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The dark side of Japanese convenience stores
Rising wages and an ageing workforce put pressure on existing staff.
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Japan's owners of convenience stores such as 7-Eleven owners are under pressure trying to hire more staff while facing growing competition.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Harry Dempsey and David Keohane
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After Ms Akiko married in 2021, her new husband worked around the clock as a store manager at a 7-Eleven in Japan’s southern Oita prefecture. He did not have a single day off before he died by suicide almost 16 months later, she said.
“He himself had said several times to the owner that it was too hard and he wanted to quit. But there weren’t enough staff, and because he was the manager, there was no one to replace him,” said Ms Akiko, who asked to speak under a pseudonym. “It would have been better if I forced him to quit sooner no matter what. All I have now are regrets.”
