WORK AND LIFE LESSONS

Why You Shouldn’t Work for Japanese Companies

My honest takeaways after witnessing two Japanese workplaces

People who have never visited Japan sometimes imagine a futuristic landscape of an advanced tech wonderland.

I wish I could say so, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

If you want to know the reality, explore the major cities in Japan and meet people at work. Soon, you’ll notice workers are standing next to billing machines at metered parking (for what?) and men wearing helmets and guiding drivers around road construction sites (are they necessary?)

Puzzled? These are only the beginning of the mystery of Japanese corporate culture.

The Longer You Work, the More Respect You Earn

Japanese people respect selfless work. The fastest way to gain their respect? Be the first one in the office in the morning and the last to leave at night.

Although the average annual working hours per employee isn’t as high as other nations (Japan was 43rd in 2017), that is also due to the data including non-full-time employees as well.

When it comes to male, full-time employees, Japan works longest among OECD countries with 452 minutes per day in 2020.

In addition to this, Japanese women aren’t cut any slack. Their unpaid labor adds up and duties such as housework and caregiving are intensive and time-consuming. The amount of time devoted to personal care, which includes sleep and time for eating meals, was the lowest amount of the female populations reported in OECD countries’ data.

Karoshi—death from overwork or work-related stress—is real. Men are unable to leave work early to take care of others and home, and this leaves the childcare to women.

Paid leave? The average number of paid leave days taken by Japanese people was 51.1% in 2017. If you want to have a decent summer vacation or Christmas holidays, Japanese firms are out of the question.

Seniority System + Lifetime Employment = No Productivity

Here’s another shocking tidbit: Japanese laborers’ productivity has been the lowest among G7 countries for 50 straight years with $49.5 per hour.

Even today, many Japanese companies are governed by the seniority system and lifetime employment. This eliminates the potential of fair evaluation schemes.

I’ve seen a lot of not-so-devoted employees at Japanese firms. Sometimes, they were old enough to make excuses for not creating spreadsheets and slides. Other times, they struggled with mental health issues and stayed on leave forever.

It is difficult to conclude if employing them is a good thing for the overall Japanese economy. But regardless of the debate on good versus bad as far as the economy goes, the lifers were an endless source of frustration for me when I worked at Japanese firms.

The more I worked, the more work I got, but my salary made me a cheaper workhorse than the senior level employees who’d disappear like clockwork every two hours for leisurely smoke breaks and chatting sessions.

The 80/20 Rule

I wonder the Pareto Principle— 20% of employees shoulder 80% of the work—is true in other countries. Unless you’re certain that you can remain happy working hard and stay in the top 20% of performers without a proper reward, I don’t recommend devoting your precious life to exasperatingly dysfunctional companies.

What made me write this article is neither any company’s stock price fall nor personal frustration. I lost two friends, victims of karoshi, though I have no idea if their deaths were labeled and investigated as such. They were too devoted, intelligent, and caring.

Japanese companies’ work environment can be really toxic when these issues are multiplied by gender bias. Be aware of these facts before signing your contract with them to protect yourself and your family. And think about leaving if you’re trapped now.

There’s always a reason if the grass is greener on the other side. It might be a healthier corporate culture. Trust me, quitting Japanese firms has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

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