Other attempts to use online platforms to enforce social change have not yielded widespread results in Japan. Yumi Ishikawa, a Japanese model, actress and temporary worker, led a viral social media campaign two years ago calling for an end to employers’ demands that female workers wear high heels. The Ministry of Labor has acknowledged that it needs to become ‘aware’ of the matter, and some employers have relaxed some clothing, but many women still feel compelled to wear heels – and skirts – to the office.
To some extent, demographics determine the hegemony of the ancients in Japan. More than a quarter of the population is 65 or older, the highest percentage in the world. Japanese tend to live longer and better than many people elsewhere, and the media is filled with examples of vibrant artisans who remain active until their seventh and eighth decades. But at times, the outdated values of the older generation apply.
And while age in many cases brings valuable experience, in Japan it is often the credibility that outweighs all others.
“Seniority and age are still more important than ability,” said Jesper Koll, a senior adviser to investment firm WisdomTree, which has been living in Japan for more than three decades. “Japan is the world champion to draw rank on you, and rank is not competence, but mainly just age.”
The seniority system lasts in part because it provides a sense of security. Workers know the way forward, and values are sharpened well before entering the workforce, with hierarchies being applied even among children.
“When I was in school, I heard that if you are listening to your older sempai now, then you will have to listen to you when you become sempai,” Ryutaro Yoshioka, 27, said, using the word for older mentors. In the workplace, Mr. Yoshioka, said that employees who “stay in the company” will eventually get up. ‘