終身雇用

• Reading: しゅうしんこよう
• Romaji: shūshin koyō
• Kanji breakdown: 終 (end) + 身 (body/self) + 雇 (employ) + 用 (use) → employment for one's entire life
• Pronunciation: /ɕuː.ɕin ko.joː/

Meaning

The lifetime employment system where employees work at one company from graduation until retirement.

終身雇用 was one of the three pillars of Japan's postwar economic miracle, along with seniority-based pay and enterprise unions. Workers would join a company straight out of university and stay until retirement at 60-65, receiving steady promotions and pay increases. While this system is declining — especially after Toyota's CEO publicly questioned its sustainability in 2019 — it still shapes Japanese workplace expectations and is a frequent topic of debate.

Examples

1. 終身雇用なんてもう崩壊してるのに、親はまだ信じてる。 Lifetime employment has already collapsed, but my parents still believe in it.
2. 大企業の終身雇用に守られてる人が正直うらやましい。 Honestly, I'm jealous of people protected by lifetime employment at big companies.
3. 終身雇用が当たり前じゃなくなったから、スキルアップが大事だよね。 Since lifetime employment isn't a given anymore, building your skills is really important.

Usage Guide

Context: career discussions, news, social commentary

Tone: analytical, sometimes nostalgic or critical

Do Say

• 終身雇用の時代はもう終わったって言われてるよね。 (They say the era of lifetime employment is over.)
• 終身雇用があるから安心してローン組めたんだけどな。 (I could take out a mortgage with peace of mind because of lifetime employment.)

Don't Say

• 若い世代に「終身雇用がいい」と押し付けない (Don't push lifetime employment as ideal on younger generations — many prefer flexibility)

Common Mistakes

• Assuming 終身雇用 is completely dead — many large Japanese companies still practice it to some degree
• Thinking it's a legal requirement — it was always a cultural practice, not a law

Origin & History

A postwar Japanese employment practice formalized in the 1950s-1960s. The term combines 終身 (lifetime) and 雇用 (employment). Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda's 2019 statement that 'lifetime employment is difficult to maintain' marked a symbolic turning point.

Cultural Context

Era: 1950s-1960s establishment, declining since 1990s

Generation: All ages (debated across generations)

Social background: Primarily large corporations and government

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Increasingly discussed in contrast to the growing freelance and job-hopping culture.