Homework - Secret

This refers to the main form of home work in which raw materials, machinery, tools, etc. are provided by manufacturers, wholesalers, or contractors (intermediaries), and the worker manufactures or processes the goods alone or with help from family members, receiving processing fees. According to the definition by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, a "homeworker" is a family member other than the head of the household, such as a housewife or elderly person, who engages in home work in between housework to help support the household, separate from the head of the household, and is distinguished from "full-time home workers" (those who perform home work as their main occupation and make a living through it) and "second-job home workers" (those who perform home work alone or with family members in between their main occupation by the head of the household who has another main occupation).

The history of side jobs in Japan dates back to the Edo period. In "Nihon no Kasho Shakai" (1899) by Yokoyama Gennosuke, side jobs during the establishment of capitalism are described as "side jobs for the poor," such as "making cigarettes, lining match boxes, lining lampshade hats, trade goods such as turtlenecks, sewing tabi socks, sewing thongs, knitting, wrapping candles in hearts, and lining fans."

According to a survey by the Ministry of Labor (now the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare), the number of homeworkers continued to increase during the period of high economic growth, peaking at 1.64 million in 1972. The number began to decline during the recession following the oil crisis, and since the 1980s, the number of homeworkers has been rapidly decreasing, partly due to the outflow of domestic manufacturing industries overseas (according to the "Homework Survey," the number was 1.06 million in 1985, 510,000 in 1995, 310,000 in 2000, 190,000 in 2005, and 140,000 in 2009). 90% of homeworkers are women. Traditionally, most homeworkers were in the textile, electrical equipment, and miscellaneous goods industries, but since the 1990s, there has been an increase in work done at home using information and communication devices (design, drafting, document entry, data entry, writing, translation, illustrators, website creation, etc.). The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare distinguishes these types of work done at home from traditional homework (homework).

The Homework Law (Act No. 60 of 1970) was enacted to regulate homework-type work from home. In order to clarify the terms of employment, it stipulates the issuance of a homework handbook, the assurance of payment of wages, the determination of minimum wages, measures to improve safety and health, and the establishment of a homework council.

[Goga Kazumichi]

"Terazono Shigeaki, 'Commentary on Domestic Labor Law' (1981, Labor Administration Research Institute)" ▽ "Kamio Kyoko, 'The World of Domestic Labor' (2007, Gakushu no Tomosha)" ▽ "Yokoyama Gennosuke, 'Japan's Lower Class' (Iwanami Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

製造業者や問屋または請負業者（仲介人）から原材料や機械、器具などの提供を受けて、単独または家族の補助者とともに製造、加工を行うことによって加工賃を得ている家内労働のなかの主要な形態をいう。厚生労働省の定義によると、「内職的家内労働者」とは、主婦や老人など世帯主以外の家族で、世帯主とは別に家計補助のため家事の合間に家内労働に従事する者をいい、「専業的家内労働者」（家内労働を世帯主が本業として行い、それによって生計を維持している者）および「副業的家内労働者」（ほかに本業を有する世帯主が単独で、あるいは家族とともに、本業の合間に家内労働を行う者）と区別している。

　日本の内職の歴史は江戸時代にまでさかのぼる。資本主義確立期当時の内職の姿は、横山源之助著『日本之下層社会』（1899）において、「巻煙草(たばこ)、マッチの箱張、ラムプの笠(かさ)張、貿易品亀(かめ)の子、足袋(たび)縫、鼻緒縫、編物、蝋燭(ろうそく)の心巻き、団扇(うちわ)張」などが「貧民の内職」として描かれている。

　労働省（現厚生労働省）の調査では、高度成長過程で内職従事者は増大し続け、1972年（昭和47）には164万人とピークに達した。石油危機（オイル・ショック）以降の不況のもとで減少に転じ、1980年代以降、国内製造業の海外流出も加わって内職従事者は急速に減少している（「家内労働調査」によれば1985年106万人、1995年51万人、2000年31万人、2005年19万人、2009年14万人）。内職従事者の9割は女性が占めている。従来の内職は繊維、電気機器、雑貨などの業種に多かったが、1990年代以降、情報通信機器を活用した在宅就労（設計・製図・デザイン、文書入力、データ入力、ライター・翻訳、イラストレーター、ホームページ作成など）が増加している。厚生労働省はこれらの在宅就労を従来の家内労働（内職）と区別して扱っている。

　内職的家内労働を規制する法律として家内労働法（昭和45年法律第60号）が制定され、委託条件を明確にするため、家内労働手帳の交付、工賃支払いの確保、最低工賃の決定、安全衛生改善措置、家内労働審議会設置などが定められている。

［伍賀一道］

『寺園成章著『家内労働法の解説』（1981・労務行政研究所）』▽『神尾京子著『家内労働の世界』（2007・学習の友社）』▽『横山源之助著『日本の下層社会』（岩波文庫）』

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