With the rise in female employees and the graying of society, more companies are allowing staff to reject relocations without risking promotions as Japan's work environment slowly grows more family-friendly.
The efforts, which include paying extra allowances to those workers who do accept a relocation, are being supported by the government, which is working out new guidelines for such matters.
According to a survey by the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, a think tank for the labor ministry, 34 percent of companies with a workforce of 300 or more said most regular employees are subject to relocation.