![]() ![]() When Shiraha-a “dead-ender” in his mid-30s who decries the rigid gender rules structuring society-begins working at the store, Keiko must decide how much she’s willing to give up to please others and adhere to entrenched expectations. ![]() ![]() Why hasn’t she married and had children or pursued a more high-flying career? Keiko recognizes society expects her to choose one or the other, though she’s not quite sure why. But when her younger sister has a baby, questions surrounding her atypical lifestyle intensify. And for someone who’s never fully grasped the rules governing social interactions, she finds a ready-made set of behaviors and speech patterns by copying her fellow employees. ![]() From the nails she fastidiously trims to better work the cash register to her zeal in greeting customers with store manual–approved phrases to her preternatural awareness of its subtle signals-the clink of jangling coins, the rattle of a plastic water bottle-the store has both formed her and provided a purpose. Keiko Furukura, a 36-year-old resident of Tokyo, is so finely attuned to the daily rhythms of Hiiromachi Station Smile Mart-where she’s worked since age 18-that she’s nearly become one with the store. A sly take on modern work culture and social conformism, told through one woman’s 18-year tenure as a convenience store employee. ![]()
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