Etsuko TSUGIHARA Vice Chair of the Board of Councilors, Keidanren
President, SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Inc.

During a recent discussion on productivity improvement, I came across Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report showing that Japan's employee engagement rate stands at just 7 percent, far below the global average of 21 percent, and I was genuinely surprised. For a long time, I had believed that traditional Japanese management practices such as seniority-based promotion and lifetime employment fostered a sense of security and loyalty toward the company. The data challenged me to reconsider what truly motivates people to stay engaged at work.

Since the founding of our company, my energy for work has always been intense, sometimes so much that colleagues remind me to slow down. Yet I feel that Japan has made significant progress in moving away from the outdated belief that long hours define one's worth at work. The growing emphasis on work-life balance and on mental and physical well-being represents a clear step forward. In many ways, our society is heading in a better direction.

At the same time, I have noticed a new tendency: people often avoid guidance or difficult conversations because saying nothing feels safer. Some younger employees have told me, "I never get scolded, but I don't feel I'm growing either." Today, just as "that company overworks people" has become a legitimate reason to leave, so too has "there is nothing to learn there."

I believe that motivation comes less from stability than from meaning and conviction. For young professionals who are still discovering their potential through work, engagement begins with a sense that their efforts matter and that they belong.

Even in an era that values moderation, people grow when they can think deeply, debate openly, and experience the moment when curiosity turns into learning.

When organizations learn to trust and support individuals, work will become a more creative and liberating pursuit. As life and work blend more naturally, I believe our society will enter a new phase.