ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses Furita, ie o kau as a mainstream representation of precarious living in Japan's shifting economic landscape. It contextualises the series within the history of television drama, drawing attention in particular to the ways in which television played a role in supplying justificatory arguments for participation in Japan's post-war economic system, or what Boltanski and Chiapello refer to as particular 'spirits of capitalism', by addressing issues of excitement, security and the fairness of particular economic arrangements. This chapter also discusses the economic terrain of post-bubble Japan with particular reference to part-time workers, or freeters, in order to map out the contending definitions of this social and policy category. It consists of a narrative analysis of Furita, ie o kau. The discussion demonstrates how the narrative provides new resources to address questions of excitement, security and fairness in the Japanese economy as the protagonist Seiji is reintegrated into the world of full-time work.
