元旦、二日の休業、大歓迎 FIRST AND SECOND DAYS MUST BE HOLIDAYS

　

元旦、二日休業、大歓迎
 

百貨店最大手の三越伊勢丹ホールディングスは、伊勢丹新宿本店や銀座三越など首都圏の８店舗で、来年１月２日を休業日にする。従業員の負担軽減を狙い、元日に続いて連休とする。稼ぎ時の「初売り」を３日にずらすのは異例だ（朝日デジタル)

元日と２日に店を休みにするのに賛成だ。昔は、ほとんど全ての店は、この両日は休みで、３日も休みという店があった。当時、街路は静かで、車が走っておらず、空気は澄んでいた。みんな家族と家で正月遊びをしたりしてゆったり過ごした。しかし、今日は、スーパーやデパートが開店しており、皆がいらないものまで買うために店に群がり、大型店の前では車が列を作り、排気ガスを出して、環境汚染に貢献している。なぜ、今日の日本人はこんなに忙しくなったのか。仕掛け人は誰なのか。商業主義に踊らされず、自分を見つめる時間が必要ではないか。

JANUARY FIRST AND SECOND DAYS MUST BE HOLIDAYS

According to the Asahi Digital news, eight stores of the Isetan Mitsukoshi Department Store Group including the ones in Ginza and Shinjyuku are going to close on January 1 and 2, starting the New Year’s sale on January 3. It is unusual for a department store to close on the first two days of the New Year when they have a good chance to make a profit. The group reportedly aims to lighten the load for the employees

I agree with the idea that stores should close on the New Year’s days. Decades ago, almost all the stores were closed on January 1 and 2, and sometimes on 3. The streets were quiet with scarce traffic. The air was clean. People stayed at home and spend leisurely time with their family playing New Year’s games. Today, however, supermarkets and department stores are open; people rush to the stores to buy things they don’t actually need; automobiles make a long queue before big stores, emitting exhaust fumes, contributing to the deterioration of the environment. Why are the Japanese people so busy nowadays? Who has made them so? They should stop being manipulated by commercialism, but should have time for themselves.