When people picture Japan, they often imagine cherry blossoms, bullet trains, or the glowing lights of Tokyo. But for anyone who’s lived and worked here, nothing is more iconic—or more quietly powerful—than the army of men in dark suits flooding the city every morning: the salaryman. The term itself is borrowed from English, but in Japan, a “salaryman” (pronounced sa-ra-ri-man) means much more than just someone who draws a paycheck. He’s a full-time, white-collar company employee, often hired right out of university, who devotes himself—body and soul—to one company for life. More than a job, it’s an identity, a social class, and for many, a way of life so all-encompassing it can be hard to separate the man from the company colors he wears.
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