Men were unloading onions brought in by truck

Men sleeping on carts — Men unloading onions

The area where I was walking seemed to be a wholesale district, and many trucks were transporting goods to wholesale dealers. The streets were filled with laborers, and the sight of them was just like the busy bloodstream of Mumbai. One thing I noticed, however, was that there was not a single forklift truck, which I often see at cargo handling sites in Japan. All work here is done by hand.

The truck in the photo was no exception. On the back of the truck is a pile of large bags filled with onions. Unloading them was also done by hand. The workers carried the bags on their shoulders and carried them one after another from the back of the truck to the ground. Their movements had a familiar hand and rhythm to them, as if a series of tasks were ingrained in their bodies.

Human-powered loading and unloading work is disappearing in countries with advanced mechanization, but here it continues to be an everyday scene. The sight of these people working with sweat pouring down their faces made me realize that this town's vitality is supported by their work.

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