Gen-Zers revive Japan's corporate machismo, roaring 'Hell yeah!' at work

Gen-Z hires at a Tokyo firm are reviving Japan's old-school corporate machismo, roaring motivational slogans and engaging in intense morning rallies. This trend emerges as a counter-movement to the modern emphasis on work-life balance and mental health, with some young workers feeling that contemporary workplace culture hinders their growth.

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Here, it’s like ‘boom’ right off the bat. Everyone is like ‘Alright, let’s all get to work!’ – I absolutely love it.

At Global Partners (GP), a business support and development firm, employees participate in daily morning circles. They sway, chant rapid-fire mantras like "build up sales!" in loud screams, and undergo impromptu pep talks. The company has gained internet fame and attracts young recruits eager to be "toughened up." Kotaro Kawabata, a 26-year-old employee, expressed his enthusiasm for the high-energy environment, stating, "Here, it's like ‘boom’ right off the bat. Everyone is like ‘Alright, let’s all get to work!’ – I absolutely love it." He values the strict feedback, noting, "They’re strict with me and they even get mad at me for the sake of my development."

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Kotaro, you’re the number one salesman.

Asuka Obri Okabe, 28, from the Philippines, views the company's direct criticism as a sign of care, treating whole-hearted scoldings "as a form of love." She finds a lack of correction more frightening, stating, "What’s truly scary is an environment where I’m never corrected, and left to move forward in the wrong direction." This contrasts with a 2023 survey by Recruit Works Institute, which found that 64 percent of middle managers in Japan scold subordinates only a few times a year.

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I can really grow here. They’re strict with me and they even get mad at me for the sake of my development.

Shoto Furuya, chief researcher at the institute, noted that the era of tough love and a homogeneous male workforce has passed. Japan's aging population necessitates a diverse talent pool, including individuals who may not prioritize work above all else. The 2015 suicide of a Dentsu employee due to overwork, or "karoshi," prompted a reckoning in the corporate world. However, Furuya observes that the "laid-back, low-pressure environment wasn’t the right answer for everyone," leading some ambitious young people to seek a return to a more "gung-ho" atmosphere. GP's intense culture serves as a reminder of Japan's past, when companies functioned as "extremely tight-knit communities."

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What’s truly scary is an environment where I’m never corrected, and left to move forward in the wrong direction.