The Rising 'Datsu-Nihon' Movement as a Social Issue in Japan: "No Expectations for Improvements in Work Environment and Treatment"

Similar to Korea's 'Taljoseon' Phenomenon
Issues in Work Environment, Education, and Treatment

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] “I do not think Japan's labor environment will change during my lifetime.”

It has been revealed that, similar to Korea's 'Taljoseon' (leaving Korea), there is an increasing trend of people leaving their homeland and migrating overseas in Japan as well. They stated that they decided to migrate abroad due to issues such as Japan's labor environment, treatment, and education, where wage increases have been frozen.

On the 25th, Asahi Shimbun reported stories of people who migrated overseas from Japan and settled there through a special feature titled 'Why I Left Japan.' The first case, a man in his 40s named Miki, works as a nurse in Canada and successfully established roots after obtaining permanent residency the year before last.

The reason he left Japan was the labor environment. Miki, who had attended a nurse invitation training program at an Australian hospital, was surprised by how nurses, doctors, volunteers, and cleaning staff communicated freely without formality. Miki told Asahi Shimbun, “I wanted to work overseas because everyone respects each other's expertise without hierarchical barriers and cooperates as a team.”

He notified the hospital where he had worked for 13 years of his resignation and moved to Canada, expressing great satisfaction with the labor environment there. The 12-hour rotating shifts are strictly observed, and the number of patients assigned to one nurse is about the same as in Japan. Also, tasks such as blood collection, meal distribution, and accompanying patients to the examination room are shared by assistants, allowing nurses to focus more on nursing duties.

The wage issue is also cited as a major factor encouraging migration. Currently, Japan has effectively had a wage freeze for 30 years. The situation is no different for Japanese nurses. Miki said that while working as a nurse in Japan, he never properly took holidays and had unpaid overtime. In Canada, he works 37.5 hours a week and receives all allowances for working on holidays and night shifts, earning more than twice the monthly salary compared to Japan. He said, “Although the cost of living in Canada is high, I do not want to return to Japan.”

There is also a case of deciding to migrate for educational purposes. A man in his 40s who lived in Tokyo retired from a large company last June and moved to Malaysia with his wife and five-year-old daughter. He told Asahi Shimbun that the primary purpose of migration was education. He said, “Considering Japan's low birthrate and aging population, good jobs would likely decrease by the time my daughter graduates from university,” and “I wanted my daughter to have the ability to work overseas.”

This man added that he decided to migrate because Japan's education focuses on university entrance exams and emphasizes memorization. The school atmosphere, where there are few opportunities to express one's opinions, was also a problem. Although he works in Malaysia earning about half the salary he received in Japan, he said that the low cost of living makes life manageable. He emphasized, “If Japan's economic future were bright and I were satisfied with the education system, I would not have migrated.”

Asahi Shimbun analyzed that the ongoing wave of overseas migration from Japan reflects the current economic and social situation Japan faces. In an editor's note, Asahi Shimbun added, “The flow of people quietly leaving Japan and migrating overseas is increasing,” and “Following the reasons behind their decisions reveals Japan's current position.”