Even dispute of foreign labors acceptance policy has never settled after approval in December 2018. The policy initially limited to only high skilled foreigners who could be given work qualification in Japan but because of a proposal for revision of the initial policy, the government decided to extend the range of work qualification over foreign manual labors. This revision policy resulted in fueling the fire of oppositions deeply concerted about the occupancy of working positions by foreign labors.
This is substantially an immigration policy in the name of “foreign labors acceptance policy”. In the future, foreign labors will be increasing more and more in Japan and in the meantime, the government will ease the conditions of the policy more than now to maintain the dignity as an advanced country by the requirement from an international organization using human right protection as an excuse.
There are many foreign labors who hope to come to Japan for work. However, not a few foreigners who work in Japan complain about Japanese working habit and the environment. Let’s see the strange habit that foreigns don’t really understand.
Reactions of expats to Japanese company’s culture
- I was said that if I am only 10 minutes late, I will take a pay cut but if I need to work overtime, I need to clock off at the regular knocking-off time. It is totally unreasonable.
- Everyone comes to an office 10 minutes before the starting time of work and they even work for the 10 minutes. Even though 1 hour break time is clearly mentioned in the employment contract but everyone takes lunchtime for only 30 minutes, and returns back and starts working for the rest of 30 minutes. This 30 minute becomes overtime, doesn’t it? Why does nobody apply to work overtime?
- My boss said me something nasty because of my 1 minute late. Just overlook even 1 minute late!!
- I am pulled into a pub crawl once a week by my boss. I am forced to drink alcohol that I don’t even want to. If I refuse my boss to pour additional alcohol into my glass, the boss always complains me “you don’t get along with Japanese”. Of course, my boss won’t pay for all but attendance fees are always collected from people who are targeted and forced to go a crawl with my boss.
- When I tried to apply to a paid vacation, my boss gave me the evil eye. What is paid vacation system for?
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After finishing my project, I need to help another project.
I am supposed to get paid to my project on the employment contract. Even if I help others out, my salary doesn’t increase. - Everyone is forced to chant the corporate philosophy in the morning before starting working.
- It is clear that a pub crawl with my boss and other colleagues after knocking-off is even included in work. However, why do I need to pay money for this event? Why do I need to stand harassment from my boss even after finishing work? I don’t even understand this culture.
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Why is a person who frequently work overtime highly evaluated? Don’t Japanese people have a conception of “productivity”
? - Japanese “Salaryman” already wakes up at 5 in the morning and starts working at 7 a.m. and finish working at 9 p.m. After leaving an office, he goes to a pub to drink with a client until 12:00 a.m. When is it possible to make private time in such a diary routine?
- Too much meetings in a week.
Nobody raises up hands and offer opinions…
After all, the moderator summarizes a conclusion one-sidedly and the meeting is done. What the hell is the objective to do this meeting every week? And why is everyone forced to attend this meeting? - Headquarters never try to re-exam and improve the process of the project in terms of waste of time. Although there is a way to raise the same result easily, even if I propose a solution, they refuse it and stick to traditional way stubbornly.
- How old you are is way more important than ability for promotion.
- There is no effort to boost the morale of a project team. Certainly, we have a pub crawl to drink with a boss and colleagues but it is just drinking for a diversion.
It is slightly not comfortable for me to write such bad reputation of Japanese companies but these are truth without exaggeration. I have also experienced such unreasonable requirements from my boss and the company. Of course, there are also good points you might like but negative aspect anyhow stands out in relief.
Taking these negative aspect in a positive way is probably a secret to keep working in Japan for a long time. I don’t actually know but my American friend accepts an unreasonable part of the Japanese company’s culture and take all the things in a positive way.
However, if your working environment is totally against these reactions, you need to be prepared beforehand if you work in a Japanese company. I am Japanese and I admit a lot of good companies in Japan but I don’t recommend you to work in a Japanese company. If you really want to work in Japan, you should apply for foreign-affiliated or financed company. Good luck to those who look for a job in Japan.