Why a 57-year-old man who quit his job at a major company knocked on the door of the land of his dreams!
–Your book “Disney Cast Buzz Diary” has been reprinted six times and is selling well. Why did you decide to work at Disneyland in the first place?
Ichiro Kasahara (hereinafter the same)I worked at Kirin Beer for 34 years. The retirement age was 60, but at the time, if you retired early (at 57), you could get a higher severance pay, so I was debating whether to quit. Then, by chance, I read an article about a 64-year-old woman working at DisneySea. I thought, “She looks so lively and fun,” and that was a big factor.
What was the job interview like?
After I applied, I was called to Maihama, where the headquarters of Oriental Land, which operates the Disney Resort, is located, and I was given a form to fill out, including my desired job type, and then I had an interview. I didn’t have to submit a resume. I was contacted about the results two weeks later, and I was happily hired.
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— Quite a bit.It’s a simple job. What kind of work does the custodial cast member you worked as do?
The main job involves cleaning within the park, and half of the time this involves walking around the on-stage area (the area that guests can see) and half is spent cleaning the restrooms (toilets).
I use a dustpan and a toy broom to sweep the floor, and on busy days I walk about 30,000 steps. I was pretty tired at first, but I gradually got used to it and it was good exercise. I’ve also lost weight.
On the other hand, if you are in charge of the restrooms, you only have to go round and clean 3-4 restrooms in the area, so it is not physically demanding. Moreover, since it is indoors, we are also called the “winners” on rainy or snowy days (laughs).