Working 15 Hours a Day in Tokyo : The Limits of Japanese Salaryman.

The morning alarm rings, and before you know it, the day is already gone.
In Japan, it’s not unusual for an office worker’s day to stretch 15 or even 16 hours—from the first groggy step out of bed to the moment their body finally gives in at night.
The commute is less about travel and more about endurance. Trains packed tight, shoulders pressed together, everyone silently competing for space just to breathe. By the time you reach the office, the real marathon begins: endless emails, overlapping meetings, and deadlines that never seem to slow down. Rest is optional. Commitment is mandatory.
Modern salarymen aren’t so different from servants of the past. The uniforms have changed, and the castles are now concrete towers filled with fluorescent lights—but obedience, sacrifice, and silence remain part of the job.
And yet, even in this exhausting routine, there are small moments of escape. A cheap onigiri grabbed between tasks. A hurried lunch from a convenience store. Or that single cold beer after work, quietly reminding you that the day is finally over. Strangely enough, these simple comforts—built by the same system—are what keep people going.
This video follows one salaryman through a brutal 16-hour workday. With a touch of irony and dark humor, it captures Japan’s intense work culture—from unpaid overtime at so-called “black companies” to coworkers pushed to their limits.
This isn’t a statistic or a headline. It’s everyday life.
Welcome to a day in the life of a Japanese office worker.
At the end of it all, there’s always a drink and a small meal waiting.

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