No Phone or TV, 40km Night March... Controversy Over Intense Employee Training at Japanese Company

Intensive Employee Training for Strong Mentality
Singing Loudly and Marching 40km Required
Tuition Fee 3.25 Million Won... "Inquiries from Japanese Companies Continue"

In Japan, companies are conducting intense employee training programs, drawing criticism for being outdated. It is reported that companies send employees to managerial training schools where they undergo grueling exercises such as a 40 km night march to build strong mental resilience.

On the 13th, the Japanese weekly magazine SPA's online edition, "Nikkan SPA," introduced the rigorous employee training programs currently underway in Japan, stating, "Everyone's mental health can be shaken by unreasonable bosses, self-willed subordinates, and arrogant clients. In this stressful era, how can one develop strong mental resilience?"

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nissin Foods Holdings in Japan conducted a "Deserted Island Survival Training." The purpose was to foster self-reliance by living disconnected from civilized society in nature. Additionally, the global entertainment company Bandai Namco offers "Manzai (comic dialogue) training" for new employees. The reason is that performing manzai in front of many people allows participants to break out of their usual mindset.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Among these, many companies reportedly send their employees to "managerial training schools" where they undergo hellish training. These schools nurture candidates for corporate executives. Employees admitted to these schools must follow a minute-by-minute curriculum from morning till night during a 13-day stay at a lodge at the foot of Mount Fuji. They must surrender their smartphones, and inside the lodge, there are no TVs, radios, or even internet access.

Participants wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m., give loud speeches, and then clean. To eliminate passive attitudes, they must sing loudly and complete a vast amount of assignments, which they must also present.

In particular, on the seventh day after admission, participants undertake a 40 km continuous night march. This curriculum is designed to observe how they cope when pushed to their limits. Yamaguchi Hideto, who participated in the program, said, "I was prepared, so I never wanted to run away. I gave my all to everything and was not shaken by anything."

However, when the program was criticized as "anachronistic," the public relations officer responded, "There are many challenges employees face while working. Their ability to seriously confront these challenges is how their qualifications as managers are evaluated." He added, "Although some call it outdated, inquiries from companies have not stopped."

The officer also introduced, "During their stay at the lodge, participants are completely separated from society and can devote 100% of their focus to the training." The tuition fee is 365,000 yen (approximately 3.25 million won). It is reported that 300,000 people have taken the program, which also includes boot camp elements.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.