SALARYMAN BLUES
SALARYMAN BLUES
CREDITS
Karōshi, literally meaning death from overwork, is a major problem in Japan. It is a problem mainly faced by the salaryman, a corporate employee who works for the same company since they leave college. They can be expected to work for over 110 hours a week and then in their free time they must entertain clients and network. Having almost no independence or autonomy, they can be subjected to bullying and exploitation by their managers — that is, until they drop down dead, by heart attacks, strokes or suicide, the tragic casualty of a destructive culture.
“Before long, my consciousness has left the office, and I notice that I’m looking at myself lying on the ground in a place I don’t know.
It’s like I’m looking at a different person.” – Yusuke Sakai
These images by Yusuke Sakai (Japan) give a visual commentary to this lifestyle. Originally invoking the imagery of drunk businessmen passed out from the exhausting and demanding corporate world, they quickly veer towards a more tragic reading. Men left abandoned and alone in huge industrial landscapes, their only identity the suit and briefcase which they still clutch in desperation.
