This paper aims to define the image of male skilled workers in the 1950s-1970s by examining the life histories of former and active compositors, who have worked in small printing companies in Tokyo. When we examine former attitudes toward life and work, it becomes clear that lifestyles have changed considerably. In the past, workers established networks, which allowed them to move from one company to the next without constraints, and took pleasure in activities such as drinking, gambling and paying for sexual services. Their moving from one company to the next was a symbol of their skillfulness, as well as their slovenliness and thriftlessness. These two aspects were recognized to be closely related. Regarding their attitude towards gender issues, it appears they were influenced by two contradictory ideologies: one being that the man should be the breadwinner, and the other being that the wife should engage in paid work. However, during Japan's high-growth period, such lifestyles began to lose their acceptance by management organizations, trade unions, and even compositors themselves. Although collective movements were not far-reaching in their efforts to deny such a lifestyle, it is noteworthy that both trade unions and workers themselves criticised not just the working life of the compositors, but rather their lifestyle on the whole.
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