Whatâs it like being a Foreign Worker in Japan ?
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 8. 12. 2021
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When I worked in Japan, I'd often come home to find my kids already in bed asleep. After moving back to my home country, my work-life balance has improved dramatically.
Ohhhhhh really lol
Can I ask where it is ? Your home country
@@takashiifromjapan AustraliađŠđș when I started working back here, my first boss asked why I'd come in to work so early. I was shocked because that was common for me in Japan.
@@highbrand And Fridays in Aus: Friday lunch with clients, then Friday drinks, then .... Home. đ€Șđ
@@SteveSuriadjaja packin my bags to AUS right now ;)
Life would improve for anyone when they live in a county that is based on discipline.
That "Ohio" joke was underrated lol
I think it every time I hear "Ohio" or "Ohayo." Good to know someone else thinks it's funny even though it's dumb lol. đ
@@LoveMyUnusual What is the difference between ohio and ohayo
@@taramalik Idk, what?
@@taramalik the difference is that ohio is a state in the united states but ohayo is good morning, they sound the same so the person in the video made a joke out of it :)
@@beefdesigns thanks I watched the starting part again for understanding.Lol đ
When I was in the Czech Republic a friend told me that in a Czech office, doing overtime is actually looked upon as a bad thing because it means you didn't manage your time efficiently during your designated working hours. I think Japanese employees could do with incorporating this philosophy into their work culture.
interesting
I'm moving to Czech Republic in a couple of months and my brother in law told the exact same thing. He said that they try to keep a healthy work ethic, having less hours than the west but doing efficient work!
I live and work in the Czech Republic and I can definitely confirm.
@@alberto9827 Best of luck! It's a great country to live in and explore. I miss it there.
@@raven_bard Thank youuuuu!
I really like your videos.
1. You ask very good questions.
2. You truly listen to the people you interview. You don't interrupt or put your own ideas or opinions to other people. You ask questions to get more information.
3. You try to find varied people.
4. You're quite methodical and ask them all the same questions. So one can compare.
5. You have no trouble asking difficult questions.
6. You share your opinion but wait for the end to do so.
7. You said in one of your videos that only 10% of Japanese do accept an interview, so for 3 Japaneses it means you asked 30 people! Hard work!
Omedetou!
Arigatou gozaimasu!
I wish one day you can interview 'Yokoi Kenji DĂaz' he does really cool work with Japanese and Latinoamericans.
I also like that you ask foreigners to talk a bit of Japanese at the end. I find it really interesting. And i also like to learn Japanese.
Number 2 hit me too hard, I have this habit of interrupting someone when I have something to say, it's an eye opener to myself.
Being a good interviewer is an art.
@@nand3kudasai thatâs my favorite part. After all the information they give, then they relax and have a playful ending.
@@nand3kudasai Me too. I love hearing other foreigners speaking Japanese.
"Work to live. Don't live to work."
Great video, man.
ăă°ăăă!
Totally right lol
Life is short. Unless you REALLY love what you're doing, try to find a way to save/invest as much as you can when you are young so you can retire earlier and enjoy the rest of your days doing what you like to do.
if you think about it we always work. either home cooking, cleaning, watching TV, reading a book, or playing a gamewe are always working. physically or mentally. The real question do you love what you do, and how much is too much of it?
So i hope poeple won't try to change the japanese culture. People should respect their culture and work ethic. It is their country, their culture and it is beautiful. that why we travel we want to discover those cultures.i hope poeple won't try to change the japanese culture. People should respect their culture and work ethic. It is their country, their culture and it is beautiful. that why we travel we want to discover those cultures.
There is also a say that habit is second nature ... meaning that if Japanese are used to a certain work ethic it is natural to them. It might not be nature to someone who is used to 6 or 8 hours a day. Just like is normal to Kenyan kid in village to run 10 km every day to school but be hard to an europian kid.
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or as they say, "Work smarter, not harder".
Overwork in japan is definitely a truth. good topic for a video
Right lol thank you so much
lazy lol
@@5686darryl it's not lazy to not want to waste your whole life working, enjoy your gold casket I guess
I hope in the future the working system will change for the better
Iâve been working here about a year now and you definitely overwork. Thereâs this guilty in the air when you leave early or take a day off, it sucks. They tried to change with new laws but the culture is so strongâŠIt remembers me the guy from Panasonic that committed suicide and the main cause was overwork.
Itâs very easy to get depressed when you have to do extra hours. You start to ask yourself why are you working so hard if you donât have time enough to enjoy simple things in life like the sunlight.
Totally agree with the guily in the air when leaving early. Also you see people that they stay doing overwork and you can see it in their eyes and the way they are working that they dont have anything to do in the office but still they have to stay because of the culture of overwork...
This is the same in Turkey. I go to work before sunrise. By the time I leave work, the sun has set. I am sleepy and without energy all day long....
I taught in the USA for 11 years. âLiving life in the sunlightâ really resonates with me. In Decembers and Januaries, I did not live life in the sunlight as a teacher because I arrived before the sunrises and I would leave after the sun set. There were 2 months a year for 11 years where I just didnât see the sun.
I RETIRED FROM TEACHING AFTER 11 YEARS FRIDAY JUNE 11, 2021 AT 2:35 P.M. CDT. đšđ»âđ«đđ»đšđ»âđł
@@matthewjay660 I'm really happy for you actually, congrats.
@@astronaut5009 Thank-you! ArigatĆ gozaimasu!
I'll never understand how someone could live there for years and not bother to learn the language. It sounds insane to me.
@@randomv3iweryou nailed it
Exact same reasons thereâs millions of Mexicans in the us who donât know English. Everything is catered to them to not have to
I love how the people who lived in Japan for years and haven't learned to speak Japanese are the ones who agree with the Japanese work culture.
They looked like they also were the dumbest mfers he interviewed of the group
â@@samrosendahl392yep same reason why there's so many Americans trying to get away with living in Mexico illegally without learning the language. They're just not policed the same way as Mexicans in the US are. Meanwhile they're there because accommodations and health care is cheap compared to the US.
Iâm from Chile and I live in Japan. I think what bothers me the most about this Japanese âwork cultureâ is extending your life to your work company. It has happened to me that after work my co-workers and my senpais want to go drink alcohol and if I don't go, they look at me horrible and I felt judge. Also, when I'm with them in these bars I can't leave until my sempais want to leave. It's terrible because I don't like to drink all the time. One time I lost my girlfriend birthdays âcause my sempai didnât allow me to go.
hi where abouts in Japan do you live Laura?
You know when your work start to feel like a "family" you are in for a bad time. This feels widespread around the entire country aswell, ingrained in the culture. This usually dosent happend in the west unless you work at some dodgy place like telemarketing, so atleast you dont have to deal with it 99% of the time. Idk really puts me off Japan.
Should have showed ur boss this video: czcams.com/video/YHxwY3Fz2gU/video.html
@@styxzero1675 there's a different kind of family feeling I think it depends on how the environment is. If they are mad when you leave then that's not the same.
Fuck that
i hope poeple won't try to change the japanese culture. People should respect their culture and work ethic. It is their country, their culture and it is beautiful. that why we travel. we want to discover those cultures.
Interesting discussions, I lived & worked in Japan for 3 years, I am a Black guy (yes it makes a difference in how ppl treat you) marketing professional (corporate), worked for Japan office for American company, am from the UK. I had to work according to needs of customers (nec, hitachi, fujitsu etc), I worked HARD / LONG hours, I knew what I was getting in to. The experienced has changed me, I knew what I was getting into, all in all I absolutely loved it. I came in for criticism from colleagues as I was in a band & would sometimes leave work âearlyâ to go to practice, thatâs the peer pressure!! I started learning Japanese in my 2nd week (every morning on the train âJapanese for busy pplâ) after a few months I could speak with the client managers during ânomikaiâ, we grew the business a lot. Over a decade since leaving & I can still converse in Japanese. To anyone wanting to fully embrace living in Japan, you simply have to learn the (great) language, you will learn so much about yourself
The young guy from Rhode Island is an inspiration for all young people.
At 20 years old, he makes a plan and then achieves it.
I don't speak Japanese, but he seems to be fluent and knowledgeable compared to some of the others in this video.
He and the guy from ireland look like they're the only ones who came to the country with an actual plan other than living their anime dream. Literally the only ones that bothered to learn the language, the rest just sounds ignorant.
@@soulysouly7253 yeah man, how can u live/work in a country over 3 years and not learn the language??
@@soulysouly7253 l believe that guy was from Ohio.
@@soulysouly7253 The first guy basically said (in Japanese) "I only speak a little bit of Japanese, I'm still studying', but he seemed to suggest that he works in a non-Japanese company that has an outlet in Japan, which probably explains why he has been bouncing around a lot. So in actuallity his Japanese is pretty good considering he's just gone out there to pick it up
@Accel eratoryeah, he wasn't very specific of anything
When I taught English in Japan, because I was a foreigner working in a Japanese school the expectations of my at-work hours were fairly low. I would leave school at 4 with the students and do any lesson prep for the next day at home (like lots of teachers might do in the states). One time I had forgotten some material I needed to prep for the next day at school and went back to retrieve it around 8pm. All of my fellow teachers were still in the teachers room playing games on their phones, generally looking bored and forlorn. Pretty much all of them had families and young children at home. When I asked them about why they were still at work at that hour of the day, they told me that they couldnât leave until the kyoto-sensei had left. I donât know what itâs like these days, but there was definitely a culture of working long hours for no particular reason when I lived there 20 years ago. I was having a great time with a fantastic like-work balance at the time, but I was sad to discover that it was only because I was an ignorant foreigner who imposed my own cultural expectations on my own work hours that this was the case.
Idk this kind of culture is something I would never comform to, hence why I am not moving to Japan, like ever. I do love alot of things about Japan especially that it is a safe country so a great place to raise a family, but at the same time slaving away like an ant your entire life dosent sound very appealing to me. I guess that is a price some are willing to pay tho.
@@styxzero1675 there is a other safe contries with good work conditions !
I can assure you that the culture of working late for no good reason is still going strong here. If your Japanese coworkers haven't retired already, they're probably still playing games on their phones late at the office. Nowadays, phones have better games, so that's something.
The security guard from Arizona is so out of touch. A lot of Americans are exploited by having too many work hours, are underpaid and have little to no benefits, especially access to health care. There is no federal or state statutory minimum paid vacation or paid public holidays, so a lot of companies (not all) try to minimize the amount vacation days they provide to employees. The U.S. is also among the worst when it comes to parental leave as well.
Also, how is the couple going to preach about laziness and good work ethic when they haven't bothered to learn Japanese, even at the basic level when they've lived there for more than two years. They want to be immersed in a different culture, yet they couldn't even bother to enroll in a class.
I felt the same way when I heard what he had to say. Pushing overtime onto people constantly is detrimental to peoples mental health. Which is a big reason why there are so many suicides in Japan.
Ya, I've heard that foreigners get exploited a lot work wise in Japan...the work life balance isn't like in the US...but I agree with him in America at least that a lot of people, especially now are generally lazy. The amount of staff shortages everywhere is unlike anything I've ever seen as many people are currently milking unemployment or mooching entirely off their parents for everything.
@@Domebuddy I think by out of touch. He meant the subject of the dude barely knowing any japanese after already having lived there for 2 years.
@@thedoublea147 That's not a employee "laziness" issue, it's a employer issue. It's not lazy to ask for fair wages. It's not lazy to ask for better benefits. It's not lazy to want a good work/life cycle. Too long have we been in a "you're lucky to have a job" culture where it's acceptable to suffer through work for little to no benefit, and this is exacerbated by working in sub-par conditions for pennies to the dollar. So people took the advice of your ilk: They got a better job. And now your ilk are complaining and claiming that people are "lazy" because you can't get your Big Mac.
And in case you bring this towards trades, that's again an employer issue. There isn't a staff shortage in trades, it's a experience shortage. You're resigned to join a shitty Union for experience only to work for a shitty company that pays off OSHA so they don't get shut down, and many people just simply don't want to do that, especially, again, for pennies on the dollar. So they saw that they were working 50 hour weeks for $55k/year when their neighbors are software engineers working from home making $95k/year, so they, again, took the advice of your ilk: They got a better job.
I skipped the last interview as soon as I heard their professions. They seemed like longterm tourists
This topic was the main reason I left Japan, even though I love Japan and I could get by easier because my wife is Japanese. I speak only basic japanese, so to get a job had to be in factories or teaching english. I knew that working in factories are cruel, too much over time, heavy work and improper conditions. Therefore, I chose to teach english, and have this new experience. It was so frustrating, because in Japan meritocracy doesn't apply. Doesn't matter how good is your work, what matters is you obeying and accepting everything from your boss, regardless how stupid that order was. The obligations and demands just increase, and you don't see a reward. I noticed that a few teachers doing a terrible work, were getting less lessons to teach (obvious reasons), receiving the same salary and benefits, comparing to other teachers that do really good and had very busy days, because students and parents were choosing them to teach. Besides that, in Japan you're not allowed to think differently. In my homecountry the companies want people thinking out of the box, trying different ideas. In Japan you have to follow entirely your boss, no matter how absurd and stupid the order is (mainly because of the Senpai culture). You end up feeling like a robot, and from every foreigner I know, there isn't exception on this thought. It is so true even for Japanese people. I experienced so many times, asking some unusual question or asking service in unusual conditions, and they didn't know what to do or to say in that situation. The answer was "I will get back to you later", because they were unable to think something, even to give me a simple idea. They were just used to this robotic working system.
For these reasons I decided to leave Japan. I have to feel I am "using my brain" to work, not only following my superior and get my salary at the end of the month.
very interesting... thanks đ
In a way it is why the US leads in innovations because many people are taught to think outside the box to solve regular and new problems.
Yes. Itâs like you say unfortunately.
Where did you move?
@@WhiteWolfos this is 100% true. But it is additionally the fact that they âpunishâ people here for trying to make startups. Since there is no meritocracy, when you try to join a company, age is largely a factor. Also they donât like people who switch jobs. So, leaving your company or starting a business out of college is a risk. Also, many employees have it in their contract that they cannot start a business or have another job. This combined with society not having any idea about entrepreneurship (for the most part) really makes it so they canât innovate. They are losing electronics manufacturing to other countries and cars may follow in the future. So theyâre in a bad position.
In my opinion most japanese are overworked. Some friends of mine (japanese and foreign) working in Japan and what i could see the work ethic of the company clashed regular on basis with theirs. The german work ethic is "work well and make it done correctly", so the focus in efficiency and efficacy and good rest is a must, while the company works ethic "work long" drags the work over the complete day. The thing you can concentrate only about a certain amount of time, afterwards you start to make mistakes and then you panic where hastily correct this mistakes, which in turn forced to stay longer. The lack of rest drag the performance the next day down, which forced you to stay longer and you made more mistakes, which stressed you even more. It's kind of vicious cycle. After a time you see your family less and less, while you work more and you are basically estranged from your family. This is of course not healthy at all not for the worker and not for their family.
Also the workload is not equaly distributed, the young people below 30 nearly did 60-70% all the workload, while the workload from the age upwards decrease. At the age of 50 you actually won't do that much, you practically hang in the air, can't advance in your career, because you can't accomplish anything. It's also weird from a german perspektive that you spent more time with your coworkers after the work than with your family and friends, it's considered negilient to your family at best. But i must say their coworkers that i met where one of the kindest and most helpful people that i met.
This is very well explained. Thank you for this input
I agree. I feel that I should get paid for the job, not for the hours I make. If I can't finish my work within the 8 hours, something in seriously wrong!
German efficiency, the finest to this day
your opinion is very important for the Japanese, including myself !
thank you!
The last person he spoke to was awesome. He really was straight forward and told things how they are.
I have learned so much from this. Thank you TAKAshi...by the way, I like the honesty of the last guy you interviewed... I hope Japan's work culture change for the better. It's unfair to have Overtime at work and they don't pay you. That's inhumane. Hopefully, someday there'll be a change in the working hours in Japan. TAKAshi, you can go to New Zealand and explore WWOOFing too.
Many young people in Japan are now implementing a work life balance, if you want to go home on time, just go home, so the government has changed it
I've had to do that for a job in the US.
Worked through my lunch and breaks and work 14ish hour days. Sometimes I would go home so tired, Is fall asleep the second I took my shoes off.
I'd wake up the next morning and have to rush to work so I'd sometimes have to go a day or two without food.
I didn't even get paid for all the overtime either and had to underreport my hours.
What is WWOOFing? Iâm from NZ but havenât heard of it before.
While I am concerned about working in Japan ultimately it's about finding something that will not overwork me. I think foreigners get more of a pass because we will never be considered Japanese no matter what. I am sad that many Japanese are stressed out so bad. I hope that future generations are more forgiving with themselves. I admire the work ethic but a balance might be more of a healthy pov. I like the different viewpoints.
Would you consider doing a video about what it is like for foreigners to successfully becoming a permanent resident? The experience, positive/negative aspects about the process?
I think it vastly depends on the job that one is doing .
No need to feel sorry for them. They do it voluntarily and thatâs the price to pay if you want to get higher social status.
It will change in the future, why? Because the new generation will replace the oldies who kept these overworking culture for too long. Those overworked young adults will be owners of their own companies in the future, and they know how bad the work culture is, they will fix it by themselves.
@@cry9438 you are too naive. People don't sympathise as often as you think. When those young people becomes the boss, they will forget the pain they endured and think they've earned it. So now it's their time to inflict the pain on the new generation.
@@KH-cs7sj Exactly, plus you would be hesitant to change how things work since if it back fires, your company is on the line now. All the veteran managers will think you are crazy and quit their jobs thinking you are a bad CEO. If itâs a publicly traded company, the investors might have a thing or two to say about it too.
The guy in the beginning is good looking!.!.
Wow. I can't thank you enough for making these videos. I love being able to hear from people firsthand. Also, great job with being so outgoing and approaching people. I know that must be difficult to do, especially in a place like Japan where people aren't as willing to talk to strangers. Love from New York! I heard you say you want to visit someday, I hope you can soon! It's very different from what people would expect.
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Takashi, you're a credit to the interviewing profession. Always genuine and sympathetic .. which is more than can be said for most in the media.
I think that even the German standard of a 40 h week and 30 holidays a year and unquestionable unlimited sick days...because if you are sick, you have to stay at home to not endanger your health and the health of others...are still to much of a loss of your lifetime for the money you get.
Very interesting and thank you for theses interviews. The answers to your questions seems very honest.
I've been in Japan for 7 years. Here's my take on these interviews:
- The first guy worked in Finance. He has a much more comfortable life than the majority of foreigners here. I can't fault him for enjoying life in Tokyo. I would also if I made that kind of money.
- The eikaiwa teacher knew what he was talking about. The stuff he is saying regarding work, salary, etc. is spot on.
- The couple that live in Yamaguchi prefecture didn't know what they were talking about. They don't speak Japanese and don't understand the realities of working for a Japanese company. Their answers also seemed a bit wishy-washy, like they were making it up on the spot.
- The last dude was a uni student who didn't understand anything about Japan or working in Japan.
That couple from Yamaguchi worked on Iwakuni Base, so probably he's a Marine. I've seen a lot of military people that spend a lot of time in Japan and still don't learn the culture or language after 3+ years.
"People have different opinions about a country that I like. They must be lying and not know what theyre talkinbg about." lmao, grow up. Not everyone has to conform to your own opinions.
Hahaha, so true! Although I must say, the last dude was not necessarily wrong even though he didnât have the complete work experience. It took me seven years of naivety and dumb willingness to embrace the Japanese corporate culture until it drove me to three dark years of deep depression. The only thing I donât regret is meeting my wife and having my beautiful kids here. Other than that, I should have left immediately after graduation just like him.
I agree with what you said except for the last guy. I can totally understand him and took it as him being completely overwhelmed. He was a student and not someone who really did his research into the country, so if I was in his shoes I'd also bounce as well. If you want to live here long and have a family you need to be prepared to see them and friends during national holidays cause there's no other time to see them really.
Yeah foreigners opinions of Japan are strong but depend completely on how and where they entered. It's great to get these diverse opinions. Army, corporate world, English teaching its all different.
That first guy has the best situation, working for a foreign companies in a high paying industry. Man that's a dream for a lot of people.
"Overworking" in Japan is not always working.....some Japanese create more work for themselves just because they don't want to leave before everyone else. They just stay later or do things out of their contract because of "culture". It's a very broken system
Thank you for these videos! I'm teaching myself to speak Japanese now and starting to build a plan to move there in the future. All your videos have been very insightful and help alleviate some of the anxiety and misunderstandings I had about Japanese culture. Iâm excited to learn more about your culture your language and your countries history so thank you very much for sharing.
Wow, so insightful. Thank you and thanks to the interviewees for their honesty.
I think you should do a follow up to this video, but try interviewing people from places like Russia, UK, Germany, Poland, Australia and maybe other Asian countries. Ideally at least 2-3 from each (I get the challenge that in some cases they may be hard to find though!) in order to see if there is an actual pattern one can draw from even a small sample like this.
I did an Intership at the Toyota Factory in my country. 3 months before the end of my internship, Toyota Japan sent a Japanese engineer to take over the plant for 3 years in order to ge things back on track. He would work like crazy. The regular schedule was from 7h30 to 16h15 with a 15 minute break during the morning and a 45 min lunch break. I would usually arrive at the plant around 7h10 so I could get some coffee and get ready. My desk was in front of his office so when I would get there he would usually be already in his office working. At the end of the day at 16h15, he would stay working after everyone left
Dayum, May I ask which country?
@@derekdesouza9289 If i had to guess fro his name somewhere In Latin America.
I'm interested to know what the issue was with the plant that required an engineer from Japan to come in and fix. I know that Toyota has a very particular way of doing work, but I'm interested to understand what part was not in alignment at your country's facility .
@@derekdesouza9289 Portugal
@@alexjensen990 Portugal, they build Land Cruisers 70 series but before that they had production of Corollas, Hyace and Dyna trucks from the 70s all the way to mid 00s when they solely focused on Land Cruisers. I have no idea why he came in because that was beyond of what I was allowed to know and work with but I'd say that it was the need for a refreshing point of view and overall overhaul of how things were done... Not to mention the equipments always failing due to old age or bad maintenance
This has been a very useful and informational video. Thank you for making it!
Thank you Takashii .. for these vids. Never been to Japan but always intrigued with its culture and understanding what itâs like living there. Great perspectives from other foreigners
As much as I dream about going to Japan, I donât want to get a job like that. People, wake up! If you die because of stress or end up sick, the company will just replace you straight away, and no one will ever remember you or your contribution. Same if you live long and get to die old: on your deathbed will you be thinking of years spent in the office or with your loved ones, enjoying life and exploring the world?
Japan's work culture is the one and only reason I don't think I would be able to live in Japan (and why I've never tried despite really wanting to). There's nothing else about the country or people that I see as a negative.
It's quite sad because I've had a very successful career, but I don't see myself as a career orientated person at all. I know I would be a valuable contributor to any field of work, where appropriate. I do my hours, I do them very well, and then I go home and live my life.
There's a reason the 8 hour work day was introduced into the western world so long ago. 24 hours divided by 3 = 8. 8 hours for work, 8 hours for yourself, 8 hours for sleep. More hours worked does not mean a greater result. Quality over quantity. A healthy individual is someone that can contribute greater results.
If Japan ever see's a day where they move towards a shorter work day, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if their productivity metrics actually increase.
I have never had any chance to live in japan, but i've been often thinking how would it be like, just to escape my boring life đ....and then i learnt about their fucked up legal system. No more daydreaming. For some time i almost despised their "backwards" culture because of that....but it is how it is, i quess. Not my problem đ
Frankly, I think the 8 hour US workday is too long. It's been proven time and time again, that nations with 4 day work weeks, or 6 hour work days perform better. After 4 hours, we begin to slow down and become less productive. By hour 6, we are checked out and are just thinking of going home.
been subbed for at least a few days now and I honestly enjoy the content thank you for the work you put in
Your videos are very interesting and I think you help a lot of people with the insights you provide. Thank you for doing this.
as someone who also lived in shanghai for a long time i can totally relate to the first guy saying they're incomparable. And in some ways i find Tokyo a bit boring and too organised because shanghai is a bit more chaotic and exciting. Tokyo is awesome too, but you know what you're getting here, in Shanghai you can really see some funny and interesting stuff on the daily. On the other hand it can also drive you slightly crazy haha
I used to work like 24/7 đ„ș
Therefore, I decided to quit my previous job.
Now, Iâm working 8hrs a day. I think it depends on your company.
In Japan ?
Yes yes!
What is your sector ?
same salary?
@@lusayon3447 my current job - higher than previous one.
These are some good questions, I've seen several videos now. I almost couldn't stop watching
Prob not going to see this Takashi but I've been watching your videos for the last few months and this one got recommended to me. This is probably my favorite questions and answers I've seen from you man, keep up what you do.
I like your idea of learning English and explore other countries. Keep it up man.
This interview brought out a lot from people. I hope you are able to observe this and use it for future videos: The interview is ALL about "bringing out from people". It's the art that so few interviewers achieve. You did it here, perhaps luck, perhaps skill, perhaps topic... do it again and again! Beyond good and bad.
Yes, on the one hand, the work ethic is admirable. Yet, on the other hand, I hate being shouted at or prescribed to: If I was an animal I would be a chameleon: I NEED to change colours damnit !!
I can see both povs in these interviews: I like the aspiration and ethic inculcated and the results, and yet I don't like the work for work's sake or keeping up appearances sake either. I like work to be purposeful most of all and to bring out meaning for the person who works above all else!
I like so much how you interview people? You take interview seriously. So nice to watch your channel.
Thank you so much for all your efforts!! I really enjoy watching your videos!!! SO GLAD I found this channel!!
That's the only reason stopping me from wanting to live in Japan. I'm hoping Japan will change it's working ethic in the next 5-10 years. If they can cut down to 8-10 hrs a day for 4-5 days a week like the USA, then I'll definitely move there. If not then after learn Japanese, I'll learn Thai. Save up a lot of money then retire to Thailand.
What about foreign companies in Japan, like a start up or smth, maybe they have better hours
Thailand is a good choice its cheap there
To be fair, many japanese companies have a somewhat weird working culture. They often have entire deparments collectively working overtime even though most of them have not really any work left for the day but the superior don't want to leave on time because he's worried his subordinates might think he's lazy or has nothing to do and the subordinates can't really leave before the superior leaves.
Also, there is this thing that I can only describe as "doing unnecessary stuff that no one asked for". Basically japanese people tend to do things that no one ever asked for, just to show how motivated they are and that they take the initiative, which often leads to a spirale where things have to be changed over and over again and even if not, it's just a waste of time for the most part.
Another problem I see is that superiors often don't really lead their subordinates properly, or rather they don't give them proper instructions. They often don't really explain what they need exactly. Instead they want their subordinates to think about it on their own, which can also lead to the above mentioned spirale of redoing things.
In other words you could say japanese people work really hard but at the same time they are not very productive due to the previous mentioned problems. In most cases they could finish the same amount of work in way less time (just like the first guy said). In fact you could say that all those problems are based on bad communication, which I think is a problem in Japan in general.
That's insane. I've always had this idea that Japanese companies were so well structured and efficient. I've read other comments that Japanese workers have to have loyalty to the company above all. I'd hate that lifestyle. I'm Mexican and for (most of) us, FAMILY comes first, not some company that only sees you as a serial number and cares only about their bottom line: $$$.
this culture reflects on their language. even in their daily conversation they don't express their feelings, opinions directly, openly.
This is actually similar to a 'big' company where I used to work at. It might've changed a little bit due to Covid though. Like probably less working hours for almost everyone.
So inefficient!
The indirect communication style is a problem not just for work, but also relationships and marriage, everything is silently indirectly communicated, and then big upset when partner guesses incorrectly their feelings.
Your video's are really informative and relaxing to watchđ!Keep it up Takashiiâđ»â€ïž
That was great! Ive been dreaming about living in Japan a lot lately so this was quite sobering lol. Thanks!
In my 1 year experience working here in Japan. The overwork culture is no joke. Even if you called in sick, you get reprimanded for taking a day off, they still expect you to come to work even if you donât feel too well.
but why? are they that heartless? What about love the one next to you... I hear so many sad stories about people there working from 8am to 11pm like wtf. What about family? fibding a family? havibg time for yourself...
Just give them the middle finger. The prob in Japan is ppl r too obedient and hierarchical. They r so afraid of rocking the boat even though its correct and seniors r always right.... actually this applies to most asian countries work culture.
@@l_ifeefi_l1998 for real most japanese i have encoubtered are literally NPCs. No backbone. They just mumble yes and do norhing. Shit these people are so depressing. They have no sould or personality
They do that in America as well. Especially in restaurants and customer service.
Thanks Takashii. This is one of the videos that made me reconsider my choice of relocating to Japan for working in a game industry. As a game artist graduate, i thought working in Japan would broaden my horizon but not fully prepared with the work culture over there. I used to have a mentor who lived in Japan for 5 years while working with KOEI, but no leisure time to go for exploring or travelling around Japan, except just nearby areas around the streets of Shibuya,Tokyo
Chruch time, Overtime is very hard and crazy in the video game and animation industry..... But its even worst in japan... your better off going to america or UK for work
@@msg360 Cool! always want to try my luck to find opportunities at the States or UK. Or possibly around Asia region first. Although my concern may be how i going to interact with western folks over there since english isn't my first language. Also all the commotion thats happening on about anti-asian hate... because I heard it's quite a mess out there...
@@ericka.draven donât listen to the media , they just promote division and fear to the people. There is no wide spread Asian hate in America not by white or black people etc. what happened on the news is isolated incidents with homeless or mentally Iâll people . You will be fine
â@@ericka.dravenit really depends on the country. UK is very different from the USA. I think if you are afraid of people and anti-asian sentiments, UK would be a good place for you. Or other countries in Europe, in northern Europe there's a lot of countries where you can get by speaking English
Hugely informative video thank you!
Thanks for this video
Open new knowledge about Japan
This video was terrific and something what made me realize that we are used to complain in a western world that we work too much, we live our busy lives and run after money, but on the other way i work full time when depends on myself how many hours i work every day. But still Japan is a dream country for me
100% and the same here! Let's keep hoping the work ethic in Japan will change in 5 years or so.
It is so true how they talk about how hard it is for foreigners to get any other job than teaching, regardless if they have the skills (including language) and qualifications or not. The companies automatically reject foreigners without much feedback as to why they didn't pass. Usually, Japanese companies, compared to the west, are quite good at letting applicants know whether they can proceed or not. And surely enough, living on teachers' wages makes life in Japan expensive. Many foreigners end up taking several jobs to pay the bills.
Excellent channel!! Very informative and useful information.
As someone who lives in America who has wanted to visit Japan and even live there someday but has had anxiety about what the work environment is like this helps a lot. I've watched several of these vids today and they've been very educational. Thank you.
As an American who has worked in Japan two separate occasions, and Ireland as well, I completely agree with the first person you interviewed!
The last guy was brutally honest.
Amazing work Takashii, really nice interviews!
Very honest interview video. very informative! Great job!
The guy from Ohio was spot on. I work in manufacturing, serving Japanese companies in America. (also used to live in Ohio) My co-workers always say "Japanese people work so hard". I have to explain that they work LONG, not necessarily HARD.
Last Afro guy was so expressive and spit a lot of truths for life and attention to self/mental attention in general,. Killer line, "until you fired or your die. I guess"
Life is subjective for everyone, so everybody is right for their life and their goals.
We did not get a chance to hear your point of view Takashi!!
Granted, being a Japanese, you may not be able to fully express yourself, but many viewers would like to hear your heart of hearts thoughts and opinion about your own country and your life.
I understand in Japan people work for far too many hours but complaining about formal dress code seems pretty stupid. Also his speech was far too casual, almost disrespectful.
@@chik2602 â heâs the youngest person interviewed for this video not to mention itâs just a street interview so heâs speaking in a normal way for his age. This channel is all about understanding differences. I think writing off the young manâs reasons as stupid is a bit harsh, he basically said what others did just in a different way. Believe or not, a lot of people avoid jobs with a formal dress code. Suits are expensive for someone just looking for a part time job. Iâm a teacher so itâs normal to see some teachers wear sweats to school while others wear suits or dresses but Iâve also worked at a school with no denim policies for teachers. Everyone agreed it was an unnecessary rule. I enjoy having the choice between casual, semi formal and formal. I would need to do a lot of shopping if I worked a job with a primarily formal dress code.
@@chik2602 it wasn't disrespectful at all,
.
he spoke freely with no restrictions unlike everyone else talking as not to loose their jobs,
.
Everyone in here asks why people don't say what they mean, and here is the proof,
.
people like you that shun them for speaking facts about life in Japan.
@@chik2602 Based
@Saint Cringe
"Afro guy"? Can you be any more ignorant?
Quite well done, you make it look easy, thank you
I really enjoy your videos, keep it up!
10:08 its just so cool hearing these people that studied the language hard speak so well
oh, one thing I want to mention, a thing that can make interviewed people more comfortable...Maybe changing to a wearable microphone is easier for you both more comfortable. It becomes a conversation instead of an interview. Easier to express without other concerns...
You also work very hard, thanks!
Two observations from this video. First of all, excellent video. You have good videos. Okay, on the two observations, one is that I think you'll find that those who've made strides to learn the language also tend to fit in more with Japan's work culture, while those who don't work less. Secondly, I think it's clear that those who prepare better, as would be the case in any foreign country, tend to also find more opportunities and assimilate better in their host country.
The last guy got me. He's the honest guy in the video.
My work experience in Russia is kinda strange but ok.
I worked a lot for individual businesses or self-employed entrepreneurs and the main point there is just doing your work as fast, accurate and good as it possible. Different people have different style in business conducting. Sometimes itâs not good when you work longer - it may indicate that youâre just not making it in time and sometimes you just have to work extra hours to make things done because of urgency. It all depends of current situation.
I used to work at factory - and, oh, that was an experience - we worked 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. That was tough.
At this moment I work in a company that holds a few printing offices. They work 12 hours a day, with 5/2 or 2/2 shifts (there are people who work 5 days a week and have 2 days off and those who work for two days and then have two days off and so on). The schedule is flexible if you can find a shiftworker for the day you need to spare. And if youâre replacing someone it is double-paid.
And kind of a standard for my country is working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week with 2 days off.
Takashii ăăăăăăăšăăăăăŸăïŒ
I came across your channel and I enjoyed watching some of your videos. Iâm from the đ”đ and I also used to live and work in Japan for 3 years. I worked in a Japanese nursing home. It was challenging but I learned a lot. I would say Japanese work a lot, but honestly some them are just pretending to be busy at work. Us Filipinos we donât like working overtime, so as much as possible we try to finish our job on time. I even finish the task of my Japanese coworker so I could go home on time. Eventually, they already understood that we donât like working overtime. đ
TAKASHii from Japan@ , I've just discovered your videos. They are excellent. Congratulations!đ
It is totally possible to do part time with no Japanese. I found mine and worked as a dishwasher! other people worked cleaning hotel rooms, mcdnlds, a lot more. I know people can be picky but your part time depends on the level of your japanese, if you can't communicate with customers, you are going in the back and that is totally fine. be patient and best of luck!!!
*PS. Don't skip part-time it levels up your Japanese faster than school. And you get your first step into the society.
Imagine moving countries just to be a dishwasher
@@Ghidorah96 ... to the country you love â€ïž
@@smc9098 hey free choice and all that but objectively you are lowering your standard of living and earning potential for very little gain. Technically no gain at all but if the mere fact of being in a different Country makes you fulfilled it says volumes about your values.
@@Ghidorah96 yup! that's true, free choice ;) I don't mind compromising for a better gain. Don't worry those are just part-time jobs you do in the start. you'll eventually find better job. Best of luck!
@@smc9098 living your best life
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Iâm a foreign guy working In Japan. I have to say, to break free from the long working days etc⊠you have to be an ALT or blaze your own path through life. Have to do whatever it takes to be successful.
All of these interviewees were very well spoken. A joy to watch.
Very good videos. çŽ æŽăăăăăăȘïŒ
Honestly I am thinking to move from Germany to Japan for work next year, because I like the Japanese culture and food and I always have a dream to live there. However, this video kinda get me rethinking the whole stuff. I have worked in USA, Germany, and Taiwan (which is my home country), and I would say in USA and Germany, the work-life is really balanced and most of the time even the boss doesn't want to work too much. And in Taiwan, the employees in the local company tend to do overtime (but not for foreign companies who have branches in Taiwan). And I heard in Japan the whole situation is even more stricter.
I guess I will still pursue my dream to Japan, but maybe find a foreign company to work there.
My advice, stay in Germany or find a German company that can detach you for a few years to Japan. You will not find a better work/life balance than in Germany.
I work for Japanese company in Tokyo before then I end up becoming independent but if I may give my 2cent about this. There is a lot of importance given to appearances in Japan and also in the corporate world. You have to do "ganbaru", or rather you have to show others that you are doing "ganbaru". Note the distinction between the two. 1) This means that even if you can complete all your tasks by 4:00 p.m., you have to stay until 7:00 p.m. because you have to show that you are working hard, plus everyone is following this little game, making it even harder to be the first leaver. 2) There is also a lot of waste of time having to justify the slightest problem on the way. Make a complete report which will take half your working day unnecessarily, because you have forgotten to CC someone in your email . 3) Treated everything urgently and put a lot of pressure to do everything right away while the deadline is in 1 month. 4) You rarely get recognition from your manager or other bosses for your good work, but this will argue it's a bit everywhere in the world. Anyway, yeah working in Japan was not so great experience for me and I guess for most expat, but this will also depends if your work in real domestic company or international environment. If you clean the toilet in my country (France), if you are on time and do the job then they gonna like you very much because no one want to do it, in Japan they will expect the best from you no matter which job you do, don't expect any special treatment because of the difficulty of your work. Good to be customer here, not be a worker unless top notch company which are same everywhere.
This is video is super interesting, loved it!
I hope you get to travel, Takashii, I think if you could make similar videos around the world it would be fascinating :)
We are fine Bro
Keep it up đ
Be happy forever.
Love you bro from
Pakistan
Thank you so much !!!!!
Anyone considering working in Japan shouldnât do it unless itâs for a foreign company. Japan is literally losing population as a result of people not having time to raise a family due to working excessive hours. The thing about it is a lot of people confuse working hard with working long hours and itâs not the same thing. From my experiences the Japanese workers donât work harder than Americans. They just stay at work even when theyâre done and have nothing really to do just because theyâre afraid of what others will think if they leave before the boss does. Itâs a really strange work culture. And itâs truly unfortunate because Japan is an amazing country to see and live in otherwise. I am hoping that one day the Japanese government will intervene before the toxic work culture that prevents many Japanese people from having families creates a crisis. That is definitely coming at some point if they continue to ignore the problem.
The second guy was the most informative and honest. Didnt know about residency and other taxes.
I really really enjoy your videos
I love to travel in Japan.
I love the culture. I love the food. I love to be a costumer in this country.
I don't speak japanese.
But when you are a traveler it's not a problem.
Friends of mine often ask me why I didn't move to Japan.
My answer is always the same. no!
I love France too and prefere to live in France and travel as soon as I can in Japan.
The way of life can be very rude in Japan.
What baffles me is foreigners who have lived in Japan for several years and still refuse to learn the language. I find it extremely ignorant.
I also admire your attitude, Takashii. Hope you get to live your dream soon.
Thatâs true! Thank you for speaking the truth! Nit also ignorant but rather arrogant to adjust to Japan, they want Japan to adjust for them. It is always sad seeing that most of those foreigners blackmail Japan by showing negative sides of Japan without telling their bad sides as well.
@@maryanneayumi9594 it's really just entitlement and disrespect
I mean they have white privilege... Japanse will learn English just for them.
lmao, you dont understand how the world works man, when i was working at jpmorgan i would be told to move to india/china and several other countries for 1-2 years... do you think i learned the local language every time i landed somewhere new? lmao.. come on man.... you cant learn a language in 2 years. Would take 5 years and thats with you really trying/wanting it.
@@krisb-travel which is not the case for any of these people that have been interviewed, so what's your point?
Great topic, great video!
It would be also interesting to ask the same question to typical Japanese seniors :)
Takashii, your videos are wonderful
Like 2 years ago Microsoft in Japan tested a 4 day work week. Giving the Japanese employees 3 days off and their productivity went up and they were rested through the week. I've seen videos of Japanese workers that go to work at 7am and won't get home until 8pm or later and that is normal for them. You work to live not live to work.
Itâs kind of funny (in a dark way) that in Japanese media you will often see someone âcollapseâ from being overworked. I never even heard of that concept until I saw it as a (shockingly) common trope in Japanese anime/games.
Very informative. Keep it up!
Im from romania and i love your clips, i think Japan country and culture are one of the most unique and interesting on the earth so at one time i would like to travel and work in Japan. Thank you and good luck with what are you doing, you are awesome!
As a software developer who worked in America, S. Korea and Japan, I've noticed these things...
S. Korea/Japan - spend a lot of time in the office, but work related hours barely pass 30hrs/week, the rest of the time mainly doing other tasks or socialize.
America- Work work work the moment you come into the office but allows some remote work. Average about 60/hrs a week while very little hours related to nonwork related tasks.
Hi I'm currently studing computer science at the university and since I'm considering to work abroad i've been watching a lot of this videos. Japan is one of the countries at the top of my list because of the big cultural diferences. I live in Portugal (just for context).
Could you talk me throught a bit of your experience?
What made you go there?
Did you find employment before you went?
Did your work for an Asian or American company?
Does the work culture allows one to have other hobbies? like Sports.
(No need to answer all of these of course).
I saw a few videos saying that recent graduates in Japan are very valued but working 10 hours a day is kinda throwing me off.
I know the answer my be a bit big and I don't mean to bother you, so feel free to take as long as you want.
@@pedro92073 My company went through a merger and some acquisitions, I was sent over as part of the integration team. Honestly don't really know much about landing a job in Japan since I was already employed. One thing I do notice during their interviews, it's pretty tense. They normally interview in a batch along with 4-5 others in front of a panel. I still think there is a large growing trend for software developers so landing a job might be easier now. Most of the people I know tells me they look on social media or head hunters for jobs so yo might want to start there. The more you include in your employment application, the better. Also most people preferred to work for foreign companies because they are more open minded since Japanese companies are ruled by seniority.
@@eop9969 Thank you!
Come to Australia! We work hard and take our jobs seriously. But when we clock off we enjoy our lives! Overtime is not unheard of, but also not encouraged because it is costly to companies.
So different cultures i work as an IT architect in CH and no one stays longer then needed but in the end we finish our Projects in Time without overworking.
Efficiency is the key you can work 30 hours and be as efficient as someone who works for 40. And here you have to take holidays and days off they even force yo todo so.
In my opinion the fine semantics of "overwork" are more like "overload" and I get the impression the question is more about "working overtime". In some cultures, when an employer hires you for 40 hours per week, they then start thinking, behaving, acting as if they own you for 24/7. In my country that is absolutely "not done". There are a few industries that are an exception, though, like law firms. The problem is, if you do not allow your employees to relax outside work hours, have a family life, build and maintain a personal network, then that hits you and them like a boomerang in the future. It may even slow down your national economy as your people have no time to either spend their money or do something with the money they spent. So while working overtime a lot may not overload you, your being bereft of a private life may overload you to the point you are overworked. Unless you are programmed to not be entitled to a private life.
And so this may not resonate in Japan. Another thing of people making loads of hours is that they become less effective. My language has an old saying from archery: "the bow can't always be tense." So there is a law of diminishing returns in working hours from an employer's point of view, while the ingression of work into personal life increasingly diminishes the returns of personal life for the employee. If businesses had to pay for the consequential health and social costs of all this, then they would be led in different ways.
As indicated by someone interviewed in this channel, another aspect is efficiency and usefulness. I once saw a match between pioneers fro two countries where each team had to build a military bridge. Same tech, same sizes. Equal number of people. Country A has an obsession with rules and formality and hierarchy, country B has not and personal responsibility is most important. The packets of material got dropped and the whistle signalled the start. Country A had a higher non-commissioned officer overseeing and the men lined up in pairs. The officer blew his whistle and issued commands. Team B had gone through training and everybody knew what had to be done, so all started working like ants, building a bridge. After some 45 minutes, B had completed the bridge and A only had a structure to the other side and it took their method still half an hour before a tank could drive over it. If your ambition is to win battles - as in the global market - you can place two armies opposite each other where nobody does a thing because the two samurai have to battle it out first and if one wins, no ordinary fighters have to battle. Global players and markets do not work like that. So, the A approach does not win. And this directly relates to efficiency and effectiveness in an overloaded work-life.
This comment is dead accurate!
this video was really interesting , thank you for this video and try not to work to much :)
Takashii you're so handsome đ„Čđđ» & seem like such a nice person! I really enjoy your content and have learnt a lot, please keep it up đ
Dear Takashii, try to meet some knowledgeable people from the Netherlands to interview on this subject, because on average The Netherlands has the highest productivity per man hour in the least amount of total working hours per worker, and there is a strict balance between free time and working hours with mostly people working max. 8 hours a day (40 hours/week) and many people even less (like me, who works for about 36 hours in a working week of 4 days.) At this moment, the productivity per hour per capita in The Netherlands is about 1.5 times that of Japan. Like @Dylan M. already said 4 days ago, there is a difference between working hard and working long...
Iâm always curious what people used to do work wise in the US to make them feel that the Japanese work/life balance is so much different or harder.
Iâve noticed many of the Americans in Japan who say this are very young, so they likely didnât have very much work experience prior to moving. They were often straight out of college when moving to Japan or living with their parents.
Work/life balance in the US is also incredibly insane especially when youâre lower income. Our national minimum wage is still under $7.50 per hour.
I think a lot of these people just never had to experience the grind back home. As an American in her 30s whoâs been working since I was 14, I can tell you itâs no joke. Iâve had up to 5 jobs at once. In the medical field, shift âend timesâ are just an approximation. When I was scheduled 9-6, I literally never knew when I would be leaving work. I could be there until midnight. And this wasnât an experience unique to me.
When I was in college I had to complete 2 mandatory internships. Back then especially it was common for internships to be unpaid. So, I had to go to college (in person) full time, work full time in order to pay my bills, and make time for the minimum amount of required internship hours.
If you live in the US and youâre poor, youâll probably have more than one job to make ends meet. You sometimes have to work 7 days per week. Many jobs donât give paid vacation time or sick time, or you have to accrue it over time. If you work in education or a medical field especially, youâll definitely work overtime and will often have to do additional work from home. I always did extra work at home and was never paid for it.
I havenât seen anyone pay in the past 10 years under $14 an hour. Where da heck you livin girl? Some isolated small town southeast?
@@seraph3761 iâm currently living in Tokyo, but I moved here 3 months ago from Philadelphia. And plenty of places in Philadelphia pay under $14 per hour, girl.
Your video is just sooo amazing đâš