Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
Lately, there's been a lot of talk about blue-collar and white-collar workers.
What exactly are "blue-collar" and "white-collar" jobs anyway!?
That's what you'd think, right? lol
That's right! We blue-collar workers didn't even know that term!
This is a term that white-collar workers have arbitrarily coined to categorize—is it discrimination? Or just a distinction?
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🔹What Are Blue-Collar and White-Collar Jobs?
This term originally comes from a name used to refer to the American working class.
Blue Collar
→ People who wear work clothes (such as blue overalls, work shirts, or jeans) and primarily perform manual labor.
Examples: Construction workers, factory workers, drivers, mechanics, etc.
White Collar
→ Someone who wears a white dress shirt and a suit and primarily performs intellectual work.
Examples: Sales, Planning, Accounting, Human Resources, Engineering, Design, etc.
In other words, it's a word that comes from the color of clothing.
However, the real issue isn't "what kind of clothes to wear to work," but "how to work."
🔹Is this a “distinction” created by white-collar workers?
In fact, this term itself has a structure that creates a hierarchy of superior and inferior.
Scholars and the media
"Intellectual Work = White-Collar Work"
"Manual labor = blue-collar work"
classified as,
The idea of which is “more valuable” has been ingrained in society.
In other words, it’s a term that can easily carry a discriminatory connotation—namely, that “white-collar workers look down on blue-collar workers.”
But in reality, society won’t move even a millimeter unless the blueprints drawn up by white-collar workers are brought to life on-site by blue-collar workers.
It means that without us, none of this would be possible!
🔹Work Styles of Blue-Collar and White-Collar Workers
Blue-Collar
We blue-collar workers do "physical" work.
A typical day on site begins at 8:00 a.m.
6:00 a.m. – Wake up, make a packed lunch, and head out
8:00 a.m. Start of work on site (morning meeting and KY)
10:00 Short break
12:00 Lunch break
3:00 p.m. Break again
5:00 p.m. End of event; Cleanup
A beer after a shower at 7:00 p.m.! 🍺
I go to bed at 10 p.m. to be ready for the next day.
This rhythm is second nature to me. It’s a way of working that gives me a strong sense of having “worked a full day” and a real sense of accomplishment.
White-Collar
On the other hand, white-collar jobs are those that “rely on the mind.”
The battlefield isn't out in the field—it's in the office or in front of a computer.
8:30–9:00 Arrive at work
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Email, meetings, and preparing documents
1:00 PM–5:00 PM: More meetings, consultations, and phone calls
5:00 PM–6:00 PM: Finally, my main job (organizing documents and data)
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Overtime, waiting for my boss's approval...
I don't finish work until after 10 p.m. (I might even miss the last train.)
Some people open a can of beer on the train ride home, but for them, it’s not the “end of the workday”—it’s an “extension into tomorrow.”
Depending on the situation, I might have to go to the site, get called in by the city office, and so on... (I can't seem to get home.)
🔹Which is easier? Which is better?
They're just different "forms of responsibility."
Blue-collar workers take responsibility with their bodies, while white-collar workers take responsibility with their minds.
"The day ends because my body is tired." "The day doesn't end because my mind is tired."
It’s not just one or the other that supports society.
Even if White makes a plan, nothing will change unless Blue takes action.
Even if Blue moves, White has to do the calculations to ensure both safety and efficiency.
Which one is right for me? (Is this a work style that suits me?)
Ultimately, both tasks carry the same weight and are equally important.
And the hardest job of all is that of the site supervisor!
After all,Gray!!!!(Both on-site and in writing)
That's exactly why this job deserves a high salary.
There’s a very good chance this will become even more valuable in the future!! (If you can do it perfectly, the pay is great.)
That said, what do I want to become?
Do you want a job that involves physical activity?
Do you use your brain at work?
People in Japan today have an extreme aversion to blue-collar jobs.
But in reality, white-collar jobs are actually more grueling and demanding.
Blue loses some health at first, but eventually becomes stronger.
White is wearing me down, and before long, I'll end up in the hospital!?
Without realizing that, they plunge headlong into white-collar work.
I also think that the way Japanese education, YouTube, and social media shape people’s perceptions plays a negative role.
That is precisely why we need to do more to promote our work.
We plan to do even more to highlight the strengths of our work.
There are quite a few companies like that these days, after all.
Slope construction companies really need to promote themselves more!
Let's all join hands and work together to revitalize this industry!
See you later.
