Japan Wants To Quit Its Toxic Work Culture: But Why Isn't It Working? | Insight

Comments · 1.2K

• NE

  @NekoBoyOfficial · 1 year ago

  They left out how some companies will make you apologize to your coworkers for resigning. It's really manipulative.

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• WE

  @weltschmertzz · 1 year ago

  Overworking is not helping a country's underpopulation problem. Nobody is in the mood for romance if you're knackered.

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• CB

  @cbtowers4841 · 1 year ago

  It’s more than a work reform problem, it’s a cultural one. Even if proper labor laws are in place, if the culture shames people who leave work on time and prevents people from leaving tasks that can be put off to the next day, people will keep overworking.

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• MJ

  @mjmf1430 · 1 year ago

  I heard stories that Japanese (and Singaporeans too) hanging out overtime even though there isn’t much to do at their offices even after working hours just because their immediate bosses are still around.

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• 猿田

  @猿田彦-s9o · 1 year ago

  My friends working in a Japanese firm work 14 hours 6 days every week, all of them having serious mental problems.

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• FE

  @felixcao8841 · 1 year ago

  I used to work for a Japanese client. They fell asleep during the daytime meeting, while sending emails at 3:30 am. Such ridiculous behavior was considered as proof of hard work. So toxic, never worked for any Japanese client again.

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• GK

  @GKP999 · 1 year ago

  I would like to see CNA do a documentary about Singapore work culture.  But perhaps it would be too politically sensitive.

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• CO

  @contemplator5640 · 1 year ago

  CNA is truly excellent. As a Japanese living in Japan, I find it far more insightful than local media. &nbsp; <br>Japan&apos;s toxic work culture persists due to historical, economic, and societal factors despite government reforms. Rooted in post-war economic growth, it prioritizes long working hours, seniority-based promotion, and company loyalty, reinforced by social pressure. Since the 1990s, economic stagnation has worsened inefficiencies, with fewer employees handling more work under outdated systems. While reforms set limits on overtime and mandated paid leave, compliance remains weak due to corporate resistance, flawed evaluations, and employees’ fear of standing out. To change this, Japan must shift from time-based to performance-based assessment, embrace digitalization, and reform leadership culture. Without real change, Japan risks losing global competitiveness and talent. However, with a focus on efficiency and work-life balance, it can transition to a high-productivity, high-wage economy. That’s why I choose to work for a global firm while running my own business. &nbsp; <br>Japan’s outdated work model and inability to remove incompetent leaders are holding back its corporate management. I’ve never used a resignation agency, but it’s a shameful business born out of fear of power-harassing managers who coerce employees into staying. The fact that abusive supervisors act without consequences due to high legal costs is disgraceful. All unfit executives should be removed, and exploitative companies forcing excessive labor should disappear.

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• BO

  @BobSaysWhat22 · 1 year ago (edited)

  Japans average salary hasn’t changed/increased since when i was a kid 30-40 years ago. &nbsp;Thats is crazy coz cost of living is keep going up and income tax and other taxes increased substantially.

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• SA

  @satriaamiluhur622 · 1 year ago

  A society based on strict hierarchy and workplace centered around seniority? Not gonna work

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• RE

  @record.retake.repeat7922 · 1 year ago

  I bet it is only in Japan that a resignation consultancy even exists.

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• FU

  @fuzzyfl5592 · 1 year ago

  Foreigner working in a US company in Japan here. I used to work in China, for Chinese high tech company, and I’ve also worked for Japanese companies too. In my experience, it’s not just rhetoric working hours that is the problem- currently Chinese work longer hours (in a lot of cases unpaid OT) than the Japanese people in general. What’s really toxic is the low efficiency, the slow &nbsp;and top down decision making, the never ending of communications that never leads to anything, the aversion to risks, the hierarchy and lack of autonomy… it can get so frustrating coz you work long hours with nothing to show as output.

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