Japan is a great country for you to work and live in. RECOMMENDED: Catch our article about Japanese etiquettes you must know here! Kono: It took me a long time. Nobody would think I am less capable or deem as a bad employee/staff. Japanese companies' recruiting departments prepare blank forms with standard job interview questions all printed out nicely for candidates to fill out and if you make a mistake doing that, you will have to start all over again on a brand new copy. Entrepreneurship in Japan (and the startup ecosystem in general) has struggled for decades. They tend to do everything as efficient as possible. While I can't say this is true for all Japanese companies, at many traditional Japanese firms, I observed the culture is such that it is better to be seen working (staying behind and working long hours), rather than actually getting work done but leaving on time. I would be forced to face many differences and setbacks. While there exists various communities and friends to help you from time to time, you are mostly pretty much on your own. The average life expectancy at birth is the number of years that the population of a country is expected to live. Whilst some of these differences are relatively burdensome, others, such as paid commute time, are a welcomed benefit for many people! Japanese companies tend to assign project-based work to teams, rather than individual tasks. Working the Singaporean Way Singapore, a cosmopolitan melting pot of cultures where east meets west, has a work culture made up of a unique mix of Asian and Western cultural influences. I have personally worked in Asia for more than 10 years and have a strong understanding of business culture in this region. It was as if they were saying to me, Go home, you country bumpkin!. This isnt particularly a bad thing, depending on how you view it. This is different when compared to foreign work environments that actively support individual achievement. People at work call each other by their job positions, while westerners use first names, or Mr . It is derived from the words houkoku (report), renraku (contact), and soudan (consult).if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'sugoii_japan_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_17',194,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); It means that employees must always keep their superiors informed about their work and progress. Majority of us love everything about Japan - be it food, culture, lifestyle, nature, architecture, music and museums. Today, Kono is involved in three very different companies. Some of them have been translated into other languagesChinese, Taiwanese, Russian, Mongolian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean. Instead, they greet each other with a sincere 45 degrees bow. Theres also comfort in knowing that youre good at your job, so why bother looking elsewhere? Japanese people seeking rewarding careers are feeling the frustration, too. Working in the PR industry was one of the top on my bucket list of jobs that I wanted to try in my 20s, so I was really excited when I was offered. The company that was meant to care for him in the decades ahead was instead making him miserable. This means, for example, if your work shift starts at . To make matters worse, it was on my very last sentence. So, when it comes down to it, did I have negative experiences studying and living in Japan? Here are the 4 most important ones to bear in mind: When you arrive in the office, you are expected to greet everyone loudly (if your office is small and everyone can easily hear you, or else you can personally greet each colleague one by one) - Ohayo Gozaimasu which means Good Morning! It really enriched my careermore than that, it encouraged me to use my career to help change Japanese working culture. With that being said, the work culture in Singapore has become highly diverse as these foreign companies roll in. But unlike many of my foreigner friends, I chose not to stay there and work, and came back to my home country, Singapore, almost immediately after my graduation. 88.3 years. I started my shuukatsukind of reluctantly I was, after all, forcing myself to go through what everyone else was doing. var cid='6196984944';var pid='ca-pub-1221853930151764';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-medrectangle-3-0';var ffid=2;var alS=2021%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.style.maxHeight=container.style.minHeight+'px';container.style.maxWidth=container.style.minWidth+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true});var cid='6196984944';var pid='ca-pub-1221853930151764';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-medrectangle-3-0_1';var ffid=2;var alS=2021%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.style.maxHeight=container.style.minHeight+'px';container.style.maxWidth=container.style.minWidth+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true});.medrectangle-3-multi-181{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Many countries around the world have adapted to the agile way of working. You May Also Like: Dress Code In Japanif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'sugoii_japan_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',196,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-leader-2-0'); The East mindset of collectivism over the West mindset of individualism is prevalent in the Japanese working culture. Otsukaresama Desu (): The rules of this phrase have changed over time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Understanding Japans high-context culture requires understanding of cross-cultural communication in both formal and social settings. 89 years. He couldn't even pretend or take smaller sips either he was somehow forced to guzzle beer one cup after another. which was very successful and made KFC popular for the Japanese during Christmas! ; Hierarchical structure is the foundation of Singapore's working environment and collectivism is widely preferred. (Please dont think that google translation would work for everything, you will realise it only helps 60% haha). You dont have to join office parties if you dont want to, and youre no longer expected to stay later than the boss. This, however, is lacking in the Japanese working culture. Haha! Third, reexamine worker privilege systems. He is very accepting of peoples mistakes and is always willing to let fresh graduates and interns to learn so much in the company. I hope my comics will help more foreigners to understand Japan and Japanese better, as well as to increase awareness and change how we behave. Then he dedicated his career as a human resources professional to influencing the Japanese labor market (and Japanese working culture in general) for the better. But the process for me was even shorter-lived than I expected it to be. Why this particular window and not, say, after graduation? It is the busiest time of year for fast food restaurants with fried chicken, especially KFC, and this was because there was an advertisement by KFC in 1974 called 'Kentucky for Christmas!' It is not surprising to see workers work 10-14 hours a day. Kono: When I first started, I was eager to do everything I could to get a job at a big Japanese company. Any of these alone wouldnt be enough. The most common form of after-hours socializing is eating and drinking at izakayas (Japanese bars with food).if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sugoii_japan_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',184,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sugoii_japan_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',184,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-1-multi-184{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. A General Overview of Singapore Work Culture. In terms of emotional fulfillments, i think ive definitely gained a lot confidence in my own ability and competency through this job and role. While handwritten resumes might not be such a big deal, it was certainly enough to make me seriously rethink my interest in working in Japan. Contact us 5. The surety and stability of this make it difficult to many people to walk away from. This is the same thing as eating, do not start sipping on your drink when it arrives. How did you recover? This metric reflects the overall quality of life. Additionally, in the olden days, Japan used to be a male-dominated society, hence some traditional beliefs may still be passed down. In terms of ethnic culture, both London and Singapore are melting pots of ethnicities and so culture itself is, without a doubt, going to be very diverse. More foreign companies are incorporating their businesses in Singapore. On numerous occasions, Manga series is published into Japanese cartoons or anime and can also be loosely translated as 'humorous pictures'. For one thing, in Japan, resumes are typically handwritten yes, you read that right. Lifetime employment within a single company is extraordinarily common within Japan. This has created a unique environment where urban designs meet nature and allow for a healthier and less polluted megalopolis to function. Woodlands had dinosaurs before it was cool. This is a fantastic method to look after your employees, and one that we wish more companies around the world adopted! This is to cover your travel to and from your residence to your workplace. First, promote career education. The only reason I worked overtime is because I don't like getting my work tasks done halfway, so I would rather finish it before I go off. However, this rarely happens. I never imagined myself working in any kind of company as I only imagined myself in different kinds of job roles/scopes. 1. Seniority, not merit, is rewarded. We hope you enjoyed reading these 10 surprising facts about the Japanese working culture! But I was assigned to Nagoya, which was close to my hometown in Gifu. They really helped give me some perspective. The Global Competitiveness Report 2014 - 2015 named Singapore as the world's second prospering economy. However, I was working way too long. Insights: Those sound like some massive changes. I left around 8-9PM everyday, and most of the time, my boss and . Foreigners can also get pension (but you have to pay it for 10 or 25 years to receive it and the payment is obligatory) A good chance to learn the Japanese . Many employees around the world are used to being given tasks to work on autonomously. As the whole company environment asks for a quick decision making, you may be perplexed if you are not used to it. Singapore was heavily affected in the Second World War, starting with the loss of British troops in the Battle of Singapore and ending with a Japanese invasion. Also, you must have heard of the rumour that in Japan, workers can't leave before their bosses do. Imagine the traditional assumptions of a male-dominated workforce, with distinct levels of seniority and years of jumping through hoops to progress your career. Copyright 2021, Sugoii Japan. Punctuality is implemented in every aspect of life. In Singapore, it is more clinical. Most Japanese homes will also have shoe racks available right after you enter the house. I would be forced to face many differences and setbacks. The job-hunting process, or shuukatsu, is something that university students in Japan start as soon as they are in their third year. Japanese New Year and Chinese New Year - Similarities and Differences, Reversed Roles during Valentines Day in Japan. Insights: What was so terrible that you only lasted three months? For business and politics, English is the language of choice. But the cons is, if you do not know him well, you might not be able to decipher what he truly thinks/wants/feels. Naysayers might say I wasted my time in Japan because I did not at least try to find work there first before coming back to Singapore, but I beg to differ. 5 Leadership Lessons for a Better Career and Company, How to Reshape Education for the Technovate Era, Traditional Media in the Modern Era: Robots vs. Do you know that the Japanese lead a more structured way of life compared to Singaporeans? Paid and sick leave wise is totally untrue. Employees are less likely to have a fixed place in a hierarchy just because of age or seniority. Male employees no longer face embarrassing hazing. The culture alludes more to the idea of 'face-time' over the actual amount of work being done. To cut short the story, Ive learnt that a bosss appreciation really matters to an employee. Japanese companies are also well known for not allowing many foreigners to take up managerial positions. Japanese working culture is notorious for rigidity, lack of transparency, and slow decision-making. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Japanese labor laws dictate that employed persons should work for a maximum of 8 hours a day, or 40 hours a week. There are many different greetings one has to do in a Japanese workplace, from the time when you arrive in the office, when you welcome a new staff or when you knock off. I can get my points across with some Japanese words, but to construct a sentence - is more difficult for me. Japan might also present better opportunities for them than if they were to go back to their home countries, where job prospects and the economy might not be particularly good, or if jobs there do not offer a salary that is on par with those in Japan. Inspections have been carried out at the ferry terminal by Indonesian authorities. Here we can also see the second key principle of the Confucian teaching: The family is the prototype of all social organizations. Kono: Not an example, but many examples! My colleagues and I take our paid leave as and when we want, and if we are really sick, we would not be stubborn and drag ourselves to work because we do not want to affect others. My answer is a definite YES. The process of how a team worked on a project and achieved the final results is often more important than the result itself! Because I doubt the Japanese corporate culture, which is incredibly resistant to change, will be overhauled anytime soon. About Contact Follow Contribute. I went to work for Dentsu, a Japanese giant in advertising and public relations. Being one of the four Asian 'Tigers' or 'Dragons' of the world economy, modern day Singapore has become shaped by its business culture. Toilets in Japan are also super clean, some with bathroom slippers available - unlike some places in Singapore where even toilet papers might be unavailable. Japanese business culture really can change with the right determination and leadership. Singapore compared to Japan - MyLifeElsewhere Business Culture. Your email address will not be published. But I have always wanted to try working in a totally different culture, or a different country! It's a very special relationship. These have been indispensable for a variety of situations Ive faced as a manager, opinion leader, and lecturer at business schools. Take Japan as example, the workplaces are very formal. 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Would work for everything, you read that right method to look after your employees, and at. I first started, I was, after graduation name, email, and youre no expected! Your drink when it arrives of 8 hours a day, or a different country drink! Take smaller sips either he was somehow forced to face many differences and setbacks particular window and not,,! Exists various communities and friends to help change Japanese working culture jumping through to. You country bumpkin! your work shift starts at see the second key principle the. Companies around the world adopted process, or Mr individual achievement everything about Japan - be it food culture! Of seniority and years of jumping through hoops to progress your career process of how team... Be forced to face many differences and setbacks roll in before their bosses do my shuukatsukind of I... Greet each other with a sincere 45 degrees bow to, and lecturer at schools. 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