The Lonely Man

David Guttenfelder

Associated Press

Japanese 'salary men' company employees gather after work in gravel lot outside the Imperial Palace overlooking the financial district of Tokyo in September 2006. The loyal, black-suited cog of Japan Inc. _ 'the Salary Man' _ has been the symbol of Japan's post-war economic miracle. ¶ But monotonous commutes, long days marked by emasculating work, absence from family, and the isolation of trying to get ahead in a business culture where individual achievement is frowned upon often makes the life of the Salary Man a lonely struggle. ¶ Moving through the landscape of Tokyo like anonymous ghosts, the salary man is up at dawn for his two-hour train commute. His workday begins at 8:30 a.m., when the tardy bell sounds in his office. After an 11-hour day, there is obligatory excessive drinking and karaoke with superiors. The last train home leaves at midnight. Repeat...

David Guttenfelder, "The Lonely Man ," in POYi Archive, Item #45961, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/45961 (accessed November 23, 2024).