Japanese companies are hiring aggressively as the economy continues to recover from the pandemic-induced slump and amid the worsening labor crunch. However, this is fueling concern over a form of harassment in which prospective hires are pressured into ending their job-hunts, a practice known as owahara. To combat this growing issue, the government has asked various business and industry groups to cooperate on preventing such harassment.

Owahara is a term used to describe a practice notorious during the graduate recruitment process where companies’ recruiters pressure university students to whom they have extended an informal job offer to end their search for jobs elsewhere and commit to joining the company. This can include various tactics such as pressuring students to decline offers from other firms and sign letters of acceptance before entering a binding labor contract, and requiring them to frequently attend companywide social gatherings. Such gatherings are believed to be aimed at dissuading prospective hires from joining rival firms.

On April 10, government agencies submitted a written request to the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, addressing the issue of job-hunting and recruiting activities for the graduating class of 2025, who are currently in their third year of university. In the letter, owahara is officially recognized as an act that takes advantage of students seeking employment. The agencies urged the industry to put an end to such practices, stating that it infringes on the students right to choose their place of employment.