salaryman
Tokyo office worker
A salaryman is a white-collar worker in Japan, typically a man employed by a large corporation in a permanent position.
The term evokes the stereotypical dedicated company man—long hours, after-work drinks with colleagues, loyalty to the firm: The salarymen packed the commuter trains at rush hour.
The word is borrowed from Japanese, which borrowed it from English.
Regular work travel
- overtimeWork beyond scheduled hours
- deadlineTime limit for completion
- cubiclePartitioned office workspace
- deskFurniture for writing
office · timesheet · workweek · punchcard · crunch · burnout · workload · after-hours
Matched formal garments
- necktieKnotted collar ornament
- white-collarOffice work designation
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
- providerOne who furnishes things
conformity · anonymity · resignation · dedication · middle-class · stability · security · routine
Japan's capital city
Rank increase or publicity
- retirementLeaving the workforce permanently
- recruitmentSeeking new personnel
- probationSupervised trial period
- tenureProtected employment status
seniority · transfer · demotion · resignation · pension · bonus · evaluation · mid-career
Legally separate business entity
- companyCommercial enterprise or guests
- headquartersCentral command location
- mergerCorporate combination
- shareholderEquity owner in corporation
enterprise · conglomerate · subsidiary · multinational · firm · industry · hierarchy · restructuring
commute
Regular work travel
- overtimeWork beyond scheduled hours
- deadlineTime limit for completion
- cubiclePartitioned office workspace
desk · office · timesheet · workweek · punchcard · crunch · burnout · workload · after-hours · station
suit
Matched formal garments
- necktieKnotted collar ornament
- white-collarOffice work designation
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
provider · conformity · anonymity · resignation · dedication · middle-class · stability · security · routine · uniformity
Tokyo
Japan's capital city
promotion
Rank increase or publicity
- retirementLeaving the workforce permanently
- recruitmentSeeking new personnel
- probationSupervised trial period
tenure · seniority · transfer · demotion · resignation · pension · bonus · evaluation · mid-career · secondment
corporation
Legally separate business entity
- companyCommercial enterprise or guests
- headquartersCentral command location
- mergerCorporate combination
shareholder · enterprise · conglomerate · subsidiary · multinational · firm · industry · hierarchy · restructuring · downsizing
- Japanese culturesamurai, kabuki, sumo, origami, tea ceremony
- Japanese wordsanime, bento, bonsai, futon, geisha
- Japanese businessToyota, Honda, Sony, Nissan, Mitsubishi
- Japanese societysamurai, daimyo, shogun, ronin, geisha
- Japanglishskinship, high tension, front glass, coin laundry, morning call
- Modern JapanTokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Hirohito, economic miracle
salarymanfreelancer
Self-employed service provider
entrepreneur · self-employed · independent contractor · business owner · sole proprietor
salarymanentrepreneur
One who starts businesses
startup founder · free spirit · bohemian · digital nomad · risk-taker
salarymannonconformist
Rejects prevailing social standards
bohemian · free spirit · rebel · dropout · hippie