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Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Alex Cope, Agency: Newsflash

A Japanese man who downplayed his qualifications in order to get a job as been sacked after 24 years because his employer decided he had lied.

The man, who worked as an official in the city of Kobe, was fired following an official investigation after they received a tip off that he was in reality more qualified than he claimed.

The 48-year-old, who was not named, worked with the council’s waterworks bureau, and although he has a university degree, he had not revealed it when applying for the job in 1996.

The council justified its position by saying that the job was only for somebody with a high school degree or less, and that when they checked that people had been properly employed in 2006, the man, who was aware he was overqualified, had claimed he was only an “high school graduate”.

But in March they received a tip off and started an investigation.

Many people supported the council’s decision, saying that the job might well have been earmarked for somebody with a less privileged background who might not have been able to benefit from higher education. Public employee jobs are much valued in Japan, and there is stiff competition for posts.

There was no comment from the man who is now unemployed and the council are reportedly re-advertising the position, underlining the need for the person to have no more than a high school education.

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