Re-shaping the 'salaryman' image: The waning of  Japan’s hegemonic male role model

Dutch newspaper nrc.next reported on April 13th 2015 that large Japanese companies are trying to get their employees to work shorter hours. These employees, often referred to as ‘salaryman’, are constantly fatigued. Long hours at work, after work drinking, and long commutes with little sleep in between workdays causes them to make more mistakes and portray diminished productivity. It will not lead to firing by the company due to the understood loyalty between employer and employee that has existed for decades. These salarymen can neither assist with housework nor with the care for children because of the grueling work hours. This issue had never been perceived as a serious problem, as their wives accepted the late night drinking sessions in return for a stable lifestyle for decades. Now that women have extended their independence through gainful employment, starting and supporting a family has become increasingly harder for both sexes. Despite these changes salarymen are still...Show moreDutch newspaper nrc.next reported on April 13th 2015 that large Japanese companies are trying to get their employees to work shorter hours. These employees, often referred to as ‘salaryman’, are constantly fatigued. Long hours at work, after work drinking, and long commutes with little sleep in between workdays causes them to make more mistakes and portray diminished productivity. It will not lead to firing by the company due to the understood loyalty between employer and employee that has existed for decades. These salarymen can neither assist with housework nor with the care for children because of the grueling work hours. This issue had never been perceived as a serious problem, as their wives accepted the late night drinking sessions in return for a stable lifestyle for decades. Now that women have extended their independence through gainful employment, starting and supporting a family has become increasingly harder for both sexes. Despite these changes salarymen are still expected to make the same hours, sometimes driving them to karoshi – “death by overtime.” The ‘salaryman’ is viewed as the ideal representation of the typical Japanese man by people both inside and outside Japan. This current image of the ‘salaryman’ is a far cry from the ‘salaryman’ image that arose in the 1980s with which the ‘salaryman’ is most often associated. The ‘salaryman’ was an ideal that not only Japanese men pursued and Japanese women wanted as their partners: he was seen in the West as the leading example for a loyal employee who complied willingly to and worked harmoniously in his company, ensuring a job until retirement as part of a tacit social contract. Dubbed as a ‘corporate warrior’, the ‘salaryman’’s diligent work ensured him a slow but steady rise through the ranks on the basis of age, and whose dark blue suit and leather briefcase are standard issue. All this was necessary to provide for his housewife and children, who went to the top schools and universities to follow in their father’s footsteps. The worn out employee and ‘corporate warrior’ are both strong images on opposite sides of the ideal employee-spectrum. Yet both images are signified by the same term: the ‘salaryman’. The thesis will focus on the development of the ‘salaryman’ image from the 1980s until now, and the different functions of this image. This period is of special interest because Japanese business management and businessmen were viewed as examples for Western business in the 1980s and 1990s. Japan owed its leading role to its consistent economic growth from the mid-1950s onward, being the number two economy in the world, only outperformed by the United States in terms of GDP per capita. When the US’ economic performance dipped in the 1980s, Japan’s economy remained relatively stable. This prompted both researchers and journalists to find an explanation for Japan’s economic performance, which they found in Japan’s business sector and its salarymen. This thesis argues that the term ‘salaryman’ is outdated in reference to new white-collar recruits in large Japanese companies. The decline in regular employment, the changing focus of seniority-based wages to merit-based wages and the waning of company union participation all indicate significant changes in ‘salaryman’ realities since the 1990's. As the ‘salaryman’ benefits have changed, so too have new recruits’ views on and expectations of their company and their jobs. To reflect these changes, a new term that better suits new recruits is suggested.Show less

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Re-shaping the 'salaryman' image: The waning of Japan’s hegemonic male role model