Article 27, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of Japan, which stipulates that “all people shall have the right and obligation to work,” has played an extremely unique role in postwar Japanese social formation. This expression “duty to work” is rare even compared to world constitutions, with historical background in postwar bureaucratic structures attempting to position citizens as mobilization targets for national reconstruction.

During the 1946 constitutional formation process, following the Potsdam Declaration’s dissolution of military forces and abolition of “military service duty” under the Imperial Constitution, the concept of “labor for the state” emerged as a substitute. Bureaucrats sought legitimacy in this provision to “educate” citizens and mobilize them for national reconstruction in postwar Japan.

Considering the current situation of unceasing mental illness and suicides, the undeniable aspect of this “duty to work” functioning as a kind of psychological curse becomes evident. Particularly for those mentally cornered, the fact that labor is written into the Constitution — the nation’s fundamental law — as a “duty” creates severe conflict between their survival instincts seeking rest and social norms as duty.

The deterioration of mental health in Japanese workplaces is not merely an issue of individual adaptability but stems from structural long working hours and excessive responsibility concentration. Analysis of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare statistics and workers’ compensation recognition cases reveals that many mental disorder suicide cases are exposed to extremely harsh working conditions.

These data substantiate that particularly men in their prime working years (30s-50s) in responsible positions like management and technical roles receive mental burdens leading to death. Notably, the brevity from onset to suicide — with judgment severely deteriorating within mere months to choosing the worst outcome — demonstrates this problem’s seriousness through its “speed.”

The public assistance (welfare) system, serving as the ultimate safety net when labor becomes difficult, faces numerous prejudices and misunderstandings. Particularly, narratives about “prevalent fraudulent claims” and “tax waste” significantly diverge from actual statistical data.

Many people feel strong “social stigma (shame)” toward public assistance, forgoing meals or deepening isolation without consulting anyone. In this situation, criticizing public assistance as “tax waste” risks severing the final lifeline for cornered individuals.

Layers choosing individual business ownership (freelancing) are increasing as means to escape rigid labor environments. However, individual business owners are not completely independent autonomous beings but exist by operating on infrastructure created by existing social systems and corporations.

Income and Satisfaction Divergence

According to 2024 freelance reality surveys, while overall work style satisfaction reaches relatively high 52.8%, only 26.3% are satisfied with income, indicating persistently fragile economic foundations. Moreover, cases appropriately transferring cost increases from recent inflation into compensation are few, with approximately half struggling with rising business costs.

The possibility that intervening “part-time workers with life security” or “housewives with rich life experience” in rigid workplace environments dramatically improves organizational atmosphere is academically supported by the concept of “Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB).”

What is Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)?

OCB refers to voluntary behaviors facilitating functional and efficient organizational operations not specified in job descriptions.

Housewife Part-timers Bringing “Emotional Capacity” and Adaptability

Many companies find merit in hiring housewife part-time workers. “Simultaneous multi-task processing abilities” and “abilities to flexibly move while sensing surroundings” cultivated through housework and childcare significantly contribute to workplace operational efficiency.

• Equipped with high communication skills and cooperation through experiences engaging diverse people through community activities and PTA
• Intervention by “people who can respond with smiles” among rigidly performance-oriented, long-working regular employees who’ve lost “mental capacity” reduces overall workplace stress levels
• Becomes important factor connecting to proactive mental health disorder prevention

Many modern workplaces possess “emotional labor” characteristics — not only customer interactions but also colleague and supervisor relationships requiring suppressing true feelings and continuously creating desired expressions. Particularly, “surface acting” — creating smiles externally while feeling stress internally — becomes a major factor wearing down workers’ spirits.

Need for Organizational Measures

Companies must also implement organizational measures rather than merely relying on employees’ individual “goodwill.” Establishing regular communication venues, coordinating with occupational physicians, and utilizing stress checks are indispensable infrastructure for visualizing emotional labor burdens and providing appropriate care.

Politics is beginning major course changes toward the spiritual crises modern society faces. Particularly, movements positioning loneliness/isolation problems not as “individual responsibility” but as “society-wide challenges” while attempting to reconstruct person-to-person connections are strengthening.

Construction of “all-generation social security” advocated by the Ishiba and Kishida administrations links with such loneliness measures. It aims for society mutually supporting regardless of age — addressing not only elderly but also unstable employment, mental health problems among working generations, and young people’s future anxieties.

Particularly, revising public systems matching inflation, raising minimum wages, and improving medical/care worker treatment are concrete approaches for overall societal “bottom-up” and regaining mental capacity.

What emerges through this research report is the reality that Japanese society, excessively bound by norms of “duty to work,” has worn down workers’ mental resilience. Meanwhile, hints for breaking this impasse lie in utilizing part-time workers at organizational peripheries and “lubricant” personnel rich in life experience.

Three Critical Perspectives in Future Social Design

1. Redefining Labor: Liberating labor from “survival hardship” or “duty to state,” recognizing diverse contribution forms. This includes environmental preparation where working styles like individual business owners and freelancers receive stronger safety net protection, with public assistance systems functioning as “natural rights” even upon failure.
2. Expanding Evaluation Axes: Extending corporate organizational evaluation axes beyond merely “quantifiable outcomes” to “organizational citizenship behavior” and “care” aspects enhancing workplace psychological safety. Smiles and caring brought by personnel knowing life’s “bitter and sweet” are difficult to quantify numerically yet are important management resources directly connecting to long-term turnover reduction and productivity improvement.
3. Centralizing Loneliness Measures: Politics anchoring loneliness/isolation measures toward realizing “society leaving no one behind.” For people unable to attend workplaces or who’ve lost societal contact points, constructing regional communities providing not merely financial support but “roles” and “places to belong” is urgent.