最近聽到了某「退職代行」公司的宣傳歌曲「牟無理（モームリ），其音調和節奏馬上讓人想到在新宿澀谷街頭奔馳的「香草求人卡車（バーニラ！バニラ！バーニラ）」。
都是重複旋律的洗腦歌，不過比較一下好像牟無理比較有深度一點XD 下面有影片可以比較一下
當然牟無理也有專用卡車在新宿或澀谷街上跑了。能夠作自己的主題曲和使用卡車廣告天天在街上跑，顯然「退職代行」的需求和業務量還挺多的，
不過令我感興趣的是：這種服務在其他國家能行得通嗎？
所謂的「退職代行」，就是你想要辭職，但是因為諸多理由，你說不出口或不想去公司自己辦理辭職；所以你花一筆錢，請該公司去替你辭職。
現在的一般費用從一萬到五萬日圓左右，包含基本的「手續費」、「成功辭職後的服務報酬」和相關的行政、交通費（例如幫你去公司收拾個人行李等），
以上面這家「牟無理」來說，網站的基本標定費用是 22000 日圓，也就是大概快台幣五千左右，而且還有一年內再次使用的半價折扣（這有點像…辦理離婚原價，如果你一年後又離婚的話就半價優待XD）
我不禁想到，這種服務日本以外的其他國家行得通嗎？台灣會有人願意出五千台幣請人幫你去和公司說「我不幹了？」嗎？還是，這可能是依附在特殊風土文化歷史人情下才能「產業化」的特例？
■ 退職代行：折射日本職場文化？
或許這種荒誕卻真實的場景，恰似當代日本職場文化的縮影。表面平靜的職場水面下，暗湧著辭職者不敢言說的焦慮，催生出這種獨特的商業模式，或許是日本社會多重基因共同作用的產物。
首先，戰後日本經濟奇蹟締造的「終身雇用制」，在企業與員工間植入基因層面的共生關係。
例如三菱重工在 1950 年代主張的「家族主義經營」，將職場塑造成血緣共同體的延伸，辭職被視為對「家」的背叛。這種觀念在 1970-1990 年代達到頂峰，
當時新入社員有一個幾乎是規定的默契：一旦選了一家公司，則 35 歲前不能離開；如果離開，你就被貼上叛徒的標籤。而且因為圈子層層連結，基本上你也無法去其他公司任職了。
這一特徵也解釋了為何 1990 年代律師不幫女性打公司性騷擾的官司（雖然大家已經看過無數的痴漢類型 A 片，不過日本第一起性騷擾的官司發生在 1989 年的福岡），因為要維持整個公司的和諧和團結。
今年（2025）年爆發的富士電視台與中居事件也說明了這種上層和諧、盡可能壓下醜聞的作風。
根據東京商工會議的調查顯示，即便到 2020 年，大約還有 68% 的中小企業以某種形式維持年資制度。這種結構下，年輕員工面對上司時如同面對封建領主，提出辭職需要跨越的心理障礙，不亞於中世紀農奴向領主申請解除附庸關係。
集體主義傳統在現代職場異化為道德綁架工具。1995 年發生在大阪某機械製造商的案例具有代表性：一名想要提出辭職的員工被要求在全體會議上朗讀謝罪文，這種將個人選擇上升為道德審判的傳統，迫使許多離職者選擇人間蒸發。
■ 文化基因裡的人際關係困境
大和文化的核心在於群體的和諧，壓抑少數不一樣的聲音，最終塑造共同的集體意識，在現代職場中則異化為壓抑的沉默螺旋。
根據牟無理的數據統計，42% 的委託者最恐懼的是「被視為軟弱逃兵」。這其實我們並不陌生，畢竟在《EVA》中已經看到真嗣大喊不能逃不能逃不能逃但又想逃的掙扎了，而「村八分」又強化了這種被孤立、被排擠的壓力。
其次，日文不喜歡把話說清楚，而是拐彎抹角的表達也造成了辭職的困難。當代職場仍延續著腹芸文化，辭職者既要傳達明確意願，又要維持模稜兩可的餘地。
例如名古屋某商社員工的案例：他連續三個月用「可能需要調整人生方向」的模糊說辭暗示辭職，結果被上司解讀為「他需要休假調養」。
■ 過勞死與居酒屋場域
或許大家都在日劇內看過這種情節：如果上司還沒離開，下屬不敢先離開，以免被當成不負責任。其次，上班族下班後不敢直接回家，而是要先去居酒屋喝幾杯，營造很晚回家的樣子：因為太早下班表你不被公司重用。
這種「過勞死」和「職場霸凌（パワハラ）」問題甚至傳播到世界各國。例如 2002 年牛津辭典收錄了「karōshi（カロウシ過勞死）」這個英文字，而國際勞工組織（ILO）也公開表示：勞工過勞是日本嚴重的社會問題（關於過勞死的案件實在太多，有興趣可以自己搜）
為了改善此一問題， 日本於 2014 年（平成26年）11 月 1 日推行「過勞死等防止對策推進法（過労死等防止対策推進法）」並對勞動基準法進行修正。而厚生勞動省的報告顯示約 28% 會考慮選擇退職代行服務，因為他們根本不想再看到上司一眼，形成獨特的「辭職功能障礙群體」
而現在因為 AI 便利普及，所以這些退職代行公司可快速根據每個人的情況，利用 大量充滿情感與理性的辭職信，或許這反映出制度性複雜催生的市場需求。
當代日本勞動者用金錢購買辭職自由的背後，是傳統與現代撕扯出的文化傷口。在可預見的未來，這種黑色幽默般的商業模式，仍將持續映照出日本職場文化的現實。
或許值得安慰的是，至少人家還願意花錢請人來告訴你一聲「我不幹了」，而不是直接人間蒸發消失XD
The Resignation Agency as a Reflection of Japanese Work Culture
The emergence of resignation agencies such as Moumuri can be seen as a stark reflection of deep-seated issues within Japanese corporate culture. On the surface, the workplace appears calm and orderly,
yet beneath lies a turbulent undercurrent of anxiety and unspoken despair among employees. This tension has given rise to a niche market: companies that help workers overcome the immense psychological and social hurdles associated with resigning.
The roots of this phenomenon stretch back to the post-war economic miracle and the establishment of the “lifetime employment” system. During Japan’s rapid economic growth, companies fostered a familial relationship with their employees.
For instance, in the 1950s, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries promoted a “family management” style that effectively turned the workplace into an extension of one’s home.
In this context, leaving one’s job was tantamount to betraying one’s “family.” By the 1980s and 1990s, it became an unspoken rule that once you joined a company, you were expected to remain until at least the age of 35.
Departing before this milestone could result in being labeled a traitor, making it exceedingly difficult to secure employment elsewhere due to the tight-knit nature of corporate circles.
This culture of unwavering loyalty even influenced legal practices. In the 1990s, for example, lawyers were often reluctant to support female employees in sexual harassment cases, as such actions risked disrupting the harmony of the workplace.
Even recent scandals—like the 2025 incident involving Fuji Television and its host Nakai—underscore the persistent influence of hierarchical and collectivist values in Japan’s corporate elite.
According to a survey by the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce, even as recently as 2022, about 68% of small and medium enterprises adhered strictly to a seniority-based system. In such environments,
young employees often feel as if they are confronting feudal lords when they approach their superiors. Resigning, therefore, can be as psychologically daunting as a medieval serf petitioning to break free from the bonds of fealty.
The Toll of Cultural Expectations and Interpersonal Pressures
Collectivism, once a unifying principle, has morphed in the modern workplace into a tool for moral coercion. A notorious case from 1995 at a machinery manufacturer in Osaka is illustrative: an employee wishing to resign was compelled to read a public apology in front of his colleagues.
This incident, where personal decisions were elevated to the level of moral judgment, forced many workers into a state of resignation paralysis, opting to simply disappear rather than face public scrutiny.
In fact, data from Moumuri indicates that 42% of its clients are most afraid of being labeled as “cowardly deserters”—a fear reminiscent of cultural portrayals in popular media,
such as the internal conflict depicted by Shinji in the anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” The societal practice of “mura hachibu,” or social exclusion, only intensifies this pressure, reinforcing a vicious cycle of silence and isolation.
Additionally, the Japanese language itself, with its tendency toward indirect communication, further complicates the act of resigning. Consider a typical case from a company in Nagoya: an employee spent three months hinting at his intention to leave by vaguely stating that he might “need to re-evaluate his life direction.”
Such ambiguous language was misinterpreted by his superiors as a mere need for an extended leave, thus delaying the resignation process even further.
Work Culture Extremes: Overwork, Overtime, and Social Expectations
The phenomenon of resignation agencies is also intertwined with the extreme work culture that pervades Japan. In countless dramas and real-life scenarios, subordinates hesitate to leave work before their superiors, lest they appear irresponsible.
After long, grueling days at the office, many employees avoid going straight home; instead, they frequent izakayas (Japanese pubs) to create the impression that they are still burning the midnight oil. In this way, even the act of leaving work is laden with social and professional significance.
Japan’s struggles with “karōshi” (death by overwork) and pervasive workplace bullying are not just anecdotes but recognized social issues. The Oxford English Dictionary even included the term “karōshi” in 2002, and the International Labour Organization has repeatedly highlighted overwork as a serious problem in Japan.
In response, the Japanese government enacted the “Act on the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Karōshi and Overwork” on November 1, 2014, alongside revisions to the Labor Standards Act.
Recent reports from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reveal that approximately 28% of workers might consider using a resignation agency simply to avoid further contact with their oppressive bosses.
With the advent of artificial intelligence, resignation agencies are now able to rapidly generate personalized resignation letters that balance emotional nuance with rational clarity.
This technological efficiency is a direct response to the intricate demands of a system where both the bureaucratic complexities and the deep-seated cultural expectations of the workplace converge.
A Darkly Humorous Remedy for a Deep-Rooted Malady
At its core, the service offered by resignation agencies like Moumuri is both a symptom and a band-aid. It reflects the deep cultural fissures between traditional expectations and modern realities, a clash that leaves many Japanese workers with a profound sense of entrapment.
By paying for the privilege of a graceful exit, employees are, in a sense, purchasing their freedom from a system that has long stifled individual expression and autonomy.
This darkly humorous business model is likely to persist, serving as a mirror to the enduring challenges of Japan’s work culture. In a society where even the act of saying “I resign” must be mediated by external agents, there remains a peculiar solace in knowing that, at the very least, one’s departure will be formally acknowledged rather than disappearing without a trace.
In the foreseeable future, as Japan continues to grapple with its traditional values amid rapid modernization, resignation agencies will remain a unique—and perhaps necessary—cornerstone of its labor landscape.
Source
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jp/saoriibuki/yukiko-tsunoda
