Friday, August 30, 1991. 6:30 AM.
When the alarm clock went off, Tanaka Kenji opened his eyes and looked at the slightly dim ceiling.
He reached out to touch the alarm clock on the bedside table, turned off the prompt tone, lay in bed for a few seconds, and then lifted the thin quilt to sit up.
His wife Miho was already up. From the direction of the kitchen came the sound of running water and the gentle clinking of dishes, the refrigerator door opened and closed once, followed by the soft click of the gas stove igniting.
Tanaka pulled on a T-shirt and walked out of the bedroom.
Half of the living room curtains were drawn open, and the morning light slanted in, falling on the floor.
Beside the television, his five-year-old son Daisuke was leaning over a small table, holding a crayon and drawing something on paper, with a tuft of hair sticking up.
"Morning." Tanaka walked to the kitchen doorway.
Miho turned her head back, holding a spatula in her hand. "Morning, the water is boiled, pour it yourself."
Tanaka opened the cabinet, took out a teacup, poured half a cup from the hot water kettle, and added some cold water from a pitcher taken out of the refrigerator.
He stood in front of the refrigerator, took a sip, and casually pushed the door shut.
The S-Mart loyalty card pasted on the outside of the refrigerator door came into view.
That was a small card with a magnetic base, usually stuck on the refrigerator, and could be easily taken off when going out to buy things.
Tanaka looked at it twice, only to remember that he seemed not to have applied for his employee shopping quota for this quarter yet.
Just last month, the Human Resources Department issued a notice that regular employees could receive a certain quota according to their rank, to be used in shopping malls and stores designated by the group.
He had not felt that there was anything special the family needed to buy before, so he had put the matter out of his mind.
Coincidentally, his wife had recently mentioned wanting to change a set of tableware.
After coming back from the bank today, he could stop by the company on the way to complete the application.
Tanaka carried his cup to the dining table.
Breakfast was already set out.
Fried eggs, miso soup, grilled fish, and a small dish of leftover pickles from last night.
"Is there any milk left?"
"Yes, I just took it out."
Miho took a carton of milk from the refrigerator and poured it into her son's cup.
"Daisuke, come over and eat."
Daisuke dropped his crayons, ran over, climbed onto the chair, held the cup with both hands, and took a big gulp.
"Delicious."
After finishing, he lowered his head again and took another sip.
Miho smiled and reached out to wipe the milk stained on the corner of his mouth.
"Do you like it?"
"Mm, this tastes better than yesterday's."
"Can you even tell the difference?"
Tanaka looked at his son with some amusement.
But Miho picked up the milk carton and looked at it.
"It really seems different. It is newly released by S-Farm recently. I saw it at S-Mart yesterday and just bought a carton."
"New?"
"Mm, they said it just started selling."
She put the milk carton back into the refrigerator.
"If Daisuke likes it, we will buy this one next time."
Tanaka nodded slightly, picked up a piece of fish and put it into his mouth, chewing very slowly.
Today, he deliberately arranged his morning time to be a bit more generous. Usually at this hour he would have already gone out, but at ten o'clock this morning, he had an appointment at Sumitomo Bank.
A housing loan.
This matter had been lingering in his mind for nearly two months.
The child was growing up. Although the employee housing specially provided by the company was good, with two bedrooms and a living room, good lighting, and cheap rent, it was rented after all.
Daisuke would enter elementary school next year, and Miho had mentioned a while ago whether they should consider buying a house.
Tanaka did not agree immediately at that time.
It was not that he did not want to buy. Who would not want to have their own house?
The problem was money.
He was the acting Section Chief of Saionji Logistics, and his income was already much better compared to those other companies that were constantly laying off employees or even going bankrupt.
His pre-tax annual income was about seven million plus yen. After deducting taxes and insurance, his actual take-home salary and bonuses averaged over four hundred thousand per month. The year-end bonus fluctuated according to performance, and last year he received an amount equivalent to four months' salary.
Therefore, as long as their family did not have any extra expenses, they lived quite comfortably.
The family also had savings. Over the years, he had been saving very carefully, and now there was about twelve million or so.
According to housing prices during the bubble era, this little money was not even enough for a down payment. But now things were different.
Starting last year, land prices in Tokyo began to drop. At first, the drop was not obvious, but after this spring, the speed became faster and faster.
The apartment he had his eyes on was quoted at eighty-five million last year, and when he went to ask again last month, it had dropped to sixty-eight million.
The real estate agent said it would drop further.
Tanaka did not know how much of the agent's words could be believed, but one thing was very clear to him—now was indeed the first time in the past ten years that ordinary people could afford a house.
But the banks' attitudes had also changed.
In the past, as long as you had land, banks could not wait to shove money directly into your hands.
Now it was the other way around.
Every day newspapers were filled with news of certain banks tightening credit and certain enterprises' capital chains breaking.
An acquaintance of his in the same industry had just resigned from his company last year wanting to open his own store, but as a result, the loan was not approved, the store was not opened, and he was still looking for a job everywhere now.
Tanaka himself was not worried about unemployment.
Although the Saionji Group had been somewhat affected in the past two years, and that project in Odaiba indeed seemed a bit too money-burning, overall it was still very stable, salaries were paid as usual, and bonuses were never lacking.
Friends around him who worked in other companies had their bonuses cut in half, or were directly laid off.
Compared to them, he was still considered fortunate.
But being fortunate did not mean the bank was willing to lend you tens of millions of yen.
He was just an acting Section Chief. Not a director, not a department manager, and he had not even been promoted to Section Chief yet. Why should the bank believe he could afford to pay it back?
"Are you really going to ask?" Miho sat down opposite him and took a sip of miso soup.
Tanaka nodded. "It is all scheduled."
"How about... forget it if it does not work out." Miho pursed her lips. "Living here now is quite good, the rent is cheap, and it is close to your company."
"I know." Tanaka put down his chopsticks. "Let us go ask first and see what the bank says."
Miho opened her mouth, but in the end did not say anything more.
She just looked at her husband for a moment and sighed.
"Sorry, I put too much pressure on you." She lowered her head, "At that time, I also heard the neighbour's wife say that it is very cheap now, so I..."
"It is alright, Miho."
Tanaka gently interrupted her and said softly.
"We really do need to consider buying a house. I have thought about this matter myself for a long time, you do not need to blame yourself."
"... Alright then. Then go ask today, and if the conditions are really not enough, do not force it."
"I know."
The dining table quietened down, and the news on the radio had switched to the entertainment section.
The host was introducing the release of a new album by a certain singer under S.A., and also played a snippet of one of the title tracks.
The melody was brisk, full of the bright feel popular this summer.
Tanaka picked up his fork again and finished the rest of his breakfast.
He glanced down at his watch, ten past seven.
"I am going to change clothes first."
Tanaka returned to the bedroom and rummaged through the wardrobe for that dark blue suit.
This set was bought at S-Collection last year. It was on sale at the time, the quality was good, and he wore this set whenever attending formal occasions.
He adjusted his tie in front of the mirror and checked his briefcase once more.
Income certificate, employment certificate, deposit balance certificate, certificate of residence, personal seal, as well as the apartment's materials and the quotation sheet given by the agent.
Yup, everything was brought along.
Five minutes past eight, he put on his shoes and got ready to go out.
"Be careful on the way." Miho saw him off to the entryway.
"Mm." Tanaka picked up his briefcase and looked back once more. "I might come back a bit late tonight."
"It is fine, I will wait for you."
Tanaka put on his shoes, pulled open the door, and walked into the slightly chilly morning air.
The hallway was very quiet. A dozen households lived in this employee housing building, and most people had already gone out to work.
"Hoo..."
He stood in front of the door and let out a long breath.
Although he acted so calm in front of his wife, deep down he actually did not have much confidence.
However... at least give it a try first.
He silently cheered himself on in his heart, then walked out of the apartment gate and walked along the sidewalk toward the station.
Tokyo's morning was no different from usual.
Only today, he was going to do something that might change his family's future.
At 9:40 AM, Tanaka walked into the Minato branch of Sumitomo Bank.
Several people were already waiting in the lobby, and the clerks at the windows were processing business. Tanaka walked up to the information desk and gave his name.
The person who received him was a male clerk around thirty years old, with "Yamada" written on his name tag.
"Hello, Mr. Tanaka. Please sit this way." Yamada led him to a consultation area on the side and motioned for him to sit on the sofa.
After sitting down, Tanaka placed his briefcase on his knees, with both hands on the sides of the bag.
"Today's consultation is about a housing loan, right?" Yamada opened the record book in front of him.
"Yes." Tanaka nodded.
"Then let me confirm the basic situation first." Yamada picked up his pen. "What is your current annual income?"
"About 7.2 million yen before tax."
"Family composition?"
"A wife, and a five-year-old son. My wife currently does not have a regular job."
"Do you currently have any other debts? Such as car loans, unpaid credit card balances, or the like."
"No."
Yamada wrote these down in his notebook and asked a few more questions: current address, workplace, years of continuous service, existing savings, location and price of the pre-purchased residence.
Tanaka answered them one by one.
When Yamada heard "Saionji Logistics", the pen in his hand paused for a moment, and he looked up at him.
"You work at the Saionji Group?"
"Yes." Tanaka took the employment certificate out of his briefcase and handed it over. "I am an acting Section Chief at Saionji Logistics."
Yamada took the certificate, looked at it for a few seconds, and then flipped to the page of the income certificate.
His expression did not change much; he simply nodded and put the materials aside.
"Understood. Next, I will conduct a preliminary assessment based on the information you provided."
Tanaka clenched his hands resting on his knees.
Now came the crucial part.
According to his original expectations, the bank would most likely tell him: We already understand your income and savings situation, but considering the current economic environment, the loan amount may need to be reduced, or the down payment ratio may need to be increased.
He had already prepared for this.
If the bank required a higher down payment, he could figure out a way to scrape together a bit more; if they asked to lower the loan amount, he would simply have to choose a cheaper house.
If worst came to worst, he would just wait a bit longer.
Yamada opened another folder and his finger stopped on a certain page.
"Mr. Tanaka, was your salary account opened at our bank?"
"Yes, it was."
"In that case—" Yamada raised his head with a slight smile on his face. "You should meet the application criteria for the Saionji Group corporate-partner housing loan."
Tanaka was stunned for a moment.
"Corporate-partner loan?"
"Yes." Yamada turned that page of the documents around and pushed it in front of Tanaka. "Our bank has signed an employee financial cooperation agreement with the Saionji Group. Regular employees of the group can enjoy certain preferential terms when applying for housing loans."
Tanaka looked down at that sheet of paper.
Several instructions were listed on it.
Regular employees of designated companies under the Saionji Group who have served for three years or more may apply for the corporate-partner housing loan.
The loan limit is calculated based on elite enterprise standards, up to a maximum of eight times the annual income.
Partial waiver of handling fees.
If the salary account is set up at Sumitomo Bank, the review process will be prioritized.
The group also provides a housing acquisition subsidy, and those who meet the criteria can apply simultaneously.
After reading these points, Tanaka read them over once more.
"Can... can I use this as well?"
"Of course," Yamada said with a smile. "Having worked at Saionji Logistics for five full years, you fully meet the qualification requirements."
Tanaka opened his mouth, momentarily not knowing what to say.
He had made so much preparation before coming, even thinking about how to explain it to his wife if he were rejected.
Yet now the bank was telling him that not only could he get a loan, but he would also receive preferential terms.
"According to the information you just provided," Yamada picked up the calculator again and pressed a few buttons, "your annual income is 7.2 million yen. Under the corporate-partner standards, the maximum loan amount can reach around 57 million."
"The price of the residence you intend to purchase is 68 million, your own funds to be invested are 12 million, and the actual loan needed is 56 million."
He looked down and checked it once more.
"If you choose a thirty-year term, the preferential interest rate currently applicable to the Saionji Group corporate-partner housing loan is 6.5 percent per annum."
Yamada pressed the calculator a few more times before raising his head.
"Therefore, whether it is the loan amount, repayment term, or your income conditions, everything is currently within the standard range."
Hearing these numbers, Tanaka's mind could not quite process it all.
"56 million... thirty years?"
He paused, the number he truly cared about still being the one in front.
"In other words... can I really borrow 56 million?"
"From a preliminary look, your conditions match the standards very well," Yamada said. "Of course, the formal review still requires you to submit complete application materials, and we will also evaluate the property, but based on the current situation, there should not be any problems."
Tanaka sat on the sofa, staring at the page of documents in front of him.
Suddenly, he had an unreal feeling.
Clearly he was just an ordinary deputy Section Chief, clearly his income could only be considered average in Tokyo, and clearly so many people outside were worrying about loans.
Yet the bank was now telling him that he could.
Simply because—he worked at Saionji.
"Mr. Tanaka?" Yamada's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Ah, apologies." Tanaka snapped out of it. "I am just... a little surprised."
"Um..." Tanaka hesitated for a moment. "May I ask why there is such a preferential offer?"
Yamada glanced at him and smiled slightly.
"Because the Saionji Group is an important partner of our bank." He said it very naturally. "Moreover, the credit records of Saionji employees have always been excellent, and the loan default rate is far below the average level. Therefore, the bank is willing to provide more favourable terms."
After listening, Tanaka asked another question.
"Then... is it only Section Chiefs and above who can apply?"
Yamada shook his head.
"No. As long as you are a regular employee of a designated company under the Saionji Group, have a tenure of three years or more, and meet the basic income conditions, you can apply."
Hearing these words, Tanaka's fingers involuntarily tapped twice on his knees.
Working at Saionji was truly wonderful...
Yamada continued: "In addition, a portion of the administrative certificates in the materials you provided earlier can actually be omitted."
"Omitted?"
"Yes." Yamada pointed to a few of the sheets of paper. "These items have already been included in Minato Ward's administrative information inquiry scope. As long as you sign the authorisation letter, our bank can directly confirm with the relevant departments without needing you to make an extra trip to the ward office."
Tanaka looked down at those sheets of paper.
Those were the ones he had deliberately gone to line up for at the ward office yesterday afternoon.
Yet now the bank was telling him they were not needed at all.
"This... when did it start?"
"Last month." Yamada took out a sample authorisation letter from the drawer. "It is a new system trialed in Minato Ward, and Sumitomo Bank is among the first batch of participating financial institutions. You only need to sign here, and we can complete the necessary confirmation."
Tanaka took the authorisation letter, read it once, and then read it again.
He suddenly remembered that last week's internal company notice seemed to have mentioned something similar. At the time, he had only glanced at it and did not pay much attention.
Now that he was using it, he found out how convenient it truly was.
"So I just need to sign this?"
"Yes."
Tanaka picked up the pen, signed his name on the authorisation letter, and stamped his seal.
Yamada put away the authorisation letter and organized the other materials into a single folder.
"Next, I will submit your application to the review department. The normal process takes one to two weeks, but corporate-partner cases will be prioritized, and there should be results in about a week."
"We will notify you then, and if the preliminary review passes, subsequent property evaluation and contract signing will be arranged."
Tanaka nodded and put those materials back into his briefcase.
He stood up and bowed to Yamada.
"Thank you very much."
"You are welcome." Yamada also stood up and escorted him to the door. "Feel free to contact me if you have any questions."
Tanaka walked out of the bank's main doors, stood on the sidewalk, and looked up at the sky.
The weather was very nice. Sunlight spilled over the street, and the glass of the building across the road reflected a dazzling glare.
He took a deep breath, pulled out the corporate-partner loan explanation from his briefcase, and read it over once more.
Half an hour ago, he was still worrying about whether the bank would reject him.
Now, he could almost be certain that the house could be purchased.
And the terms were much better than he had anticipated.
Tanaka packed away the materials and walked back along the street.
Passing by a coffee shop, he suddenly stopped and pushed the door open to walk inside.
He sat down by the window and ordered a cup of coffee.
The waiter quickly brought it over, accompanied by a small piece of biscuit next to the cup.
Tanaka picked up the cup, took a sip, and his gaze fell outside the window.
Across the street, a Saionji Logistics truck was parked by the roadside unloading cargo. After the driver pulled open the cargo compartment, a neat row of cardboard boxes printed with the S-Farm logo was stacked inside.
Tanaka subconsciously glanced at it a couple more times.
Was that... a truck from the Kanto Distribution Center?
He even recognized the newly changed numbering format on the side of the truck body.
A bit further away, on the other side of the intersection, the S-Mart sign was just visible. The carton of milk his wife bought yesterday had probably followed a similar route, delivered all the way from the farm and distribution center into the store.
Tanaka suddenly found it somewhat amusing.
In the past, he had clearly never paid special attention to these things.
Living in the employee housing provided by the company.
Most of the food at home was bought from S-Mart.
Every day he collected the salary issued by Saionji, and the trucks passing on the street belonged to his own company.
Nowadays, even when he prepared to buy a house of his own, how much money Sumitomo Bank was willing to lend him was inextricably linked to his identity as a "Saionji employee."
Tanaka put down the cup and looked at the corporate-partner loan explanation in his hand.
He had never experienced it so concretely before.
What Saionji gave him was not just his monthly salary.
There was also housing, credit, and the qualification to be treated with priority in front of the bank.
Even handling procedures at the ward office became faster because of the new system promoted by Saionji.
He recalled the sentence Yamada said earlier.
"The overall credit rating of the Saionji Group's employees is very high."
It was not that his personal credit was high.
It was simply because he belonged to Saionji.
In this era where people outside were constantly losing their jobs, houses, and futures, he could still stand here, still go to the bank to negotiate a loan of tens of millions of yen, and still plan to buy a house that truly belonged to his family—
It was not because he was better than others.
It was simply because he was at Saionji.
Tanaka gripped the handle of his briefcase tightly.
He suddenly felt that he should cherish this job even more.
He must absolutely not make mistakes.
He must absolutely not be laid off.
He must absolutely not lose this identity.
Because once lost, he might also become one of those people on the street everywhere looking for a job.
Tanaka took a deep breath and turned to walk toward the station.
He was going home to tell Miho the result of today.
That house—they could afford it.