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For many of us, it feels as though we spend most of our waking hours working to cover bills and keep food on the table—some even juggle two jobs at once. Ever wonder how other countries handle work-related pressures? Take Japan, for example, where the professional world holds a central place in everyday life. In many Japanese workplaces, punctuality, diligence, and unwavering loyalty are par for the course.
Following are some very interesting and also unexpected facts about Japanese work culture that can potentially transform the way you approach your own work.
1. Hiring a Professional “Quitter”
In Japan, some workers outsource the uncomfortable task of resigning. Specialized agencies will step in, inform your employer of your departure, and handle any awkward back-and-forth. These services are particularly handy when companies push back against people who want to leave.
2. Lifetime Employment—and the ‘Banishment Room’
Many large Japanese firms hire fresh graduates with the intention of retaining them until they retire. These employees are selected for potential rather than specific skills, with an unspoken promise of job security. However, if layoffs are off the table, there’s an unsettling alternative: the so-called “banishment room.” Workers may be assigned meaningless tasks in hopes they’ll resign on their own if the monotony becomes too much to bear.
3. ‘Karoshi’: Death by Overwork
Japan coined a sobering term, karoshi, for death caused by extreme overwork. Reports of individuals clocking 110 hours in a single week or logging thousands of hours a year—sometimes without a single day off for more than a decade—illustrate just how severe the phenomenon can be. Tragically, it’s an all-too-real hazard in a culture that often prizes dedication above all else. In 2015, the tragic death of 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi, an employee at advertising giant Dentsu, thrust karoshi into the national spotlight. She had regularly clocked over 100 hours of overtime per month before taking her own life. Reports indicate that in a note left for her mother, she wrote: “Why do things have to be so hard?” Public outcry following her death led to heightened scrutiny of Japan’s grueling work demands and spurred discussions on much-needed labor reforms.
4. The ‘Johatsu,’ or the ‘Evaporated’
Work stress, personal strains, or family trouble sometimes push people to simply vanish. Known as the johatsu—literally, “evaporated people”—they rely on discreet “night-moving” services to quietly slip away and begin life anew. It’s a poignant reminder of how cultural pressures can become unbearable for some.
5. Napping on the Job—Encouraged, Even Faked
In Japan, sleeping at work isn’t just accepted—it can be viewed as proof of one’s commitment. Called inemuri, dozing off in a meeting or at your desk suggests you’ve worked yourself to the edge of exhaustion. Some employees even pretend to nap to seem hardworking, which contrasts sharply with the strict, no-nonsense reputation many offices hold.