Young 'bachiku' workers squeezed

TOKYO, Nov 10 (News On Japan) - Bankruptcies in Japan have more than doubled year-on-year due to labor shortages, with the word "bachiku", or "corporate livestock", spreading among young part-time workers who are forced to take on extra shifts.

The number of bankruptcies due to labor shortages in Japan was 128 from January to October this year, 2.4 times more than last year, according to data released on Nov 9 by Tokyo Shoko Research.

The term "bachiku", a combination of "part-time job" (バイト) and "corporate slave" (社畜), reflects the current business environment where companies and consumers demand cheap, high-quality services, leading to a reliance on part-time staff in the midst of a tight labor market.

Students feel they are "bachiku" when they work 5-6 days a week, sometimes 7 days, juggling multiple jobs, prioritizing work over social life.

Students' academic performance is also affected, as they spend most weekends working long hours, leaving little time for assignments.

by Brian Dentry

Long Lines in Russia for Japan Tourist Visas

Long lines have been forming daily outside the Japanese Embassy in Russia as people seek tourist visas to visit Japan, with an unprecedented boom in travel interest despite Moscow designating Japan an “unfriendly nation” over sanctions related to the Ukraine invasion.

Can Foreign Drivers Save Japan’s Logistics Industry?

A severe shortage of truck drivers—forecast to reach 210,000 by fiscal 2030—has prompted a driving school operator in Fukuoka Prefecture to begin recruiting foreign drivers in an effort to support Japan’s strained logistics sector.

Chinese Media Reports Travel to Japan Down 54%

China’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday began on February 15th, marking the start of the longest Spring Festival break on record at nine days.

Six Students Taken to Hospital After Eating Overly Salty Pizza

Six junior high school students were taken to hospital after falling ill from eating pizza made during a home economics class in Kitakyushu last month, with officials suspecting the cause to be an excessive amount of salt added to the dough.

Osaka Fraud Losses Top 33.9 Billion Yen as Police-Impersonation Scams Surge

Losses from special fraud and SNS-based investment and romance scams in Osaka Prefecture over the past year exceeded 33.9 billion yen, marking a record high.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Japan’s GDP Returns to Growth in October–December but Lacks Momentum

Japan’s real gross domestic product (GDP) for the October–December period posted an annualized increase of 0.2%, marking the first growth in two quarters, though the recovery remains weak.

80s Rise of Japanese economy | Doc Preview

After its defeat and surrender in World War II, Japan experienced rapid economic growth that permeated the entire nation, reaching its peak in the late 1980s. (TRNGL)

Japan To Raise Initial And Follow-Up Medical Fees

Medical consultation fees at healthcare institutions in Japan are set to rise starting in June as authorities move to address soaring costs and wage increases, with around 70 percent of hospitals nationwide currently operating at a loss.

PayPay Teams Up With Visa to Break Into the U.S.

PayPay, Japan’s leading QR-code payment service, has announced a partnership with Visa, the world’s largest credit card network, as it looks to expand into the United States, where QR payments remain far less common and tap-to-pay dominates everyday transactions.