Interviewer’s Note:

Job-resigning proxy services are popular in Japan. These services, in which a third party communicates an employee’s intention to resign on their behalf, reflect significant shifts in the country’s labour market and workplace culture.

Traditionally, Japan was known for its lifetime employment system. A core group of full-time workers would remain with the same company for decades, demonstrating loyalty and long-term commitment. However, this employment model has become much less common, especially among younger generations. While we may expect workers, especially young workers, to cling to whatever job security they may have, many are in fact opting to resign after a short period of time.

One such job-resignation proxy service is MOMURI, which means “I can’t stand it anymore!” in Japanese. The company makes resignation calls to employers on behalf of their clients, effectively serving as an intermediary during what can be a highly stressful and emotionally charged process.

MOMURI currently receives between 50 and 150 (maximum 268) requests per day. The service costs 22,000 yen (approximately USD 150) for full-time workers and 12,000 yen (approximately USD 80) for part-time workers. Why would people pay for such a service to do something they could legally do themselves? And what does the growing use of these services reveal about the current state of work in Japan?

To explore these questions, Wakaba Sugino spoke with Mr. Oyama, an executive officer at MOMURI, to gain insight into the structural problems of Japanese working conditions from a practitioner’s perspective. 

Asian Labour Review (“ALR”): Why do customers use job resigning proxy services?

Mr. Oyama: One of the main reasons is that employees’ requests to resign are sometimes outright rejected by their superiors. Although Japanese labour law permits workers to resign with a two-week notice—without requiring employer approval—many clients still feel unable to resign independently due to fear of harassment or retaliation.

One extreme case involved a customer who was asked to kneel on the ground to receive permission to resign. He had attempted to quit three times on his own, and even after such degrading treatment, his resignation was not accepted. Such cases illustrate how deep-rooted power dynamics can discourage individuals from exercising their legal right to leave a job.

Another primary reason for turnover is the discrepancy between employees’ expectations before joining a company and the reality they encounter after starting work. Sometimes, companies fail to provide adequate pre-employment information or intentionally present misleading portrayals to attract recruits. For example, one customer was told by the company that employees were allowed to dye their hair in any colour. However, when she attended the first company meeting with her brightly coloured hair, she was denied entry. Feeling betrayed, she decided to resign.

Similarly, some companies produce promotional videos for their websites that emphasise an idealised workplace image. While such videos can effectively help recruitment, they sometimes set unrealistic expectations. When the reality of the workplace does not align with the image portrayed online, employees may feel disappointed and misled, leading them to consider leaving. This issue is especially prevalent among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where company websites may lack detailed or accurate information. In such cases, prospective employees may join the company without fully understanding the actual work environment, which increases the likelihood of post-employment dissatisfaction.

Poor workplace communication is another common factor behind the use of resignation proxy services. According to accounts from employees and managers alike, many individuals in leadership positions often misunderstand what constitutes accurate communication. Some believe that discussing their achievements or issuing one-way directives is sufficient. However, they often fail to provide spaces for younger employees to share their thoughts or concerns. We believe that managers must foster two-way communication and actively listen to employees’ voices to create healthier and more responsive work environments.

ALR: Who use this service?

Mr. Oyama: Overall, most of our users are from the younger generation. People in their twenties make up approximately 60% of our users, while those in their thirties account for around 20%. One reason is that many clients experience a sense of discrepancy between what they expected and the reality of the job. More than 60% of our users had been working at their company for less than six months.

In terms of industry, most requests come from workers in the service sector. This is not only due to the large number of workers in this field but also because the working environment is often exploitative. For instance, unpaid “service overtime” is widespread due to chronic labour shortages. We also receive requests from employees in the manufacturing and medical sectors. What these industries share is a severe lack of manpower.

ALR: Which company size do most of the requests come from?

Mr. Oyama: Many are still large companies because of the large population working there. However, in many cases, the requests come from individuals who used to work at branches in different regions rather than from those working at the head office. This is because the rules for each branch, as decided by the branch manager, are sometimes stricter than necessary, or the branch manager with power is a harasser. In some cases, the head office is unaware of this, and harassment continues, resulting in a pattern of workers suffering.

Of course, there are also requests from people who used to work for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In SMEs, there is often a shortage of staff, so they are usually deterred. In some cases, they are used to such retrenchment. And because no one works exclusively in human resources and is not necessarily familiar with the law on labour relations, it can be difficult for them to resign promptly.

ALR: What problems in the Japanese working culture have you identified through your company’s services?

Mr. Oyama: We have found that many middle-aged managers still believe that resigning is a moral failure. While lifetime employment was once the norm in Japan, societal norms are shifting, particularly among younger generations who no longer share this value. These generational differences often cause conflict.

Our service has received criticism from employers and managers. When our staff members call on behalf of a client to communicate their resignation, they are sometimes met with jeers such as “Shame on jobs like yours!” Some employers say it is unfortunate that employees don’t ask to leave their jobs directly but instead choose to use such a service.　

One of our staff members once used a proxy resigning service from another company, so we understand the emotional complexity of the situation. However, we believe that resigning from a job is not inherently bad—it can be a favourable decision. We hope companies will use these opportunities to reflect on and improve their work environments.

Unfortunately, fewer than 50% of companies inquire why their employees chose to resign, and some companies claim that the problem lies in their employees’ lack of patience. We believe that companies will not improve their working conditions unless they acknowledge their responsibility for employee dissatisfaction. In one extreme case, a single company had its employees use resigning proxy services 105 times.

We aim to create a society where resigning proxy services is no longer necessary. Ideally, workers would feel secure enough to resign on their own. By helping people suffering from harassment or extreme stress leave their jobs, we hope to encourage companies to reflect on their practices and cultivate healthier workplaces.

Post-Interview Note by Interviewer:

The growing popularity of proxy resignation services reveals deeper issues in Japan’s labour environment. Most labour unions in Japan are organised at the company level rather than at the industry or national level, making industry-wide solidarity and coordinated action difficult.

This fragmented structure limits workers’ bargaining power, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises where union activity may be weak or nonexistent. Addressing systemic labour issues that transcend individual workplaces becomes challenging without cross-company collaboration.

Furthermore, there is a strong cultural emphasis on maintaining harmony. Even if workers feel exploited, they often avoid strikes or open confrontations because they fear disrupting harmony and causing inconvenience to others.

Although resigning from proxy services is not a form of activism in the traditional sense—since it focuses on individual relief rather than collective political change—it may still bring about broader improvements. By facilitating individual resignations from harmful work environments, these services can push companies to reform. In this sense, the rise of these services might be seen as a form of pre-activism—a subtle yet significant step toward change in the Japanese working environment.

However, when companies fail to inquire about the reasons behind employee resignations and instead dismiss them as personal inadequacy, structural problems within the organisation tend to be overlooked. By not addressing the root causes of turnover, the same unfavourable conditions persist, resulting in a vicious cycle in which new employees resign shortly after joining.