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{{trope}}
[[File:salaryman_1899salaryman 1899.gif|frame]]
 
The typical white-collar worker at the bottom of the ladder. In America, they'd be called "office drones" or "wage slaves"; in Japan, they call them salarymen (or "[[Japanese Ranguage|sarariiman]]").
 
The essential ingredients for the proper [['''Salaryman]]''' include a charcoal grey (or funeral black) suit with proper necktie, a briefcase, glasses, and usually a receding hairline if they're not outright bald. After a night's revelries, a carton of carryout food becomes part of the setup. Add a sake bottle and tie the necktie around the head as a [[Hachimaki]], and he becomes the "drunk salaryman" stereotype.
 
Salarymen are usually portrayed in ways similar to [[White Collar Worker|White Collar Workers]]s in American programming; stuck in dull jobs with [[Pointy-Haired Boss|irritating employers]] and little chance of advancement. However, as a whole, they tend to be more optimistic. They also have an unfortunate tendency, encouraged by both the Japanese work ethic and their employers, toward both [[Workaholic|workaholism]] and [[The Alcoholic|alcoholism]]. Some all but [[Married to the Job|ignore their family]] in pursuit of their job, going drinking with office-mates after (unpaid) overtime, going home to sleep for four hours, then getting up to do it all over again.
 
Prevalent in [[Cyberpunk]], this class of character is referred to there as a "sararyman", playing off [[Japanese Ranguage|the difficulty some Japanese have pronouncing the English "L"]]. This was a reaction in the [[The Eighties|late 1980's]] to the notion that [[Japan Takes Over the World|the Japanese were apparently taking over the world financially]], and Westerners were suddenly encountering these mid-level types in daily life. Salarymen also have quite the niche market in [[Boys Love]] works.
 
As a protagonist, this is essentially the same character as the [[Ordinary High School Student]] -- shining—shining example of Japanese conformity ripe for a life changing transformation at the hands of an extraordinary event/individual/robot. The difference is that the salaryman's disproportionately extensive [[Backstory]] doesn't need to be crammed into elementary and middle school. That, plus high school kids don't constantly worry about getting fired. Using him in this way isn't exceptionally common, as these types of stories sell better with younger high school protagonists and supporting cast, even if the [[Moe Moe|target audience is older]].
 
Compare to [[Office Lady]], the [[Distaff Counterpart]] (of sorts) to this trope. Contrast the Western equivalent, the [[Workaholic]], whose life is even bleaker and his compromise with his work is tighter.
{{examples}}
 
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* Raizo in ''[[Living Game]]'' starts out as a random salaryman. Eventually his company goes out of business and he has to work construction instead.
* The whole premise of the anime ''[[Dai-Guard]]'' is actually the phrase "office workers saving the world" (by means of the [[Power Trio|protagonists]] and their corporate-owned [[Real Robot|giant mecha]]). This status does nothing to help their paychecks, of course.
* Shin's father Hiro in ''[[ShinCrayon ChanShin-chan]]'' is a stereotypical put-upon salaryman. It's implied he's an outside salesman.
* "Kaishounachi" (not his real name, but an epithet roughly translating to "Useless Bum"), boyfriend of Ebichu's owner the O.L., in ''Oruchuban Ebichu (Ebichu Minds the House)''.
* In ''REC'', Matsumaru is an ordinary salaryman (he's an up-and-rising copyrighter who pitched a couple of successful advertising campaigns for a snack-food maker, and was made to work ''even harder'' for that) who falls in love with an aspiring voice actress.
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* An entertaining recurring character in ''[[Gantz Abridged]]'' is Joe Salaryman, father of the Salaryman family. Not to be confused with Niles Trustfundman.
* Shinshi in ''[[Patlabor]]'' was a salaryman before joining the SV2.
* After the [[Big Bad]] Yoshikage Kira switches bodies in the later part of ''[[Jo JoJoJo's Bizarre Adventure|Jo Jos Bizarre Adventure]]'' part 4 he is forced to assume his new identity's role as one of these, not that he's particularly happy about it.
* Albireo of [[.hack|.hack//AI_Buster]]. ''AI_Buster_2'' reveals that his eventual collapse at work was explained as overworking, rather than what actually happened ([[Mind Rape|Data Drain]]).
* The director Matsuan, his assistant Densuke, and the public-relations man Katchin, in ''[[Android Announcer Maico 2010]]''.
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** Only in the anime, though. Manga is much more [[Creator Provincialism|cosmopolitan]] and doesn't center on the corporate antics that closely.
* In ''[[Angel Densetsu]]'', the hero's father is a salaryman, and like his son, is a nice but [[Face of a Thug|scary looking]] guy. In Dad's case, he wears [[Cool Shades|sun glasses]] because he's light sensitive/in an attempt to look less scary, and coupled with the mandatory shirt and tie, the end result is that everyone assumes he's a [[Yakuza]] member.
* ''[[Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan|Bludgeoning Angel Dokurochan]]'' features Binkan Salaryman. He comes with his own series, movie, and [[Immodest Orgasm|brand of sausage.]]
* ''[[Virgin Love]]'' and its sequels/prequels are chock full of [[Work Hard, Play Hard]] salarymen, revolving mainly around the Todou group but branching outwards through [[Crossover]] characters.
* There is actually an anime named Salaryman, a [[Sentai]]-like short story with 5 coloured masked fighters defending the peace. Puns with things like Superman, Ultraman.
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* The main characters of ''[[Japan Inc]]''.
* Makoto, the main character of ''[[Nicoichi]]''.
* Ooya in ''[[Kirameki Project]]'', except that he's traded his briefcase for a [[Humongous Mecha|giant robot]]. He still has to worry about budget cutbacks and the displeasure of his superiors, though.
 
 
== [[Comic Books]] ==
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== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'': Hiro Nakamura and his friend Ando are typical salarymen living in Tokyo until Hiro discovers his superpowers. However, the trope is subverted when we discover that {{spoiler|1=Hiro's father is actually the CEO of the company he works for. Hiro is only working a menial job in the hope that he will overcome his [[The Ditz|scatterbrained]] personality and become a fitting heir to the company}}.
* In ''[[Kamen Rider Blade]]'', BOARD was effectively destroyed in episode one and all the Riders are fighting for themselves. In the Blade World shown in ''[[Kamen Rider Decade]]'', BOARD is still up and running and all the Riders are employees of BOARD. Tsukasa, the titular character, calls it "Kamen Rider... Salaryman!"
* In all the ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' continuities Usagi's father "Kenji-papa" works in journalism, in the manga and anime he's a magazine editor and seems to have enough spare time to see his family on a daily basis. However in ''[[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]'' he barely appears, being a newspaper photographer with a very salaryman like lifestyle. The only time he's seen on screen is in the direct to DVD special act when he manages to make it to his daughter's wedding.
 
 
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== Video Games ==
* In the first ''[[Osu Tatakae Ouendan|Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan]]'' game, one of the levels features a salaryman named Ichiro who grows to the size of [[Ultraman]] by putting his tie on his head like a [[Hachimaki]], in order to save his daughter for a giant blue mouse. It's just that kind of game.
** There's also the guy applying for a job interview in the sequel, ''Moero Nekketsu Rhythm''. While he's technically not (yet) a salaryman, his stereotypical suit + glasses outfit is a giveaway.
* The Japanese Engineers of ''[[Command and& Conquer]]: Red Alert 3'' play on elements of this, including refrences to quirky office fitness programs for wage-slaves (it's the given excuse for the Japanese engineer's ability to sprint). In keeping with the imperialistic nature of Japan in the game, fluff describes them as being looked down upon for being just regular workaholics rather than battle-ready combat workaholics.
* The original backstory for Skullomania from ''[[Street Fighter]] EX'' said that he was a [[Salaryman]] who suffered a nervous breakdown, but recovers after dressing in a costume for a childrens' party at his boss's behest, and ends up quitting to become a ''[[Kamen Rider]]''-like [[Superhero]].
* In the game ''[[Karoshi]]'' and its numerous sequels, you are a googly-eyed little 8-bit salaryman trying desperately to kill himself. The point in each level is to die in [[Ludicrous Gibs]] fashion at the hands of one of the conservatively placed deathtraps littering the vaguely office-themed and less-than-vaguely threatening environment. It's [[Better Than It Sounds]] (all the more considering how, in a hilarious inversion from [[Everything Trying to Kill You]], the world is trying to ''keep you alive for its own malicious amusement'').
* ''[[Kichiku Megane (visual novel)|Kichiku Megane]]'' stars a very put-upon Salaryman... who happened to be given a magical [[Stoic Glasses|pair of glasses]] that made him a lot more aggressive [[Yaoi Guys|in all]] [[Seme|aspects]] of his life.
* The protagonist of the [[Wii Ware]] game ''Tomena Sanner''. With [[Le Parkour]] aspects.
* One of the zombies in ''[[Plants vs. Zombies]]'' has this appearance, using an open newspaper as a shield. Once the newspaper is destroyed by your plants' attacks, he gets angry (the game's bestiary says he was working intently on a Sudoku puzzle) and runs toward your house at a faster movement speed than the one at which he was running pre-paper shred. However, when the paper's gone, he has about the same health as your standard zombie and will go down quickly before your plants.
* The Unassuming Local Guy and Annoying Reveler enemies from ''[[EarthboundEarthBound]]''
* The Businessman and Office Lady trainer classes in ''[[Pokémon]] Black and White'' are based on this.
* ''Salary Man Champ'' is based upon salarymen trying get as high in career ladder as they can.
* Grant from ''[[Harvest Moon]]'' ''[[Harvest Moon: aA Wonderful Life|A Wonderful Life]]'' and ''Harvest Moon DS/Cute'' is a salaryman, though he apparently lives in an American-type setting.
 
 
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[[Category:Stock Japanese Characters]]
[[Category:Useful Notes/Japan]]
[[Category:Salaryman{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:IWhite NeedCollar an Index by MondayTropes]]
[[Category:All the Tropes Superhero Team]]
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