THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 22, 2025 at 18:59 JST
Momuri promotes its service as a way for people to quit a company without having to engage in a direct confrontation. (Hikaru Uchida)
Tokyo police searched a company that handles negotiations on behalf of people quitting their jobs, accusing it of illegally referring clients to a lawyer in exchange for fees, according to sources.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department searched several locations, including the office of Albatross Co., operator of Momuri, a so-called resignation service, and two legal firms.
Founded in 2022, Albatross reportedly handled more than 40,000 resignation cases and claimed expertise in labor disputes, offering 24/7 consultations via phone and text messages.
The service charges 22,000 yen ($144) for full-time permanent employees and 12,000 yen for part-time or temporary workers.
As Japan’s job market remains tight, services like Momuri have gained popularity, especially among younger workers seeking to avoid direct confrontation with employers reluctant to let them go.
However, Albatross, not a licensed law firm, is only permitted to communicate the client’s intent to resign.
Under Japanese law, individuals without legal qualifications are prohibited from conducting or arranging legal negotiations for compensation.
This includes repeatedly referring cases to attorneys. Attorneys themselves are also barred from accepting such referrals.
Momuri’s website advertises connections to “experienced labor attorneys,” raising concerns about potential unauthorized legal mediation.
In a March interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Albatross President Shinji Tanimoto denied any underhand behavior by his company.
“Everything is done transparently,” he said. “There is no exchange of money with attorneys.”
Albatross has grown rapidly, reporting 330 million yen in revenue for the fiscal year ending January 2025, marking its second consecutive year of significant growth, according to a research firm.
(This article was written by Natsuno Otahara and Wataru Netsu.)
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