There is always money in the Banana Stand

It was too good a name to pass up on even if I did forget what I was originally going to write about.

But I will tell you how Japan is largely a cash based society. That's right. No plastic.
The vast majority of the population either does not have credit or debit cards. And I am not even sure if the later even exists here. The cards they do have are ATM cards. I am not sure how most of the Japanese population gets paid, but right now I get my cash directly deposited into a bank account I set up with the Japanese Post Office (that is right, the Post Office is also a bank). However, I my struggle to find a job here, I nearly accepted a position that paid its employees in cash. Kind of shady right? However they seemed to think it was completely normal.
Anyhow, upon getting paid, I must suppose that the majority of people go and draw out all their money, as they seem to have endless supplies of it at home. And seemingly never go to the bank. So when you see a Japanese people wandering the streets of Gion, they have all the cash they need on them for that day typically when they set out. And will have no need to visit an ATM. I remember a teacher at my school had misplaced his wallet and it went with the denizens of other unfound wallets into the land of the lost. Anyway, when reporting it he had to claim everything in the wallet and said that there was upwards of 60,000 yen in it. That is more than 700.00 USD for those who are curious. And THAT is considered pocket change.

Savings is more of another recent thing for them. I think that many Japanese people either don't fully trust banks or that the interest the banks offer is negligent and why bother at that rate. Personally I don't have anything other than a post bank account, which makes hardly any interest; and therefore cannot offer you any insight into the banking world of Japan. Anyhow when interviewing an older Japanese man about banking, he  told me that he started a savings after university when he got a job. However, people often rely on their pensions when they retire and not their savings. He tells me he is one of the rare people who makes good use of his savings by traveling abroad with its funds during his vacation time. When I asked about his children he informed me he never gave them an allowance like the do in America, but would occasionally pay for his children to go to the movies with friends and such. When interviewing another, younger, person about the Japanese cash society, she seemed to have a more open mind about banking and savings. She had a savings for herself, her family, as well as a saving for her son who is about 8. Much like my own mother, she has hidden the fact that he has a savings and will deposit money in there every month. When I inquired if she does allowance, she said that she does that as well. For him he gets 2000 yen every month. When he was in grade 1 it was 1000 yen and when he reaches grade 3, it will be 3000 yen. You see the pattern. I asked what he did with the money and she said that kids his age mostly buy snacks, candies, and the machine toys with it, and when they get older they might do things like puri-kura or games.
As far as jobs go in Japan, you can get a job at the legal age of 13 in Japan, but you must have written consent from the parents and school (please note, it might just be one or the other as things might have changed since interviewer #1's son was in high school). Outside of those arrangements, 15 is a more legal age at which you need no consent save from the employee. But I get the feeling that many people hold off until after highschool (for those who end their education there) to get a job or sometimes even after going to university. And sadly at that point, if you are expecting a cushy, nice paying, respectable job in Japan, you are sadly mistaken, as it seems the availability of jobs for recent graduates is pretty poor at the moment. I would even venture to say as poor as it is in America. But part time work is available and many a-student makes good usage of the availabilities that are offered to earn some extra cash for their more posh attire and more frequent evenings out.