than whores, is worrisome.

Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Wednesday that a survey of 1,154 high school girls, conducted by the Tokyo Institute of Culture, found that barmaids rank 12th among the top-40 favorite jobs, beating public servants and nurses, in 18th and 22nd place, respectively.

The report said that the root of the result is few job opportunities for Japanese women. Even though they could secure some jobs, they are usually low-paid and unstable.

The long-lasting economic gloom has made an increasing number of women surrender traditional virtues to the highly paid barmaid profession.

Keeping clients drinking in Japanese bars is salaried annually as high as $100,000, with up to $300,000 for some top barmaids and even $20 per hour for part-time barmaids.
 
Some actresses and congresswomen in Japan were also once barmaids, although some Japanese religious and feminist groups hold that barmaids often have to have sex with their clients, likely leading them into a life of prostitution.

For the Chinese version, see P5 in today’s Global Times Chinese edition