脱サラ

• Reading: だつサラ
• Romaji: datsu sara
• Kanji breakdown: 脱 (escape/remove) + サラ (from サラリーマン, salaryman) → escaping salaryman life
• Pronunciation: /da.tsɯ sa.ɾa/

Meaning

Quitting a salaried corporate job to start one's own business or pursue a completely different career path.

脱サラ has been used since the 1970s-1980s to describe the bold move of leaving the stability of a salaried position (サラリーマン) to become self-employed. Common 脱サラ paths include opening a restaurant, cafe, or shop, becoming a farmer, or starting a small business. It's often depicted romantically in media and reality TV shows, though the reality is risky. The term carries a sense of liberation from corporate life.

Examples

1. 脱サラして田舎でカフェを開くのが夢なんだ。 My dream is to quit the corporate grind and open a cafe in the countryside.
2. 脱サラしたけど、最初の1年は収入ゼロで大変だった。 I left my corporate job, but the first year with zero income was brutal.
3. 脱サラ成功した人のYouTubeチャンネル見てモチベ上がった。 I watched a YouTube channel by someone who successfully quit their corporate job and it really motivated me.

Usage Guide

Context: career discussions, casual conversation, social media

Tone: aspirational, admiring

Do Say

• 脱サラしてラーメン屋始めた先輩、今めっちゃ繁盛してるよ。 (My senior who quit his corporate job to open a ramen shop is doing really well now.)
• 脱サラ考えてるけど、家族もいるし勇気が出ない。 (I'm thinking about quitting the corporate world, but with a family, I can't muster the courage.)

Don't Say

• 脱サラで失敗した人に「だから言ったでしょ」は酷い (Saying 'I told you so' to someone whose business failed after quitting their corporate job is cruel)

Common Mistakes

• Using 脱サラ for simply changing companies — it specifically means leaving salaried employment entirely, usually to be self-employed

Origin & History

Abbreviation of 脱サラリーマン (escaping from salaryman life). The term emerged in the 1970s-1980s as some workers began breaking away from the traditional corporate career path.

Cultural Context

Era: 1970s-1980s coinage, still actively used

Generation: All working-age adults

Social background: Salaried workers dreaming of or pursuing independence

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. 脱サラ stories are a popular genre in Japanese media, especially on YouTube.