In Japan, young professionals facing workplace harassment or conflict are increasingly using proxy services to resign anonymously from their jobs. Y.M., a 20-something real estate worker who endured daily verbal abuse, exemplifies this trend by hiring Albatross, one such service that charges about €120 per client and assists roughly 450 people monthly in quitting without confrontation. This practice reflects Japan's cultural emphasis on avoiding direct conflict and maintaining social harmony, where announcing a resignation is often seen as an insult to the employer or a sign of failure rather than a personal choice.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
For Y.M., a Japanese man in his early 20s, his first job out of university at a real estate sales firm quickly turned into a daily trial of endurance.
asserted
job → turn → endurance
Among his colleagues, he was always the one being screamed at.
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he → scream → colleagues
According to his testimony featured on the website of Leadbrain, a Tokyo-based labor and human resources consulting firm, he sought a quiet way out because he was wary of how colleagues perceived him.
uncertain
colleagues → accord → him
He was reluctant to burden his parents and determined to avoid workplace conflict, which is a common attitude among working Japanese.
asserted
which → burden → Japanese
Rather than submitting his resignation in person, he opened his phone and began searching for a resignation proxy service, a third-party agency that could help him quit without direct interaction with his employer.
uncertain
him → submit → employer
In Japan, vanishing from a workplace without notice is known as bakkure, a concept somewhat parallel to "ghosting" in modern dating.
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vanishing → vanish → dating
For many foreigners, leaving a job without notice would be considered an irresponsible and hurtful act.
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leaving → leave → notice
But within the logic of Japanese social interactions, vanishing is a way to avoid direct conflict and maintain harmony — at least on the outside.
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vanishing → vanish → outside
Pay to flee
Demand for these resignation agencies is booming.
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Demand → pay → agencies
Albatross, one of Japan's leading businesses of this kind, helps about 450 people quit without confrontation every month.
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people → lead → confrontation
They charge roughly €120 ($138.5) per client working a full-time job.
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They → charge → job
The process can be completed within 15 minutes.
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process → complete → minutes
"The reasons why people requested us to resign for them range from physical violence to sexual harassment," said Yuka Hamada, the CEO of Albatross.
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Hamada → request → Albatross
"They are vulnerable in this case, and they are not brave enough to quit their job.
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they → quit → job
Around one in three people reported experiencing some form of harassment at work, according to a survey of Japanese workers aged 20 to 49 by consulting firm Shikigaku.
uncertain
people → report → Shikigaku
Traditional Japanese corporate culture originated during the post-World War II economic boom and relies heavily on the "lifetime employment" system.
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culture → originate → system
In this culture, loyalty is regarded as the highest virtue, and bosses often view resignations as insults, so many young employees fear resigning in person.
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employees → regard → person
"Announcing one's intention to resign can feel not merely like ending a contract, but like disappointing others or betraying expectations that one has previously continued to meet," said Hiroki Nakamori, an associate professor at Rikkyo University's Graduate School of Social Design Studies.
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Nakamori → announce → Studies
Japan is a non-confrontational culture, and people are expected to fall in line when making certain commitments to the company and its culture.
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people → expect → company
"Those who disturb the harmony are not appreciated, so someone leaving might feel they should just disappear without making too much of a fuss," said Hiroshi Ono, a professor of Human Resources Management at Hitotsubashi University Business School.
uncertain
Ono → disturb → School
"Acting in a collective and acting in harmony is a sign of strength."
This cultural compulsion to avoid conflict runs deep.
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compulsion → act → conflict
Even Japan's 17-Article Constitution, the 7th century foundation of modern Japanese governance, explicitly states: "Harmony should be valued and quarrels should be avoided."
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quarrels → state → governance
Ghosting with consideration
But you can also politely ghost a job.
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you → ghost → job
"Clients may not say goodbye or express their gratitude directly to the company.
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Clients → say → company
In such cases, the agency can deliver these words on their behalf," says Albatross CEO Hamada.
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Hamada → deliver → behalf
It is the ultimate paradox of Japanese workplace culture: Even when ghosting, the employee feels compelled to abide by meiwaku — the social obligation to minimize trouble for others and preserve collective order above all else.
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employee → ghost → else
This also applies to removing their personal items from the workplace.
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This → apply → workplace
"Even if a client intends to completely vanish from their job, we still advise them to clear off their desk" before leaving, added Hamada.
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Hamada → intend → desk
