It's not that I'm not interested. It's just physically impossible.

"Young people these days aren't interested in cars."
Every time I hear that phrase in the news, I give a bitter smile.
Because every time I hear it, the thing that pops into my head is my own household budget.
I'm in my 30s and work in the welfare sector.
Let me be clear: It's not that I'm not interested. It's just "physically impossible" to own one.

The fixed costs called maintenance, which are scarier than the "purchase price"

When the topic of cars comes up, the price of the vehicle is often discussed.

But what really puts a strain on my life isn't the price at the time of purchase. It's the ongoing, never-ending fixed costs known as maintenance fees.

Parking fees, automobile tax, vehicle inspections, voluntary insurance, and gasoline costs. In urban areas, just keeping a car parked costs tens of thousands of yen every month. Whether you drive it or not, the money just keeps flowing out.

My take-home pay in welfare work is around 200,000 yen. After paying for rent, food, utilities, and my phone bill, I can't exactly say I have much to spare...

Adding another few tens of thousands of yen in fixed costs on top of that...

This is no longer a "matter of saving money," but a burden that would cause my life itself to collapse.

The train is not a "choice," but the result of elimination

My primary means of transportation is the train.

But this isn't because I'm "choosing" to take the train. It's the only option I have. That's all there is to it.

When I buy heavy groceries on my way home from work, on rainy days, or on days when I have a lot to carry—honestly, I often think, "It would be so much easier if I had a car."

But the admission fee to obtain that convenience is just too high in Japan today.

What I want isn't "interest," but a decent amount of breathing room

In rural areas, a car isn't a hobby; it's a life necessity. For commuting, shopping, and going to the doctor. Yet, even maintaining that necessity has become a heavy burden for the current working generation.

If the salary for welfare jobs were a little higher. If car maintenance costs and tax burdens were a little lighter.

I think I would have owned a car like everyone else...

It's not that I dislike cars. It's just that a car has fallen outside the scope of what is "normal" for someone working and living a normal life.

Every time I hear the phrase "moving away from cars," I think to myself:

It is not us who have moved away.

Even working a normal job, I can't afford to own a car. The lack of breathing room in this society is leaving us behind.

Now that I'm in my 30s, the more I try to organize my life and desperately protect it, the more I come face-to-face with that reality.

Instead of gripping a steering wheel, I am once again gripping the reins of my own life tightly today.

I believe that is the best choice I can make right now to 'organize my life'.