Donny Kimball comments

I was going to write something but jpn_guy knocked it out of the park...

We need to stop blaming Dentsu in all this. Sure they are the culprits this time but the issue is systemic. This hydra has many heads be that overtime, inefficiency in the office etc. but what's needed is a paradaigm shift away from the mentality that got japan to the bubble and towards one that embraces the reality of the world as created by the Internet.

Rather than boycott them (doesn't work since they own the media), instead we need to look for ways as a nation to increase productivity per hour while simultaneously accepting that there are limits to human attention. This latter point is key as it emphasizes the need for rest and relaxation to be a good worker.

The big thing you guys are missing is that Dentsu is an agency meaning that their efficiency is not am in there hands. I work in PR and sometimes the media won't get back to you until 11 PM and willl expect immediate results. Sure that's ridiculous but it's par for the course in Japan.

If Dentsu didn't do the hours they do, they would go under because of the nature of everything around them. The entire system has needs change. It's a systemic problem left over from old men who worked their country out of the ashes of WW2.

Unfortunately this can really only change from a paradigm shift that embraced how the world has changed post internet...

Not sure what you mean.

It's called "choice".

I can choose Hakuhodo next time I want an advertisement made.

As someone who works in PR and marketing, I can tell you that this isn't possible. Dentsu (and to a lesser extent Hakuhodo) buy up huge chunks of media so that if you want to place an ad you quite literally have no choice but to go through them. Boycotting will mean your company isn't doing ads and therefore struggles to compete. Even if you don't use them for the creative they still have already bought all the media space for you to put your ad!

The only way this working culture will change is if we can collectively show that there is a big financial incentive for companies to send their employees home early. Things are slowly starting to change but unfortunately the old oyaji who call the shots are used to the old system. Progress is very much contingent on getting Japan to embrace the value of time and efficiency vs. pure hours that one's ass is in a seat.