A stranger, a phone call and an exit: Japan's unusual resignation business

In Japan, even quitting a job can require professional help. Resignation agencies are giving workers a way out of difficult workplaces, uncomfortable conversations and demanding bosses, revealing a deeper shift in how employees view work, loyalty and personal boundaries.

In Short

• Japan has resignation agencies called Taishoku Daiko to quit jobs for employees
• Workers use agencies to avoid harassment and tough resignations
• Service costs up to 50,000 yen, offering a costly but easier exit

Imagine waking up on a Monday morning, deciding you have had enough of your job, and wanting to resign. There is just one problem: you cannot bring yourself to tell your boss. What if someone else could make that awkward phone call for you?

In Japan, this is no workplace fantasy. Resignation agencies, known locally as Taishoku Daiko, allow employees to hire professionals to inform their employers that they are quitting. What began as a solution to uncomfortable workplace conversations has grown into an unusual service industry, offering workers a way out without having to face their bosses.

THE PEOPLE WHO TELL YOUR BOSS YOU'RE LEAVING

The idea is fairly simple. Instead of approaching their manager or sending an uncomfortable resignation email, employees contact an agency, pay a fee and let its representatives communicate their decision to the employer.

According to The Washington Post, one of Japan's best-known resignation agencies, Momuri, handles around 2,500 cases every month, compared with approximately 200 when it started in 2022. Its name roughly translates to 'I can't take it anymore'.

The agency contacts the employer, informs the company about the employee's decision, and helps coordinate practical details, such as returning office equipment. This allows workers to avoid a potentially stressful conversation with their managers.

In other words, employees can outsource the part of quitting that they find most difficult: telling their bosses they are leaving.

WHEN QUITTING ISN'T EASY

It is not always about avoiding an awkward goodbye. For some employees, resigning can involve workplace bullying, harassment, excessive working hours or managers who refuse to accept their decision to leave.

As reported by The Guardian in October 2024, one young Japanese worker turned to Momuri after experiencing intimidation, forced overtime and workplace harassment. The report also highlighted cases in which employers made resignation difficult or tried to prevent employees from leaving.

The problem appears to go beyond individual experiences.

A December 2025 report by Nippon.com, citing a Mynavi survey of 800 respondents, found that 40.7 per cent of those surveyed who had used resignation agencies said their employers had tried, or would have tried, to stop them from resigning. Another 32.4 per cent said they did not feel they could comfortably communicate their decision to quit.

For these workers, a resignation agency is not simply a convenient alternative to an uncomfortable conversation. It can offer a way to leave a workplace where saying 'I quit' is not always easy.

AN EASIER EXIT, BUT AT WHAT COST?

Getting someone else to deliver your resignation does not come free. According to The Washington Post, Momuri's services can cost up to 50,000 yen, depending on the circumstances.

For someone who would rather pay than face an uncomfortable confrontation, the price may seem worth considering. The service essentially puts a price on something most employees would expect to do themselves: tell their employer they are leaving.

THE LEGAL CATCH BEHIND JAPAN'S QUIT-FOR-YOU SERVICES

There is a catch. Resignation agencies cannot simply act as lawyers without the required qualifications.

As reported by The Washington Post, ordinary agencies can communicate an employee's intention to resign but cannot independently negotiate legal disputes or matters such as unpaid wages and severance.

Japan's Civil Code also provides employees with a way out. Under Article 627, workers on indefinite-term employment contracts can generally terminate their employment by giving two weeks' notice. This means an employer's refusal to accept a resignation does not automatically prevent it from taking effect.

In simple terms, Taishoku Daiko does not make the decision to quit for an employee. It takes over the uncomfortable task of communicating that decision.

The industry has also faced regulatory scrutiny. According to Nippon TV News, the operators of Momuri were arrested in February 2026 over alleged illegal lawyer-referral fees. They denied the allegations.

WHAT JAPAN'S RESIGNATION TREND REVEALS ABOUT WORKPLACE CULTURE

Japan's resignation agencies raise a question that extends well beyond the country: why should leaving a job become so difficult that an employee needs professional help to do it?

The trend reflects changing expectations around workplace loyalty, hierarchy and personal boundaries. As younger workers become more willing to change jobs, employers are also being pushed to reconsider how they treat employees who want to leave.

For some, hiring a resignation agency may seem excessive. For others, particularly those dealing with difficult managers or hostile working conditions, it may offer a sense of control over an otherwise stressful experience.

After all, resigning from a job should ideally take one conversation, not an entire support team. But in Japan, an entire industry has emerged around making that conversation disappear.

- Ends