The Seasons of the Chosen Workers: Marx's Theory of Capital and Japanese Employment and Capability (1970s-2020s)

The Seasons of the Chosen Workers: Marx's Theory of Capital and Japanese Employment and Capability (1970s-2020s)

The outcome of job hunting in Japan is often determined by the institutional framework rather than individual ability. While practices such as lump-sum hiring of new graduates, seniority-based systems, and long-term employment appear to provide stability, an internal selection process quietly operates to determine who is chosen and who is not. Job seekers are forced to give priority to adapting to the corporate mold rather than to their natural abilities, and their independence is restricted.

When this structure is superimposed on Marx's theory of labor alienation in his "Capitalism," the essence behind contemporary Japanese employment practices becomes clear. The phenomenon of workers being alienated from labor is today manifested as "alienation of ability," in which workers are expected to perform a uniform image of ability rather than creativity. This is the management of subjectivity by the system.

Furthermore, while Japanese companies claim to be "ready-to-work," in reality they sift through large numbers of students through formal screening, while assuming long-term training for inexperienced workers. The evaluation is based not on individual ability but on the degree of adaptation to the system, and workers are forced into a way of working that focuses on "being chosen" rather than "choosing".

The rigidity of Japanese-style employment, difficulties in developing young careers, gender disparities, and barriers to changing jobs have been repeatedly pointed out on the Web, and this is a deep problem in which the system defines the nature of work.

Against this background, Japanese-style employment works as a mechanism that restricts rather than supports the free exercise of abilities. The "worker of choice" construct is at the heart of labor alienation in contemporary Japan, showing that Marx's perspective is still valid today.