| |
 |
| |
| |
Second Place
David Guttenfelder The Associated Press
"The Lonley Man"
|
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 of 12
|
 |
|
The loyal, black-suited cog of Japan
Inc. _ 'the Salary Man' _ has been the symbol of Japan's post-war economic
miracle. | But monotonous commutes, long days marked by emasculating work,
absence from family, and the isolation of trying to get ahead in a business
culture where individual achievement is frowned upon often makes the life of
the Salary Man a lonely struggle. | Moving through the landscape of Tokyo
like anonymous ghosts, the salary man is up at dawn for his two-hour train
commute. His workday begins at 8:30 a.m., when the tardy bell sounds in his
office. After an 11-hour day, there is obligatory excessive drinking and
karaoke with superiors. The last train home leaves at midnight. Repeat.
Japanese 'salary men' company employees gather after work in gravel lot
outside the Imperial Palace overlooking the financial district of Tokyo in
September 2006.
|
|
|
