I visited a vocational school. Tuition there costs over ¥2 million. I’m working part-time and went because I hoped I might be able to attend someday.

Maezawa from the CEO’s office here, too. > I was surprised to hear that major companies apparently don’t hire high school graduates anymore. Rather than not hiring them at all, many companies simply list a college degree as an application requirement. Also, it seems that some companies only hire people with work experience for mid-career positions, while those without experience can only apply as new graduates. > You can’t even get a qualification on a part-time worker’s hourly wage. I’m not sure what qualification you mean, but exam fees are usually around ¥10,000, right? You should be able to afford it even on a part-time wage. I can understand to some extent if you’re saying you can’t pass without attending school, but there are people who pass through self-study as well. In the end, it depends on how much effort you put in. For now, start studying today. If you do, you’ll be able to get the qualification. Though I’m not sure what you plan to do with it afterward, and perhaps you’re referring to a qualification that requires more than just taking an exam.

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. You really shouldn’t worry too much about academic background. These days, it’s less about educational credentials and more about ability and competence. If there’s something you want to do, find your passion and master it. Start by saying, like SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, “I’m going to launch a company and eventually grow it into a trillion-yen, then two-trillion-yen business” (not tofu), and keep saying it. If you have the ability, this is an era when you can build a company even bigger than a one- or two-trillion-yen corporation（笑） Hold on to your big dreams and do your best.

I’m Shingo Lee, a columnist. In the past, I supported my girlfriend, who was working part-time, so she could attend university. Her parents had neglected her and completely cut off their support when she graduated from high school, telling her to “get out.” My recommendation is that you seriously aim for university rather than vocational school. You shouldn’t put too much faith in people who say things like, “You’ll be fine with just a high school diploma.” Some people do succeed with only a high school education, but in general, the path is more difficult than it is for university graduates. Of course, people can succeed after high school, but they usually need specialized knowledge, unique skills, or some other advantage. If, since graduating high school, you haven’t gained any specialized knowledge or skills that set you apart from other high school graduates, I recommend pursuing further education. According to statistics in Japan, there is a gap of about ¥1.3 million between the average annual income of university graduates and that of high school graduates. That is the average difference. There are three reasons I recommend aiming for university rather than vocational school: 1. Japan is likely to decline in the future, so a degree may be necessary if you want to work overseas. 2. A university degree is generally more advantageous when looking for a job than the specialized knowledge gained at vocational school. 3. Under certain conditions, university can actually be more affordable. First, Japan hasn’t grown for the past 30 years, while most other countries have continued to develop. When I was in university, I thought, “There’s absolutely no way I’ll ever go abroad,” but I ended up working in both the United States and China. At the time, I couldn’t obtain a visa without a university degree, so I was glad I had graduated from university. A degree is valued not only in Japan but overseas as well, so you really have nothing to lose by getting one. Second, excluding vocational schools that provide specific qualifications, such as hairstyling or nursing licenses, it’s generally understood that you can acquire most basic professional skills after joining a company. University graduates typically start out earning about ¥20,000 more per month, and there’s also a difference in hiring rates. If you’re going to pay the same tuition, university is the obvious choice. Third, many universities offer night programs costing around ¥2 million for the full four years. You can attend while working. Some regular universities also offer correspondence programs, which cost around ¥800,000 over four years. With some planning, you may even be able to transfer into a regular university as a third-year student and adjust your final academic credentials. In most cases, correspondence universities are treated the same as regular university graduates. I once told my girlfriend, “If you want to make your dreams come true, go to university,” and she is now working while attending a correspondence university. I encourage you to pursue a university education, and I’m rooting for your future success.

I’m Flag Maker, a columnist. If you’re vaguely thinking of finding a job with good conditions or stability at a major company, then I can see why you’d think that. But there are plenty of demanding jobs that pay well, even if you only have a high school diploma. If you go to school, you’ll need to count the tuition as a negative and find a job where you can earn enough to make up for it; otherwise, it may not be worth it. So I think starting to work hard right now is also one option.

You can’t change your educational background, so I think it’s worth making an effort to write properly, expand your vocabulary so you can communicate effectively, and broaden your horizons. In the end, you have to earn your own money to support yourself. —Akari

I’m Dai, a male member. There’s no denying that getting a job at a major company at this point would be quite difficult. But if you stay a part-time worker, your income probably won’t increase much, so it would be hard to build up savings on that alone. Ultimately, it depends on what you want to do. If you’re still young, you could use your cuteness to your advantage and work in the nightlife industry, or go to Hello Work and look for a job at a small but stable company. Both are valid options, I think.

I’m Kazu, a male member. You’re a high school graduate working part-time, right? I don’t think major companies automatically refuse to hire high school graduates. Of course, depending on the industry, field, or position, some major companies may only have openings for new university graduates. But even if you went to university now, graduated, and applied through the new-graduate hiring track, I think your chances of receiving an offer from those companies would still be extremely low. Even if you started getting approached while walking around Tokyo, that wouldn’t solve the issue of having grown up in a difficult family environment. That’s obvious. The two things are so unrelated that I honestly can’t understand how you arrived at that idea. The new-graduate hiring track is for hiring ordinary people who went straight from high school to a four-year university, haven’t yet been exposed to the harsh realities of society, and can easily be molded to fit the company. So I recommend giving up the idea of going back to school now just to get a job at a major company. If you’re thinking of attending vocational school and then finding a job, I think you’d be better off choosing a program that gives you a practical qualification, such as nursing or caregiving. Even without money, if you had studied seriously throughout middle and high school and achieved excellent grades, you might have been able to enter university with a scholarship you wouldn’t have had to repay. However, you’ve already missed that opportunity, so the usual choices now would be either to pay for school and acquire a practical skill, or to work hard while learning one on the job. The idea that getting a job at a major company guarantees a secure life is a Japanese model of happiness from the latter half of the Showa era. That was over 30 years ago, so I don’t think there’s any need to fixate on working for a major company.

I’m in Seattle. I only graduated from high school too. Your education can be dealt with somehow. If you make money through Universe University and save up, all your problems will be solved. As for your father, he doesn’t matter, so you might as well cut him out.