After a horribly long year, and quite possibly a stressful morning, it’s totally understandable that this Tokyo salaryman wanted to do little more than lie down and bathe in the (very) late autumn sun during his lunch break. A time to relax, and considering the length of time he was actually lying there, perhaps also a time to fantasise about never, ever returning to the office.
Felipe S. says
I happen to follow a Twitter account that posts pictures of people passed out in streets in Japan, is it that frequent to see people like this?
Lee says
It’s certainly not uncommon. People sleep in parks, on trains — most places really. The good thing is it’s perfectly safe to do so.
There are a good few who end up unconscious on the streets after way too much to drink as well. I actually have a series on this which you can see here: https://leechapman.photos/the-drunk
Richard says
I have read that the rate of suicides has increased in recent months….even among women. How about karoshi (sudden death from overwork)?
Lee says
Yes, sadly it has. When the restrictions first started in Japan, and a lot of people were suddenly working from home, the suicide rate actually fell. Something genuinely positive to come out of an otherwise bad situation. Figures that presumably also said a lot about the Japanese work environment. But now they are on the rise again. A very sad situation, and one Japan really needs to try and tackle.
There are still companies that treat employees horrendously and expect a level of commitment that is nothing short of barbaric, but there have been changes within many organisations, Proper changes too. So hopefully it’ll become a thing of the past.
Richard says
I wish I could be hopeful about these dynamics changing but I am not. As long as the country’s political and corporate leaders have come up through the ranks I doubt they will be willing to change what are long standing and largely accepted practices.
Lee says
Definite changes have been made, and there was plenty of coverage of bad practices which should mean more changes going forward, but yeah, there’s an awful long way to go, and certain aspects of the culture mean that could well be the case for a long time to come…
Carl says
I can easily relate to this guy.
Lee says
Yeah, me too. Unfortunately a universal feeling I suspect, especially so in the current climate.
Andrej says
is it just me or is this the first time you appeared? shadowy and all…
Lee says
It might not be quite the first, but definitely a very rare occurrence!