Too anxious to tell your boss you’re quitting? In Japan, there’s a service for that.

So, What Is This Service?

Let’s say you work at a company in Japan—but you want to quit.
Instead of handing in your notice yourself, you can just hire a “taishoku daikō” (退職代行) service.

They’ll call your company, send documents, and officially notify them that you’re resigning.

That’s it. You don’t have to face your boss. You don’t even need to make a phone call.
The service takes care of everything for you.

It’s Not as Rare as You’d Think

You might be thinking:

“Why not just quit on your own?”
“Isn’t that... avoiding responsibility?”

Sure—but it turns out, a surprising number of people actually use these services.

According to an October 2024 report by Mynavi Corporation,

16.6% of people who changed jobs in the past year used a taishoku daikō service.

Source:退職代行サービスに関する調査レポート（2024年）

Why Do People Use It?

One well-known service called Momuri shares anonymized client stories and reasons for quitting on X (formerly Twitter).

Here are some real examples (translated from Japanese):

Man in his 30s, nursing care industry

When he tried to quit after one month, his boss said: “We’ll sue you for 10 million yen. We’ll go after your family too. You idiot. Worthless. Don’t talk back to me.”

Man in his 20s, construction

Boss said:
“Say you’re quitting and I’ll kill you.”
“I’ll beat you to a pulp.”
“I don’t care if the cops come—I’ll kill your whole family.”

Woman in her 20s, manufacturing

The company president constantly screamed at employees and smashed things like cars and TVs.
She was terrified to speak up.

Man in his 20s, construction

Was pressured to attend company drinking parties 2–3 times a week.
When he refused once, the boss screamed at him during a meeting.
When he said he wanted to quit, the response was:
“Fine. Bring 1 million yen.”

Man in his 30s, construction

Threatened with:
“If you go back to this industry again, I’ll burn your house down. I’ll kill you.”

Man in his 40s, nursing care

Was smacked on the back of the head by the company president—never got an explanation or apology.

重い退職理由の一部を公開します。
こういった会社がいまだにあり、だからこそ退職代行が必要とされ、需要があることもご理解頂ければと思います。

※個人情報保護のため、一部表現を変えています。

■20代女性：製造業
社長が頻繁に誰かを罵倒し、車やテレビなど何でも破壊するので恐い。…

— 退職代行モームリ (@momuri0201) May 2, 2025

37,690件の退職理由を見てきたモームリが”本当に重い”と判断した退職理由です。

■20代女性　営業
上司から飲み会や移動中の車内での下ネタ発言や、「ドS？ドM？俺はMだから叱ってほしい」といった発言があった。

■30代男性　介護関連…

— 退職代行モームリ (@momuri0201) June 3, 2025

Clearly, there are workplaces in Japan that are blatantly abusive, and in some cases, dangerous.

For people stuck in environments like this, it’s no wonder they’re too afraid to quit in person.
Some are already suffering from depression or anxiety—saying “I quit” could feel like walking into a trap.

A Culture That Avoids Conflict

Japanese culture often values not causing trouble and going with the flow, even when things are unfair.

Many people grow up thinking:

“If I just stay quiet and endure it, things will calm down.”

But when this mindset is applied to toxic workplaces, people often internalize stress—sometimes to the point of serious mental illness.

A Divisive Topic in Japan

Not everyone supports the idea.

Some say:

“If you’re quitting, take responsibility and say it yourself.”

Others argue:

“If the company is abusive, using a service is totally reasonable.”

So—what do you think?

Would you ever use a service like this?