
“Wire us the amount of your paycheck immediately.”
In Japan, the term “black company” (burakku kigyō) is used to refer to companies that have little to no concern for their employees’ well-being, making them work months in a row without any breaks, or getting paid essentially nothing for hundreds of hours of overtime.
And for some companies, the torment doesn’t stop even after you leave.
Japanese Twitter user @kachokun shared this letter he recently received from the “black company” he left a few months ago:
▼ “By the way, here’s the dubious letter I got from the company I left at the end of last year.” (Translation below)
https://twitter.com/kachokun/status/1357366042972987396Created Feb 1, 2021
Dear [redacted]
Thank you very much for leaving our company in the most unpleasant, worst way possible as a member of society.
As a member of society, as a human being, what you f*cking did will certainly come back to bite you. God will not forget to deliver your punishment, assh*le.
When that time comes, I hope you will not forget that it’s too late to cry over how ashamed you are for being the worst.
Well then, onto business. You are you are (sic) requesting documents for [redacted], but according to this letter’s accompanying sheet, there are deficiencies in payment.
Wire us the amount of your paycheck immediately, [redacted] .
The bank transfer fee will be paid by you.
After confirming the bank transfer, we will humbly send you the documents.
Also, we will not pay shipping for the documents you want.
Attach a stamp to the enclosed envelope, and send it to [redacted].
Bank transfer information: [redacted]
Well then. That’s not quite a letter to hang on the fridge, now is it?
To note, the letter uses the word kisama (“you”) repeatedly toward the beginning. While it’s technically a “polite” word, the polite usage is mostly archaic, and as anyone who has watched anime knows, it’s used as an insult 99 percent of the time.
The fact that the letter uses the much more common-in-business-letters kiden (“you”) toward the end when asking for payment shows that its pejorative usage was likely intentional.
▼ Outstanding move!
For context, @kachokun said the company he worked for was a “black company,” and when he quit, he hired someone to quit for him. People-rental services are fairly common in Japan, where you can rent anyone from a middle-aged man to give you life advice, to someone to become friends with your spouse to see if they’re cheating on you.
Based on the fact that @kachokun had to use an extreme method to feel comfortable quitting, and the subsequent letter he got, it definitely seems like he made the right decision.
Japanese netizens were unanimous in their agreement:
“The ‘you are you are’ part has me lol-ing.”
“Their Japanese is all over the place.”
“Just by reading the letter, it looks like their company is about to go under.”
“This is crazy lol. You should make the company name public.”
“Put this in a vinyl, to protect the fingerprints, and take it to a lawyer.”
Many netizens shared similar sentiments that @kachokun should contact the Labor Inspection Standards office, since not only is the letter threatening, but withholding documents such as proof of leaving is illegal.
There were plenty of others who couldn’t help but poke fun at the letter’s bizarre Japanese:
▼ This tweet points out the errors and ends with the note
“Conclusion: Leaving them was very correct.”
凄い会社ですね
— 漢の浪漫馬券( ゚∀゚)o彡゚ (@romanbaken) February 5, 2021
退職は大正解だと思います
(; ゚Д゚) pic.twitter.com/WEH09H3YzW
▼ This one ends with: “Commands, polite language, honorifics, there’s no sense of uniformity. As a member of society, at least learn to do the bare minimum.”
https://twitter.com/GK54040430/status/1357570529842978817▼ Others shared their own “black company” experiences, like this person who was threatened with being sued for ten million yen (US$95,000) when they hired someone to quit for them too.
私も退職代行(弁護士)入れて辞めたら、怪文書来ましたね。
— やよい (@yayoiakira00) February 5, 2021
損害が1000万円あって、同業他社に転職したら裁判で請求するとか、なんとか。弁護士の先生から支払う必要はないと言われた内容でしたので、スルーしました。ブラックな所はどこも同じなんですね。
For those who have never experienced working in a “black company,” consider yourself lucky.
And for those who for some reason want to experience working for one, but don’t want to fully commit, no worries, because of course experiencing a day of having your soul crushed is something available for purchase.
Source: Twitter@kachokun via My Game News Flash
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!


Spend a shift working in a terrible, soul-crushing Japanese company at this “special” Tokyo event
What are the worst things about the first year working in a Japanese company? Survey investigates
Japanese company that will quit your job for you sees rush of clients to start 2020
Wage hell — Japanese office worker reveals soul-crushing past paycheck for 171 hours of overtime
How Kyoto’s shrine of severing ties helped our reporter escape from a “black company”
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Pokémon and Polaroid reveal collaboration with adorable Pikachu and Eeveelution camera and film
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Starbucks Japan releases two new seasonal drinks that blur the line between summer and autumn
New Shinkansen Supreme Class private cabins get try-before-you-ride displays at Tokyo, other stations
Tokyo pub prohibits talking or keeping your phone out, only lets you drink in morning on weekends
Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】
Japanese convenience store sunglasses just became our newest Convenience Wear obsession
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
12-year-old foreign tourist missing in Japan, police asking for help finding her [Video]
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
The Japanese city where ordering grilled chicken doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually get chicken
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
New list of inappropriate Japanese job interview questions from prefectural labor department
Japanese company will tell your boss you’re quitting for you, sees high demand for its services
One in four surveyed Japanese workers admits to wanting to kill boss, Osaka quake helps show why
Our Japanese reporter’s US trip goes horribly wrong when his luggage somehow ends up in Ecuador
Meetings and more meetings: Foreigners list the pros and cons of working at a Japanese company