
It’s enough to make you quit your job and take up grass munching full time!
Now, we don’t know what your workplace is like, but most jobs have quite a few rules. For better or worse, bosses tend to have pretty strict ideas about what they want you to be doing while they’re paying you. We suppose we can understand why, but it doesn’t mean we have to like it!
So, when you see the employment contract these adorable sheep have with the Otaru Aquarium, there’s a good chance you’ll feel more than just a pang of envy. Especially that bit about basically taking a break whenever you want!
家族サービスで小樽水族館に行ったら羊が草食っててさ
— ぱらきんa.k.a 買収 (@baisyuu03) May 5, 2016
見たら労働条件が掲載されててコーヒー噴いた pic.twitter.com/GymKnYTGYu
Fixed-term contract employees — Terms of Employment
Mr. Sheep
Contract Period: April 20, 2016 to maybe the middle of October
Place of work: All the grassy fields around the aquarium
Contents of work to be attended to: Eat the grass that has grown long so we don’t have to use a lawnmower.
Work start time: Roughly 9:00 a.m.
Work end time: Until about 5 p.m.
*During Golden Week and Obon, work may start early or end late.
Break time: Take a break for however long you want, whenever your want
For example: When you’re feeling full / When you’re feeling tired / When you want to rest in the shade because it’s hot
Remuneration: As much of the growing grass as you want
(Due to the salty breeze, you’ll get an appropriate amount of salt, so you needn’t lick a salt block. You can drink water from the bucket whenever you want.)
Other: In addition to eating the soft spouts, please also eat the harder stalks.
Obviously, the “employment contract” is meant as a joke — but even so, it looks like the sheep are doing their best to honor it!
▼ Look at the little fluff balls hard at work!
労働条件通知書#契約社員 #ヒツジ殿#おたる水族館 pic.twitter.com/BRn0IJBKck
— 伊藤はるか (@itou_haruka) May 5, 2016
As you might imagine, quite a few Twitter users expressed a certain jealously of the sheep and their lax working conditions.
▼ “I want to be a sheep.”
https://twitter.com/kojijokr/status/728461130549460994But we have to say, we’re pretty sure not many people would actually be happy sitting around and eating grass all day. Now, if the aquarium had an ice cream field that needed regular mowing, we’d be the first in line!
▼ Apparently the sheep earned praise for their good work last year.
今年もえこりん村の羊が、おたる水族館の臨時職員として重要な任務を帯びてきょう旅立ちました。
— えこりん村【公式】 (@ecorinvillage) April 20, 2016
重要な任務とは、水族館敷地内の草刈り作業です。
昨年も「いい仕事をする」と評判でした。 pic.twitter.com/hPK3DVOYBQ
▼ Heck, even their commute looks better than packing into a Tokyo subway!
▼ They even have servants to help them get around.
And we’re glad to see these sheep aren’t causing trouble with their farts or trying to escape like certain “animals” in Tokyo. But still, this might not be the easiest job any sheep has ever had, since we suspect that claim to fame belongs the sheep staffing this cafe in South Korea!
Sources: BuzzMag, Twitter/baisyuu03
Featured image: Twitter/itou_haruka
Images: Twitter/ecorinvillage



Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Are Japanese convenience store sandwiches scamming us with their fillings?
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Are Japanese convenience store sandwiches scamming us with their fillings?
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Japan’s budget chain restaurant Saizeriya might just be the perfect first date location
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Number of foreigners living in Japan has grown 50 percent in four years, hits historic high
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Now is the time to visit one of Tokyo’s best off-the-beaten-path plum blossom gardens
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japan’s budget chain restaurant Saizeriya might just be the perfect first date location
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Number of foreigners living in Japan has grown 50 percent in four years, hits historic high
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Naruto Shippuden x Maeda Coffee collaboration cafe event is coming to Kyoto this week
Is Daiso’s microwave Japanese rolled omelet maker worth your time and money? [Taste test]
Fire breaks out in Kyoto hotel, mobile battery to blame
Japanese Twitter user shares a genius-level tip for drawing manga characters in skirts【Pics】
“25 Potential Culture Shocks from around the World” infographic offers tidbits of travel wisdom
Are all Starbucks coffee sizes the same? Testing the viral video claim in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Discover your secret charm at Kate’s mansion of emotions at Universal Studios Japan