The Five-Year Mark
J started at First Class Ruby at 24. This year makes five. "At first I figured on one or two years" — I've heard that line several times across these interviews, but in J's case it carried a slightly different meaning.
"Things you can't do in one or two years became possible in five. So I kept going. That's all."
Five Years of Income
— How did your income change over five years?
J: First year, my average monthly income was ¥450,000. Second year, ¥650,000. Third year on, steady at ¥800,000–900,000. In peak season there were months I cleared ¥1 million.
Rough total over five years comes to more than ¥40 million pre-tax. Of course not all of it is left over — once you subtract living costs, taxes, health-management expenses and so on, my assets right now are about ¥20 million.
— ¥20 million in assets — what are you building it toward?
J: Three big things. ¥10 million toward the down payment on a condo, ¥5 million in index investments for retirement, and the remaining ¥5 million as "cash for if something happens." With 30 as a milestone, I plan to actually move on buying the condo.
"My 24-year-old self holding ¥20 million five years later" — I never imagined it. It's a number I could absolutely never have reached if I hadn't worked at Ruby.
Saying the "What I Lost" Honestly Too
— Was there anything you lost over the five years?
J: I'll be honest. Two things.
1. Some friendships. I told a few friends "I work in fuzoku," and some of them put distance between us. It shocked me at first. But now I accept it as "that's the kind of relationship we had." The relationships that truly matter haven't changed across these five years.
2. The fantasy of a "normal career." Job hunting, becoming a full-time employee, working decades at the same company — that option of walking life's set rails disappeared from inside me. Whether to call that something I "lost" is hard to say, but there's a sense of having come from a place I can't return to. Still, I don't regret it.
"What I Gained": Something More Important Than Money
— Tell me what you gained beyond money.
J: Two things: "the power to read people" and "the power to protect myself."
Over five years I've talked with hundreds of people. All different in occupation, age, personality. As a result of stacking up that experience, I gained the power to read, in a short time, "what state is this person in right now, and what are they after?" I think that's a power you can use in any situation in life.
By "the power to protect myself," I mean the power to say no to things I hate. The me at the start was terrified of saying "No" to anyone. But over five years, through repeatedly signaling "I can't do this far" and "I want to turn this person down," the power to convey my own will grew. I think that's an incredibly important skill for living as a woman.
— Did your mental strength change?
J: Hugely. My 24-year-old self was a person extremely swayed by other people's evaluations. I'd convinced myself that "on a day with few nominations, my worth is low." Now I've internalized that "the result of the work is a separate matter from my worth."
I became able to make that "separation" around the third year. The fact that "today didn't go well" and "my worth as a human being" are two different things. Once I could think that way, the work got easier.
On Ruby as a Place
— Tell me why you were able to keep going at Ruby for five years.
J: Trust in the staff — it comes down to that. There's someone you can turn to when you're in trouble. They protect you when you're treated unreasonably. Your own will is respected. A workplace where all three of those line up is surprisingly rare in any industry.
Over five years I've worked with many staff members. Every one of them was consistently "on the girl's side." Sometimes they said harsh things, but I could take them because I had the conviction that "this person is thinking of me."
— What do you want to tell people about to start?
J: "Think long-term." Not "try it once and if it's bad, it's over," but imagine "what can I do over a span of three, five years?"
One year at ¥500,000 a month × 12 months = ¥6 million; five years = ¥30 million. Not all of that becomes assets, but once you can calculate "what state I'll be in five years from now," your motivation changes.
The reason I could keep going five years is that I had the goal of "what do I want to achieve in five years?" A condo, assets, my next career. The feeling of advancing one step at a time toward a goal was my reason to work every day.
On to the Next Career
— Tell me your plans going forward.
J: At 30 I plan to graduate from Ruby and move on to my next career. Specifically, I want to open a personal-training gym for women. Across five years of earning at Ruby and continually investing in managing my body, my interest in fitness grew. Right now I'm studying for the certification on the side.
"Ruby isn't the goal." Ruby was a "preparation period for advancing to the next stage." I think that awareness changed the quality of my work.
— Lastly, for anyone hesitating right now.
J: Please don't overthink "whether you're suited for it." The me of five years ago couldn't have thought she was suited for it. But once I started, the parts that suited me kept turning up.
What matters is having a goal of "what am I working for." People with a goal keep going. People without one waver and drop out. Before you call, think once about "where do I want to be in six months, in a year?" When you call holding that answer, the conversation with the staff gets a lot more real.
First Class Ruby — Job Information - Official site: https://www.tfr-ruby.com/ - Location: Urawa Ward, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture - Hours: 06:00–24:00 (fully flexible scheduling) - Recruitment hotline: 070-1462-0622 (24 hours) - LINE ID: ruby2017s