I’m posting this just to get your thoughts and not to be offensive. Living here as a dependent with IT qualifications, All the job postings I was contacted about and saw, they all say the same holidays count. 120 more or less including national holidays and weekends. Back at my home we had annual leave, casual leave, sick leave, maternity leave etc. separately and wouldn’t consider weekends or national holidays as holidays given by company as a favour to the employee. Why does it happens here? It is like the companies saying we own you on those days too, but we are giving you the days off. Even the salaries are very low considering how tight and work oriented they are with no work life balance. With 250k salary, it’s barely manageable with the living expenses. So, of course there isn’t enough to enjoy life. I think this is a much deep reason for population in Japan to decrease. They all go back and forth to work and not enough time or money to enjoy life. They see no point in life, just work. (This is my perspective, please don’t be offended). So, who would want to bring another new life just to do the same? I’ve seen so many senior citizens those who can’t even straighten their backs because they are so old, go to work at factories. They have their retirement payments and all that but still goes to work. Why is that? Is working is so absorbed to their bones that they can’t give it up until they die? Who are they trying to save money for, when they (most of them) don’t have future generation. Or are they doing it just for the sake of working and leave the money they saved to the government when they die? Travelling through prefectures in Kanto area alone, I saw hundreds of abandoned houses. Most of them are in very bad conditions. No one to maintain or inherit them, I suppose. I’m trying to understand culture here but it’s so complicated.
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I think we should just let people do what they want/need to do.
You are right and It’s a huge problem in Japan but as you said, those companies think they own you and that your free time is a loss for them. Family ? Health ? Relaxing ? It’s not a right you have, it’s a choice you make, if you want those then you are free to leave the company, if you work for them then it should be your only goal in life.
A correct salary ? Why ? You should be happy that this company employs you. So please, do free overtime every day to show your gratitude.
In America it’s the at will employment type of thing. Companies only give those things as incentives anyway, it’s not a right or a law. And in America it’s the same, if you don’t like what the company is offering just leave or don’t even apply. Private companies do it all over the world. Some are just more open about certain things than others. Japan is shifting away and will need to be more employee friendly soon.
Capitalism.
start your own business, and stop complaining
Yup. That’s Japan.
The big difference between the japanese mindset of work and western one is that the west consider the job as a purely legal contract. Go to work, get the money, go back to home and do what you want.
In the Japanese mindset a job is more of a social contract. It’s part of your life, and as important as other social contracts you have (such as family).
This explain why seniority matter (see it as a proof of long term dedication to the family).
While the concept of “company” is like a family commitment is obvious in Yakuza movies, I found out that this mindset (in a lesser form) is actually well alive in japanese mindset.
I think it won’t stay like that forever as new generation are less inclined to have this mentality.But also, inflation increase job mobility, as salary need to keep up with cost of life and it is easier to rise up by moving to another job than it is by negotiating with your current boss.
I don’t know what is the best to be honest. Seeing job as purely a legal contract has its good side, but it is kind of alienating to consider maybe more than half of your time awake on earth as a purely legal commitment. It increases the chance of depression by thinking your life is void of meaning. (as the only “meaning” take part in the meager time left outside of work)
Those salaries are for entry level.
Next year there are probably 17 national holidays assuming you get Jan 1-3rd.
Living in Tokyo makes hobbies challenging and it is also my impression that mon-Fri is dedicated to work. But that’s a lot of weekends to fill.
Not all firms push for unpaid OT. And younger generations are not as readily accepting of previous norms.
I won’t comment on your other observations but you should go google cause of population decline in wealthier nations.
120 are number of national holidays + weekends.
You still have PTO, child care leave etc other than 120 days.
wtf he’s figured it out you guys!
Japan is a country of poor natural resources. The only reason it became wealthy is because of the work/servitude culture it has built for centuries. The top decides direction, everyone serve that. It’s great to ignite growth to catch up.
There’s a saying 働かず者は食うべからず, those who don’t work, don’t eat.
If Japan didn’t admire Europe more than the US, this country would be 200% capitalism, 0% socialism, much worst than the US.
It’s “lucky” that its people look up to Britain, Germany, and the Nordic countries, because – just look at history – it modelled its government, economic policies and social policies after those countries instead of the US.
First time?
to be honest, you’re throwing together a whole bunch of social topics and issues that probably all could be discussed in their own threads. for example, salary in Japan is very low, but job and social security is higher than in many countries. so a young person may start a job fresh out of high school/uni on a low salary, but they can reasonably expect to stay at that job for a very long time or possibly forever (though less so nowadays). likewise, banks also know about that fact so are much more willing to give big loans to younger people with less capital of their own. so people have more possibilities to plan long-term here and may be able to buy/build property earlier than in many other countries.
also very old Japanese having a very crooked/bent back is likely due to nutritional deficiencies in the years after the war and before Japan really saw economic prosperity. otherwise, it can actually be healthy for older people to keep working as it helps them maintain a routine and social interactions. so maybe they genuinely want to work for as long as they can because their only alternative would be to sit at home all alone.
You’re looking for low tier jobs in industries that have poor work-life balance.
Avoid the ratrace and life is fantastic. Don’t think Tokyo = Japan.