These Photos From Japan¡¯s Scary 60-Hour Week Work Show Why We Need Work-Life Balance
This is dangerously scary.
When someone mentions Japan, we tend to think about technological advances, modern life and an economy which is flourishing. However, not many know about the tough life of the Japanese workers who are working day and night, quite literally.
The Japanese have always had a culture of overworking even when it becomes physically difficult to keep going. Many say it started around the time of World War 2 when then-Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida encouraged companies to reward long hours which were needed to rebuild the country¡¯s economy. However, the culture has continued all the way to the 21st century and has had a devastating impact on the workforce. The instances of heart failure and suicide have increased thanks to how overworked the average worker is.
A photographer, Pawel Jaszczuk, took photos of Japan¡¯s tired workers and they are heartbreaking, but also bring out the sad reality of the Japanese society:
Pawel Jaszczuk
Pawel told VICE that it was just a matter of walking down the street and you¡¯d find enough overworked people.
Pawel Jaszczuk
According to him, ¡°Some of them have probably had a few drinks, but most of them were so tired they just fell asleep.¡±
Pawel Jaszczuk
When asked by VICE about the time these photos were taken, Pawel had a chilling response:
¡°I took the photos between 2008 and 2010, but we published the book in 2018. If you go to Japan, it's very common to see businessmen sleeping on the streets, often near the main train stations. It¡¯s nothing new.¡±
Pawel Jaszczuk
Pawel¡¯s aim through these photos was to make the viewers think about what they were giving up by giving in to this culture of overworking:
¡°Even though the salaryman is very closely associated with Tokyo, the images reveal more about how we¡¯re being used on a daily basis by corporations and capitalist systems. I want people to view the photos and think, do we really want to end up like this? Are we just being used?¡±
Pawel Jaszczuk
It is high time that corporates who benefit from the labour of their workers take a long hard look at the damage they are causing.
Pawel Jaszczuk
These photos are extremely scary and shed light on the dark side of modern life.
Pawel Jaszczuk
Talking about the toxic work culture in Japan, Pawel said:
¡°My photos are just an example of how things are in Japan. In Japanese culture you are just nobody. You could work hard, and then the next day you¡¯d get fired.¡±
Pawel