Work Life Balance in Japan?

[krs1]

During my short stay in Japan one thing I noticed was the people lived to work rather than work to live.
What are your thoughts on this?
My reason for thinking this was because the family I stayed with worked very long hours and after further discussion also had very little in the way of annual leave.

 

[Zaff]

During my stay I had a rather long chat with a few kiwi's 2 were teachers and had been there for about 6-7 years and the other was a translator and had been there longer.

Now from what they tell me people might work 12 or say 13 hour days but they still only do what we (as in westerners) do in 8 hours. Now that is just what I was told by those kiwi's.

To back this up though a local we met in a bar we went in a lot said the exact same thing. He said he worked 10 hours but got 2 hours worth of breaks 0_0... he then said they go and get drunk to help with the stress.

Now that sounds fun to me!

Also krs off topic but Im from Rotherham hows it going!

 

[krs1]

ah Rotherham, not been there for ages! Hows it going.

 

[Zaff]

Not too bad, but back onto your subject it would be cool if any of the guys on JREF who live in Japan could tell us what they see, day in day out. As I am pretty sure they will know plenty of people of whom they work with, live near etc..

 

[Mars Man]

I would say that there are different scenarios for different folks. From my perspective--teaching in a private university, having taught in a local Junior Highschool, and a cram school--I'd say that as the grade level goes up, the work becomes less administrative. This would mean that work besides lesson planning and actual teaching (putting reasearch on the side for now) becomes less. The work hours may not change so much, but the freedom to leave the premises of the institution become greater.

The teachers here where I work, tend to leave when they have done what they want to for that day. There is practically no pressure to stay until the first person leaves, to have an excuse to leave. There are basic office hours, but those are generally from 9:30 (plus/minus) to 5:30 (plus/minus).

In this scenario, I'd have to say that though the actual work done usually would not take all the non-class hours spent on the premises, the time basicaly required by the institution for teachers to be here, is not so long.

Other professions, other situations, I know. Maybe we'll hear more. (My brother-in-law has a middle management position at a local hospital and leaves earlier than I do, and always comes back later than I do.)

 

[basuotoko]

It's true, and I find it to be one of the most depressing areas of Japanese culture. From what I've heard, it's the same way in all of East Asia. There are fathers here who barely know their own children because they leave for work early in the morning and come home after their wives and kids have gone to sleep.

The act of looking busy is much more important than actual work itself, so I wouldn't be surprised if most companies get less done in their 14 hour days than a Western company gets done in eight. Also, you have to factor in the volunteer (read: mandatory) after work: ﾋ?ｹ窶堙昶?ｰﾃｯﾂ ﾂ「窶堙娯?堙昶?堋ｩ窶堋｢ﾂ」 and other stuff employees are pulled into doing.

Fortunately, I think these rules usually don't apply to foreigners working in Japan. Most language teachers I know seem to work a typical Western work load, sometimes less. I am a bit curious as to what it's like for Westerners who work in real Japanese companies doing translation or business consulting. From the limited exposure I've had to that environment, I think they also tend to work less hours than the Japanese around them, but I could be wrong. Anyone know?

 

[Ewok85]

Working in a large company many people would stay on late (~9pm) even when they had no work to do, and on the whole dragged tasks out far longer than it took. I remember someone in my office saying her averages 100hrs overtime a month.

In the end I was getting my work done before 5:30, and feeling pretty funny leaving on time. On a few occasions there was literally nothing to be done, so I would just stay until about 3pm, then go home.

Ah, almost forgot its not unusual for "overtime" work to be done on saturdays, and even sundays. My ex-girlfriends father would come home from work no earlier than 10pm, and every saturday would go to work, and about every third sunday as well.

 

[maushan3]

The act of looking busy is much more important than actual work itself, so I wouldn't be surprised if most companies get less done in their 14 hour days than a Western company gets done in eight. Also, you have to factor in the volunteer (read: mandatory) after work: ﾋ?ｹ窶堙昶?ｰﾃｯﾂ ﾂ「窶堙娯?堙昶?堋ｩ窶堋｢ﾂ」 and other stuff employees are pulled into doing.

That is, in my opinion, sad. The fact that people need to see you "work", even though you already finished your job at the company for the day. Also, that nomikai thing, yeah, I bet many people don't wanna do it, but they are forced due to society and things like that. But, well, that's the way Japanese society is and is no better nor worse than Western's, just different. I can't judge it for being worse or better because it is just different. People in Japan might think that many things about Western society are messed up when in fact we see them as normal.

Mauricio

 

[storeyinallinanyways]

I work in tax so am used to putting in silly hours coming up to filing deadline. I too have noticed amongst my Japanese co-workers here that they will work late (9 or 10pm) even if we're not busy and readily admit to spending an hour or two surfing the web. Most of the time, they won't leave before the partner.

When I first arrived I would leave at 6 or so and feel quite guilty (official hours are 9 to 5). Then coming up to deadline I was working the same hours as everyone else. Now that we are less busy I will still work until 7 or 8, but I do doss a lot during the day!

The nomikai tradition, I've been told, stems from wives giving out to their husbands if they come home too early. The wives expect them to work hard and make money, and then kiss *** with the boss to get promoted! I rarely see women among the groups staggering out of the izakayas in my neighbourhood, but I think it is becoming more common.

Interestingly, new legislation was brought in here recently which provides that where a couple get divorced, the wife is still entitled to half of the husbands pension! The reason behind it is to protect women who have spent their whole lives running the home and don't have their own pension as a result. Apparently, because the men spend so much time working / socialising with work colleagues, once they get to retirement age the couple find that they don't like each other very much and get divorced!

 

[pipokun]

Some young Japanese go to other countries to teach Japanese on a voluntery basis without any religious purpose at all. Some even pay (quite a lots of) money to enroll the teaching program.
An outsourcing company announced, "Work in China! (working part-time at an IT-related call center) Get precious and exciting experience there!". You can get the experience and I know you cannot buy the experience, but...

 

[raven_guest]

In some ways I find it admirable, working such long hours says dedication to me, but I find it tragic that (generally) men get to spend so little time with their families.

Every job I've had has been approx 8.45-6 which an hour break etc etc and even managers are running to get out the door when it hits 6! I think attitudes are different, it's what's instilled in us as kids.

 

[Goldiegirl]

I wouldn't equate staying ( not really working ) long hours at a job means dedication nor is it admirable.

 

[Ewok85]

I wouldn't equate staying ( not really working ) long hours at a job means dedication nor is it admirable.

And its not just that, many of these men would rather eat someone on the way home, than at home, delaying the trip back by an extra hour or so.

 

[Goldiegirl]

I am sorry Ewok85...what do you mean? They don't want to go home?

 

[Ewok85]

Dunno, I guess they want a drink though

 

[shevaub]

During my short stay in Japan one thing I noticed was the people lived to work rather than work to live.
What are your thoughts on this?
My reason for thinking this was because the family I stayed with worked very long hours and after further discussion also had very little in the way of annual leave.

It's Japanese culture

 

[caster51]

Originally Posted by krs1


During my short stay in Japan one thing I noticed was the people lived to work rather than work to live.
What are your thoughts on this?
My reason for thinking this was because the family I stayed with worked very long hours and after further discussion also had very little in the way of annual leave

I think working is their hobby

 

[包龙星]

During my short stay in Japan one thing I noticed was the people lived to work rather than work to live.
What are your thoughts on this?
My reason for thinking this was because the family I stayed with worked very long hours and after further discussion also had very little in the way of annual leave.

Peoples in East-asia are almost all the same,including those in cities like ShangHai,Seoul and Tokyo...
There're too many people but limited jobs , so we have to work as hard as we can in order to make a living and further development.

 

[gaijinalways]

of these men would rather eat someone on the way home, than at home

I assume you mean somewhere, as evidenced 'than at home', though eat off of someone might be more fun!


One of my ex-bosses talked about sleeping over, with asking some employees to sleep on their desks. Needless to say, he wasn't popular, the boss that is.

 

[caster51]

you have to factor in the volunteer (read: mandatory) after work: 飲み会 「のみかい」 and other stuff employees are pulled into doing.

I never refuse it because the Boss pays most of money

as meeting expense, it is also admitted by company...
in tacit comprehension,employees is waiting for Boss's single word " let's go"
that is, Izakaya then cheap Karaoke Bar.

so, I thought Boss's overtime work is sign of Nomikai,

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I never refuse it because the Boss pays most of money
as meeting expense, it is also admitted by company...
in tacit comprehension,employees is waiting for Boss's single word " let's go"
that is, Izakaya then cheap Karaoke Bar.
so, I thought Boss's overtime work is sign of Nomikai,

By the unfortunately present taxation system,
Money from a company is not paid.
nomikai of a company decreases now.
After 17:00,
Most office workers spend time for a hobby.

Every day,
It is impossible to go to drink it with pocket money of an office worker.

Average of pocket money of an office worker is around 40000 yen.
They pay lunch and a haircut rate from pocket money.

 

[ArmandV]

In some ways I find it admirable, working such long hours says dedication to me, but I find it tragic that (generally) men get to spend so little time with their families.

There should be no surprise as to why the birth rate in Japan is so low. By the time the worker gets home, he/she is too exhausted to want to do anything else.

Interesting Freudian slip about eating on the way home.

 

[Glenski]

Live to work. It is an image of what many middle-aged Japanese do. The fact that many younger people are freeters and temp workers shows that this idea is not acceptable to all. Also, lifetime employment is not here to stay; it is dying in some sectors.

If the OP was asking what foreigners do, I think it's safe to say that we put in the hours needed and then try to live our foreign lives like we'd want to, perhaps more so than the average Japanese. So, depending on the sort of job you have, you may appear to be like a typical Japanese worker or not.

 

[Ewok85]

Interesting Freudian slip about eating on the way home.

Its only Freudian if you take it literally

 

[Jygitsu]

There should be no surprise as to why the birth rate in Japan is so low. By the time the worker gets home, he/she is too exhausted to want to do anything else.

Man,if this is a case then how about Chines ?