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Japan’s aging population is forcing profound changes in work culture to improve conditions and boost productivity without exhausting employees. Japanese workers have long had to choose between a social life and a successful career. The data suggests the former is winning.
According to The Japan Times, a survey revealed that a growing number of young people from Generation Z have chosen “quiet quitting,” which involves doing the minimum to meet work schedules and requirements while showing little or no commitment to the company.
A cultural shift. A survey of 3,000 employees conducted by the Career Research Laboratory of the job search platform Mynavi found that 46.7% of employees between ages 20 and 59 said they had chosen “quiet quitting.” More than 70% of those respondents said they had no plans to change their attitude.
“We can see that ‘quiet quitting’ is becoming the new norm. As values are becoming more diverse, it’s important for companies to accept the diverse values of individuals and offer flexible work styles that fit them,” Akari Asahina, one of the study’s authors, told The Japan Times.
A less motivated workforce. This high percentage suggests the workforce is no longer loyal to the company and its values—a hallmark of Japan’s employment culture for decades—but is more focused on work-life balance.
According to a 2024 Mynavi survey published by the Japanese media outlet Mainichi, 53.6% of respondents were dissatisfied with their current job. Of those, 49.2% cited salary as the main reason. Young people in their 20s and 30s were the most dissatisfied, with 35.2% saying they had changed jobs for this reason.
“In the past, an employer would pay a fair wage and provide benefits so people stayed with the same company all the way until retirement. But that is no longer the case; companies are trying to cut costs, not all staff are on full contracts and pay while bonuses are not as generous as they were,” Sumie Kawakami, a professor of social sciences at Yamanashi Gakuin University, told DW.
Generation Z wants a better work-life balance. Among Generation Z, there’s a strong desire for balance. “A lot of young people saw their parents sacrifice their lives to a company, putting in many, many hours of overtime and effectively giving up on their private life. They have figured out that is not what they want,” Kawakami said.
“I don’t hate my job and I know I have to work to pay my rent and bills, but I would much rather be meeting up with my friends, traveling or listening to live music. I know that my grandfather and even my parents’ generation thought they had no choice but to work hard and earn more money, but I do not understand that way of thinking,” Issei, a 26-year-old, told DW.
“Quiet ambition” arrives in Japan. According to The Japan Times, the authors of the survey noted a consequence of this lack of commitment: the emergence of so-called “quiet ambition.”
This phenomenon, especially among Generation Z, refers to a lack of interest in promotions. The financial reward is often minimal in exchange for a significant increase in responsibilities and workload.
In some cases, however, employees stop making more than the minimum effort required to fulfill their contract not because they refuse promotion, but because they see no opportunity for advancement.
They want more time to start a family. Japan encourages childbirth by ensuring its workforce has time outside work to socialize and balance work and family life. These policies are beginning to influence Generation Z, who no longer view work as their grandparents or parents did.
In November 2024, the South China Morning Post reported on Japan’s effective working hours. According to Takashi Sakamoto, an analyst at the Recruit Works Institute, annual working hours in Japan have dropped 11.6% over the past two decades—from 1,839 hours in 2000 to 1,626 hours in 2022. The most significant decline was among workers ages 20 to 29.
Image | Wenhao Wang (Unsplash)