In Japan, an increasing number of young professionals are seeking assistance from specialized agencies to quit their jobs. Momuri, a Tokyo-based agency, has seen a significant rise in demand since it began offering proxy resignation services more than two years ago.
Shinji Tanimoto, head of Albatross, the company that operates Momuri, explained to “The Guardian” that the agency submits resignations on behalf of individuals who, for various reasons, cannot do so themselves. “Sometimes it’s due to natural reluctance, but other times, clients have faced harassment or even violence from their employers. When they come to us, they are often at their wits’ end,” Tanimoto said.
Momuri, which translates to “enough already” in Japanese, is just one of an estimated 100 companies across Japan offering similar services. Since its inception, Momuri has handled 350,000 online consultations and completed 20,000 resignations.
Clients typically reach out to these agencies through messaging apps. For Momuri’s service, clients must fill out a questionnaire, sign a contract, and pay a fee. Full-time employees are charged ¥22,000 (roughly ₹12,344), while part-time and fixed-term workers pay ¥12,300 (around ₹6,900). After the paperwork is completed, a staff member contacts the employer on behalf of the client. The entire process, from initial consultation to resignation, usually takes just 20-30 minutes.
Surprisingly, 60% of Momuri’s clients are in their 20s. According to Japan’s labor ministry, over 30% of recent graduates leave their jobs within three years. Experts believe this growing trend reflects a generational shift in work attitudes, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on jobs and lifestyles.
Japan’s labor shortage, largely due to its declining birthrate, has led employers to take extreme measures to retain workers, sometimes resorting to intimidation. In some cases, employees have even been forced to find their own replacements before their resignations were accepted.
According to Mynavi, a Japanese employment information provider, one in six workers used proxy resignation services to switch jobs in the 12 months leading up to June this year, further highlighting the growing popularity of such services in Japan.
