In Japan, a growing number of new hires are deciding to quit on their very first day, rapidly shifting the mood in the employment market.
According to a report by Chukyo TV, a broadcaster based in Japan's Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures, on Friday, Yamekado, a resignation agency operating mainly in Aichi Prefecture, has been flooded with requests from new employees who just attended their entrance ceremonies.
In Japan, April marks the start of the fiscal year and the academic calendar, making it the season when companies hold entrance ceremonies for new hires all at once. The agency has even received requests to deliver resignation notices during the lunch break on the very first day of work — a development the industry calls unprecedented.
Yamekado CEO Tomomi Matsuyama said in an interview with Chukyo TV, "We got calls right during the break after the entrance ceremony. I never expected resignation requests to come in on the first day, and I was surprised to receive two in a single day."
Resignation agencies serve as intermediaries that convey an employee's intention to quit to their employer, reducing the psychological burden of the resignation process. Yamekado, which opened in August last year, had been handling an average of about 10 cases per month, but the company says early-stage departures — workers leaving shortly after joining — have become notably more frequent recently.
One client reportedly said, "I was left on my own from day one with no proper training. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, my anxiety kept growing, and I didn't want to come to work anymore."
This trend is explained among Japan's young people through so-called "gacha culture," a reference to capsule-toy vending machines where results are random. The concept has spawned terms such as "assignment gacha," referring to being placed in an unwanted department, and "boss gacha," referring to the luck of the draw in getting a supervisor. As the perception spreads that workplace conditions are determined by luck rather than personal choice, workers are increasingly inclined to leave quickly when the outcome does not meet their expectations, analysts say.
The reasons for quitting are also changing compared to the past. Personal preferences and emotions — such as an aversion to mandatory group lunches or a colleague's body odor — are serving as decisive factors in a growing number of cases.
Companies themselves are grappling with the issue. Wary of workplace harassment accusations, more senior employees are hesitant to actively engage with new hires, creating a paradox where the training and communication newcomers actually need are falling short. "If you approach them too much, they say it's pressure. If you keep your distance, they say they're being neglected," some workers on the ground say.
Experts emphasize "psychological safety" as the key solution. Rather than waiting for new employees to adapt on their own, senior colleagues should initiate conversation and build relationships through casual, everyday dialogue, they say.
A light approach such as "Let's go grab lunch together" is more effective in helping newcomers adjust to the organization than the passive stance of "Ask me if you have any questions," experts explain.