Young Japanese trapped by outdated work culture seek greener pastures abroad: ‘I want some freedom’

Japan’s outdated corporate culture is driving many young Japanese to look to Europe and other Western countries for better work-life balance

Analysts say it is beneficial for young Japanese to develop their capabilities overseas so they can help drive change in Japan when they return

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Pedestrians in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Japan is facing a labour shortage but the country’s outdated corporate culture is pushing more young Japanese to look elsewhere for jobs. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:30am, 1 Dec 2023Updated: 8:49am, 1 Dec 2023

When Jun Shigeno joined his new company straight out of university in Japan, he was passionate about the business and excited about opportunities to learn, develop new skills and contribute to the firm’s growth. After four years of tertiary studies, he was also looking forward to having a bank balance in the black.

Two years later, he is perpetually tired, rarely has time to see friends or family and says what he has in his bank account is only marginally better. And when 24-year-old Shigeno looks at colleagues who joined his tech company a couple of years before him, he fears the demands on him are only going to get worse.

As a consequence, he has started to look for a job overseas and has already made inquiries about positions in Germany and Canada.

As Japan grapples with a worsening labour shortage, qualified and capable employees are exactly what companies should be looking to retain, but for many youngsters an outdated corporate culture is driving them to greener pastures.

During Shigeno’s hiring process, the company reassured him it wanted employees to enjoy a work-life balance, but that did not last long, he said. “At the beginning, it was not too bad, but now I’m doing a minimum of 60 hours of overtime a month and it can go up to 80 hours.”

To add insult to injury, he said, only the first 40 hours of overtime were paid, with the remaining classed as “service overtime”. The same system operates across virtually all Japanese companies.

“The pay is no better than at companies in the US or Europe, but I’m so busy during the week that I just don’t have time to do the things I want, while at the weekend I have to study,” he told This Week in Asia.