Dozens of Japanese job-leaving services have risen in the last few years to help young adults escape their jobs less painfully
In Japan, a nation reputed for loyalty to companies and lifetime employment, people who job-hop are often viewed as quitters. And that’s considered shameful.
People often stick with jobs even when they're unhappy, feeling as if they are "kamikaze" sacrificing their lives for the greater good, he said, comparing his clients to pilots sent on suicide missions in the closing days of World War II.
"It’s the way things are done, the same way younger people are taught to honor older people," he said. "Quitting would be a betrayal."
Founded in 2020, Guardian, a taishoku daiko service, has helped various people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, escape less painfully from jobs they want to quit. That includes people who worked in a Shinto shrine, a dentist’s office and law firm to convenience store and restaurant staff.
Nearly half of Guardian's clients are women. Some work for a day or two and then discover promises of pay or work hours were false.
Conformist "workaholic" pressures in Japanese culture are painfully heavy. Workers don't want to be seen as troublemakers, are reluctant to question authority and may be afraid to speak up. They may fear harassment after they quit. Some worry about the opinions of their families or friends.
