There are many parasite singles in Japan, and those who are still parasite singles at age 40 or older are called Kodomo-beya Ojisan according to the Internet in Japan. Everyone calls them Kodo-Oji for short.
The literal translation into English is an uncle who lives in a child’s room. In this article, I would like to write about the advantages and disadvantages of being a parasite single (Kodo-Oji), I interviewed my colleague from my part-time job in college, a parasite single (Kodo-Oji) in his 40s, about the advantages and disadvantages of being a parasite single (Kodo-Oji).
Advantage of Parasite Singles (Kodo-Oji)
Financial freedom
Since you will be living with your parents, you will not have to pay full rent most of the time. Even if you have to pay half of the rent, you will be able to save more money compared to living alone.
Roughly speaking, even if you deduct the money you put into your house, you can still have more than 100,000 yen a month, depending on how much you earn. That’s 100,000 yen a month, or 1.2 million yen a year.
If you include your bonus or just cut back a little more, you could be looking at saving 2 million yen a year. If you live alone and want to save 2 million yen in a year, this could be impossible without a lot of planning and cutting back. This is a big advantage of being a parasite single (Kodo-Oji).
Peace of mind with parents
Being able to have a conversation with someone at home is a great blessing. When you live alone, it’s not uncommon to end the day without talking to anyone. This is one of the best parts of living alone, but living at home, you don’t have to.
Living with your family makes you feel like you belong to a community with a strong bond. At any rate, the mental stability is far greater, and you will feel more relaxed. Considering the age difference between you and your parents, it is not possible to maintain a community forever, but it is definitely an advantage in the short term.
Also, when there is an earthquake or typhoon, don’t you feel uneasy when you are alone? At such times, it is very reassuring to know that your parents are there for you. It is also beneficial to have parents who can take care of you when you get sick, such as having a cold.
No need to cook
Most parasite singles (Kodo-Oji) have parents who prepare meals for them. That’s a great advantage. This is especially true when you experience living alone and then living at home.
It is wonderful to have a meal prepared for you while you are working or out running errands. If you think about it carefully, it is the same situation as hiring a housekeeper. It’s only natural that life would be more comfortable.
Many families have parents who do the cleaning and laundry. Sharing meals and household chores or letting your parents do them is a big advantage of being a parasite single (Kodo-Oji).
Disadvantages of Parasite Singles (Kodo-Oji)
Caring for parents
As a parasite single (Kodo-Oji), you are living in a community with your parents, so you are jointly and partially responsible for various responsibilities.
One of the biggest disadvantages is caring for their aging parents.
When the care for your parents begin, there is a concern that you will be detained forcibly in your parents’ home, unable to escape from your parents’ home even if you try to escape from Uncle Nursery.
If this happens, you will lose the timing to leave your parents’ house and you will live in your parents’ house for a long time.
This is a big disadvantage in terms of losing the freedom to choose your residence.
However, caring for one’s parents is difficult to avoid even if one lives alone, so I feel that this is somewhat out of place as a disadvantage for Uncle Kid’s Room.
Also, some people think that in the future, uncles with children’s rooms will fall together due to the care of their parents, but I think that this is a problem of poverty, not uncles with children’s rooms.
The problem of parasite singles due to poverty is a different problem from the merits and demerits of Uncle Nursery.
Less alone time
People who value private time or alone time will often find it hard to live with their parents.
Living with your family makes you feel less lonely, but on the other hand, it makes you feel uncomfortable because you lose your personal space.
If your parents are both working, you may have your alone time, but if your mother is a housewife, you may find it agonizing to have no private time to yourself.
If you want to live an open life, you need to live alone.
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