The generational gap is fierce in the workplace, with older managers typically disparaging the work ethic of younger employees. It’s fairly common to hear “millennials are ruining X” in Western countries. In Japan, the phrase “Imadoki no wakai mono wa” (Young people these days…) is used to begin a rant about millennial Japanese aren’t exactly okay.
It’s a phrase that can be used by managers or older co-workers to belittle the work ethic or enthusiasm of younger workers, which led to a viral Twitter manga. Mangaka Kohei Yoshitani (Akita Komachi ni Hitomebore) put a twist on the disparaging phrase:
今どきの若いモンは① pic.twitter.com/YUDuRUZVbX
— 吉谷光平 (@kakikurage) December 13, 2017
Mugita: “Geez, I’m exhausted. All of this overtime is killing me. I just want to go home already…”
Mugita: “But the boss is still here, so I don’t want to look bad going home before him…”
Mugita: “Ugh…I want to quit.”
Voice: “Hey, Mugita, can you hear me?”
Man: “Seriously, young people these days…”
Mugita: “Section Chief Ishizawa!”
Ishizawa: “You have to be kidding me…”
Mugita, thinking: “Here it comes!!! Another middle-aged guy whining about ‘young people these days.’ Just another jerk on his high-horse shoving a sermon down my throat. Give me a break!!!”
Mugita: “…What?”
Ishizawa: “Young people these days…you work too hard.”
Ishizawa: “When I was your age, there wasn’t a word for karoshi. I’ll take care of the rest of this, so go ahead and go home.”
Mugita: “S-Section Chief!!!!”
Ishizawa: “It was hard for you to get up and leave while I was still working, wasn’t it? Sorry, I should have noticed earlier.”
Mugita: “S-Section Chief!!!!!”
The gesture of a manager relieving a subordinate of their extra work struck a chord with Twitter users, as it has been shared over 100,000 times!
