Former Big Motor Employee Forced to Resign After One Month Parents Speak Out About Son’s Tragic Death

Forced resignation due to nitpicking

“The last words from my son were, ‘I’m sorry for causing you worry.’ He sent them via LINE, and I immediately called back, but there was no response. My son was forced to resign by the company and was pushed to the edge.”

There is a photo in my possession (see above). A young man proudly smiles beside a car. However, I will never be able to see that smile again. The person in the photo, A-san (in his 20s), took his own life just a month and a half after that photo was taken.

The parents of A-san, who spoke with anger, directed their frustration at the company where their son worked—Old Big Motor. The company, under Itochu Corporation, overhauled its management, splitting into a new company, “WE-CARS,” and “BALM,” which handles debt restructuring. In December of last year, BALM applied for civil rehabilitation, and since then, the issues have not been widely reported.

However, there are still many victims suffering. A-san’s parents are among them. At the end of February this year, they filed a lawsuit against the government over the labor accident judgment regarding their son’s death.

“My son was assigned to a car purchasing specialist position in Hachioji, Tokyo, in April 2020. However, regarding the mandatory driver’s license requirement, he was only able to get a provisional license but didn’t manage to complete it before joining the company. Despite the unforeseen situation of the pandemic, the scheduling issues were his responsibility. He braced himself for the possibility of being scolded by the store manager and honestly explained the situation, to which he was told, ‘Let’s do our best even without the license.’ Since he was forgiven, he was determined to do his best no matter what,” said A-san’s father.

In fact, A-san was so excellent that within one month, he completed seven car purchase agreements and ranked highly among new employees nationwide.

“He was even encouraged by the store manager to move closer to the store. He chose a property from the apartments partnered with the company, got approval from the human resources department, and had already set a moving date. My son said to me, ‘For now, it seems I can continue working without the license. Since the company and the store manager forgave me, I must repay them somehow.’ But the company did something behind his back that betrayed him,” his father added.

A-san’s fate changed on May 8. The company’s executives visited the store for an environmental inspection. At the old Big Motor, a group of executives, including former vice president Koichi Kaneshige, often conducted unjust demotions and forced resignations based on nitpicking during such inspections. A-san was no exception.

After the executives left, around 6 PM, A-san received a call from the human resources department, questioning him about not having obtained his license. Around 7 PM that evening, A-san reportedly offered to resign.

On the surface, it seemed like a voluntary resignation, but later investigations by the Hachioji City Labor Standards Inspection Office determined that it was effectively a forced resignation. On the other hand, the documents submitted by Big Motor to the office falsely stated that A-san had joined the company after already having his driver’s license and that he had voluntarily offered to resign. The time between A-san being told he was fired and resigning was only about an hour. There was no face-to-face discussion; all communication was conducted over the phone.

“I was betrayed by my boss”

Despite reporting to the company, A-san was labeled a liar and was forced to resign. After that, he stopped responding to his parents’ LINE messages, and on May 11, they received the final exchange mentioned earlier. On May 30, he took his own life at home.

“When we visited his house, his clothes were thrown around carelessly, and trash had piled up for weeks. His precious computer, which he had bought with his New Year’s money, was destroyed, and documents like his resignation letter were torn to shreds. My son must have felt completely rejected as a person. On the cold body, there was a report sheet. When we flipped it over, there was just one word written: ‘Thank you,'” said A-san’s mother.

Before filing their lawsuit against the government, the parents had applied for survivor’s compensation under workers’ accident insurance to the Hachioji Labor Standards Office in May 2022. However, their application was rejected in February of the following year. In 2024, they filed a request for reconsideration to a higher authority, but it was also dismissed.

The main point of contention in the workers’ compensation certification is the degree of psychological stress. The Labor Standards Office, based on an investigation into Old Big Motor, concluded that the company did not use intimidating methods to create fear during the forced resignation process, and thus there was no psychological stress significant enough to meet the criteria for certification.

On the other hand, the parents argue that the company labeled him as a person who could deceive the company and customers, accusing him of being someone who would report falsely, thus essentially denying his character and pushing him to resign. Automobile lifestyle journalist Kumiko Kato, who has been covering the Big Motor issue, also believes that A-san had every reason to feel betrayed.

“At that time, everyone was looking for approval from the royal family. The store manager and HR were likely afraid of being scrutinized and might have reported that ‘A-san joined the company while hiding the fact that he didn’t have a license.’ No one tried to protect A-san. He must have felt an immense sense of loss and despair after being betrayed by the boss he trusted.”

At Big Motor, employees are practically forced to buy a car from the company and take out insurance. But A-san was unable to do this. The inability to engage in self-sales may have contributed to his lower evaluation from the company.

What is the company’s view on its responsibility? A press inquiry was sent to the debt settlement company, BALM, but no response was received by the deadline.

Holding her son’s memorial tablet, his mother choked up as she said the final words:

“Why did my son, who faced difficulties without running away, have to die? I want to clear his grievances. That’s all.”

Once the debt restructuring is complete, it does not mean everything will be resolved. It is never acceptable to ignore the voices of the victims who continue to suffer.

From the March 28, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY.”