At the moment I I am in Thailand, and people, having learned that we came from Japan, begin to complain that we left this country for nothing, that their acquaintances live happily in Japan and earn tens of thousands of dollars a month by honest work, thus knocking down vital capital.
I won’t argue, Japan is a very convenient country in some ways, but beautiful in some ways, and quite someone can live in Japan absolutely happily, and for someone it’s even their favorite country.
But one thing I know for sure. Making money in Japan is not easy. This can be done only with hard work, and even then, they will not pay much.
As I already wrote, immediately upon arrival in Japan, I rushed to find a job, and soon I successfully got a job at a Japanese factory for the production of complex lunches - bento.
It was an Arubaite job — that is, not a full-time job, but from 9:00 to 16:00, and not necessarily every day. Payment for the number of hours worked is very modest: 800 yen / hour.
Even at the interview, we agreed on how many days I would work. I insisted on six (no weekends at all, and that's what I wanted), but the manager said I would work five days a week.
Immediately I was given a work suit, reminiscent of a spacesuit.
In the morning in the locker room, I changed my clothes to a completely white work suit: white pants with boot covers, a jacket with a wrap-around collar that covers the entire neck, a hair band, a hair net on top of the bandage, and a hood on top of the net. The shift attendant checked that not a single hair was escaping from under the hats, we cleaned the top of the suit with adhesive tape, rinsed our hands with alcohol, put on white slippers and went into the workshop.
The room was 8 degrees Celsius and a lot of ultraviolet lamps. Eight degrees began to be felt immediately, in fact, working with food in Japan is working in a refrigerator. The white cotton suit did little to help.
They put on medical masks on their faces, rubber gloves on their hands and stood at the conveyor.
The essence of the work: a box with recesses rides along the conveyor, each worker puts in a box a piece of carrot, mushroom, cutlet, rice, to each his own. At the end of the conveyor belt, ready-assembled lunch boxes leave. 
In the beginning, I was given the responsibility of putting in pieces of carrots, while professional workers put two or four items in the slots at a time.
The tape went very quickly before my eyes, after 15 minutes I started to feel sick. Soon they changed the type of dinner, now I got the mushrooms. All shift actions were performed by Japanese grannies running. Again, the tape went at a terrible pace.
I do not remember how I waited for the end of the working day. On the second day, I couldn't go to work. The whole body broke. Eyes hurt from ultraviolet radiation. Luckily, you could refuse.
A day later, I went to work again, and the next I rested again. As a result, I half-heartedly went to the factory twice a week.
And it's still a heroic deed. Many foreigners, and sometimes the Japanese, could not stand the first hour and left.
All monotonous work was done while standing. There was a break for lunch - exactly half an hour, taking into account changing clothes. During work, there was not a second of free time, no one sat down to rest, no one went to the toilet, this was not welcome.
Almost all work in Japan, except for an office job, is done while standing. Cashiers, salespeople, factory workers spend all day on their feet. Often, on the way to work, I saw a woman standing behind the counter through the large glass window of an expensive store, and I never saw customers in that store. When, later, I myself began to work in a Russian souvenir shop, I also had to stand all day, and at the moment when there was no work and there were no buyers, I simply stood idle until the working day was over.
Work in the factory was much harder.
Every working day, the whole shift, I looked at the opposite wall with a clock, and when the hand finally crawled to four, often the work was not finished, and I had to stay longer. It happened that the work ended at four, but the shift had a choice: work more or go home. Most often, the shift (Japanese grannies) decided to stay to earn some money, so everyone from the group had to stay!
The most amazing thing is that the leaders of our shift were elderly clockwork Japanese old women and young cheerful women from Thailand and the Philippines! The Japanese are hard workers in life, but residents of hot countries usually have a lazy lifestyle.
I don't know, maybe if I had worked at the factory for years like they did, maybe I would have gotten used to it. But soon I managed to find a better job in a gift shop, it was a lifesaver.
There is a stereotype that it is good to work in Japan. This stereotype comes from our compatriots who work by invitation in foreign companies, where the Japanese try to adapt to the level and style of foreigners. Meanwhile, in the Land of the Rising Sun itself, the traditional working system is arranged in a very peculiar way, and it is rather difficult to exist in it. That is why there are not so many foreigners building a career in classic Japanese companies. Epson's Marina Matsumoto talks about what it's like to be the average office worker in Japan.
Dress code
Of course, the conditions depend on the specific company, but in principle the dress code in Japan is much stricter than in Russia. Failure to comply with its rules has serious consequences for the employee, up to instant dismissal.
In a traditional Japanese company, a mandatory black suit is worn regardless of the weather, even if it is +40 outside. The Japanese endure both heat and cold calmly, as they go through a very harsh school of hardening the body in childhood. Recently, a new law has been passed that allows short-sleeve shirts to be worn to work. This is due to the forced energy savings, in which even in extreme heat, air conditioners are not always used in offices.
In some companies, women are not allowed to wear fitted suits - they must be absolutely straight. The skirt must cover the knees.
Women's accessories are also prohibited. I have a big serious company, it is known internationally. But I work where mostly Japanese people work. At the workplace, I was allowed to wear only a cross - under my clothes so that it was not visible - and a wedding ring.
Makeup should be invisible. Japanese women love to make up brightly, blush their cheeks strongly, almost all of them have false eyelashes. But at work, a woman should be as less attractive to men as possible.
In some places, women are required to wear only short hair that does not cover their ears. Hair color is always black. If by nature you, for example, are blonde, you will have to dye your hair.
Men, in addition to long hair, cannot wear a beard and mustache. It's an unspoken rule that everyone knows. The stable image of the Yakuza (this is a traditional form of organized crime in Japan) interferes.
Subordination
When I got a job, I signed a bunch of documents, where I assured that I would not discuss anything with clients and colleagues other than work: neither the weather, nor nature. I don’t have the right to share my “personal data” at work — who is my husband, how am I doing… At home, I don’t have the right to talk about my work. I do not have a secret job, but it is accepted and specified in my contract.
Only work at work
They take to the workplace only what is needed for work: for me, these are documents and a pen. I can’t take my bag, wallet and phone, it remains at the checkpoint.
There is a favorite proverb in Russia: if you've done a deed, walk boldly. In the workplace in Russia, the main thing is that you fulfill the plan for today. In Japan, "plans for today" are of no interest to anyone. You came to work and you have to work on it.
How the Japanese slow down the workflow
In Russia, we all know that wages depend on the results of your work. If you work hard, you get nothing. If you work hard, you get bonuses and promotions. You've done everything - you can leave early or ask for an additional task to earn more.
In Japan, they pay by the clock. Almost all Japanese take overtime. But often this results in the fact that they stretch one task that can be done in two hours - for a week. The deadlines set by the company also do not always correspond to the level of complexity of the work. The Japanese will poke around for hours, we think they work like sleepy flies, and they think they do the job "thoroughly". They incredibly slow down the workflow, so it’s hard for us to work with them.
And this, by the way, is one of the main reasons why their economy was not in the best condition. With this system of payment by the hour, they have trapped themselves. Indeed, in fact, the work is not designed for quality, but for the number of hours spent in the office.
Long lengthy conversations
We all know that brevity is the sister of talent, in Japan, brevity is the narrow-mindedness of the mind. The Japanese cannot speak briefly and to the point. They launch into long and lengthy explanations that are aimed at making even a narrow-minded person understand what they are talking about. Meetings can last an incredible number of hours. The Japanese believe that if they talk about the same thing for a long time and in excessive detail, then they respect the interlocutor.
Society stratification
It takes a lot of work and organization to grow rice. Therefore, historically, Japan has developed a system with a very narrow specialization of labor and a rigid stratification of society. Everyone has their own duties and their place in the life and production process.
Japanese communities have always been well organized. For example, a samurai never cooked his own food, he could easily die of hunger if the peasantry had not rescued him.
Due to this mentality, it is very difficult for any Japanese to make an independent decision that is not inherent in his status. They cannot take on an elementary responsibility, at least somehow beyond the scope of their ordinary habitual affairs. To put a comma or not to put it is a problem for half a day. The preparation of elementary documents is a series of endless, very slow consultations. Moreover, the necessity of such consultations is striking. If an employee nevertheless takes the liberty of making a decision not based on status, then everyone in the hierarchical chain associated with him will receive a reprimand. This is Eastern despotism in action: "I am a small man, I am a simple peasant, and I must do only the work assigned to me."
Again, everything is understandable: Japan is a small country with a large overpopulation, it needs rigid frameworks and rules. To survive in Japan, you need to clearly know: my border is here, and this is the border of another person, I must respect it. Nobody goes beyond their limits. If a Japanese marries them, he will literally be lost.
Russia has a huge territory, expanse, open spaces. We are not bound. We are free. A Russian person can do anything. And the Swiss, and the reaper, and the igretz on the pipe - this is primarily about us, Russians!
Same as everyone
Interestingly, in Japan you don't have to show your difference or superiority in mind. You can't show your uniqueness, specialness. This is not welcome. All must be the same. Since childhood, uniqueness has been burned out with a red-hot iron, so Japan will not give the world either Einstein or Mendeleev.
The famous Japanese technology is a myth. As a rule, these are ideas that are not created by the Japanese. What they are good at is deftly picking up and improving in time. And we, on the contrary, can ingeniously create and forget ...
To survive in Japanese society, you must be like everyone else. In Russia, the opposite is true: if you are the same as everyone else, you will get lost. New ideas are constantly needed to master and fill a large space.
Career
It takes a long time to build a career in a classic Japanese company. Career growth depends on age, not merit. A young specialist, even a very talented one, will occupy an insignificant position, work hard and for low wages, because he has just arrived. Because of this organization of the workflow, it is increasingly difficult for Japanese companies to compete in the international market. Yes, there is the concept of "Japanese quality", but this no longer saves them, because business is conducted in too Japanese a way.
Salary
The official salary in Japan is high. But with the deduction of all taxes, which amount to almost 30%, they receive an average of a thousand dollars in their hands. Young people get even less. At 60, the salary is already a very decent amount.
Vacation and weekends
There are no holidays in Japan. Weekends are Saturday or Sunday. And, depending on the company, you are entitled to a few extra days off per year. Let's say it's 10 days, but you can't take them all at once, but you need to break them up. It happens that you need to take one day off a week and go somewhere on business. In my company, I have to give a month's notice of this so that everyone can cooperate and replace me. In some companies, these terms are even longer. It is problematic to leave work for an unexpected incident.
If you get sick on Monday and think not to go to work, then you will not be understood. Everyone goes to work with a temperature.
Holidays can become days off, the day of remembrance of the dead - Obon, in mid-August. But a young specialist does not have such an opportunity, he will work for the first two years without extra days off.
1-3 days are given for the New Year. If they fall on Saturday-Sunday, then no one, as in Russia, will transfer them to Monday-Tuesday.
There is also a "golden week" in May, when there are several state and religious holidays in a row. My husband worked all days, I had 3 days off.
Working day
Standard working day from 9 am to 7 pm. But the main thing you should keep in mind: if it is indicated that the working day is from nine, then you cannot come right to this time. Even if you arrive at 8:45, it is considered that you are late. You need to come to work at least half an hour in advance, some come in an hour. It is believed that a person needs time to tune in to the working mood, to prepare for work.
The end of the official working day does not mean that you can go home. It is not customary to leave before your boss. If he is late at the office for two hours, then you are late, and this will not be considered overtime. Your personal circumstances are your personal problems, which, as I already mentioned, according to the contract I signed, are not discussed with colleagues.
Informal communication
In Japan, there is the concept of "nomikai" - "to drink together", reminiscent of a Russian corporate party. Somewhere "nomikai" takes place every day, in my company - twice a week. Of course, you can refuse, but they will look askance at you. Why drink? Because Japan has a positive attitude towards alcohol. Shinto involves offerings to certain gods in the form of alcohol. Japanese doctors believe that drinking alcohol daily is beneficial. Nobody talks about doses.
The Japanese do not know how to drink and, as a rule, get very drunk. The booze itself will cost you nothing, either the boss or the company always pays for it.
Now, to further encourage going to bars with colleagues, workers are even being paid for nomikai. It's part of Japanese culture to work together and drink together. It turns out that almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you spend only with your work colleagues.
In addition to "nomikai", you need to drink with customers, with partners, with officials with whom the company is associated.
Yes, in Russia there is something similar, but it is incomparable with the Japanese alcohol scale. And then, in Russia, the attitude towards alcohol is much more negative.
Now you can imagine the whole picture. The Japanese leaves the house at 7 am. At work, he exists within the rigid framework of his status. After the end of the official working day, he takes extra hours because he has to feed his family. He then goes out drinking with colleagues and returns home at 2 am, most likely drunk. He works on Saturdays. He sees his family only on Sundays. And until the evening, he can either sleep or drink all day off, because he is under terrible stress from such a cruel regime.
In Japan, there is a special concept: "death by processing." This is a very common case when people die at their desks or, unable to withstand the load, commit suicide. For Japan, this is par for the course, an event to which there is little to no response. People will even resent if someone's suicide interfered with their work. Everyone thinks: "Why didn't you do it in a quiet, inconspicuous place, because of you I won't come to work on time!"
It must be understood that the Japanese did not sit and come up with these rules for themselves. Everything has evolved over the centuries due to the geographical and historical uniqueness of Japan. Probably everyone will agree that they had good reasons for such a mobilization of society, a constant readiness for something. A small territory, a lot of people, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis - everything can collapse at any moment. Therefore, the Japanese from childhood learn to work in a group, learn to survive on their piece of land. In essence, all Japanese education is not based on teaching a person something, developing him, but teaching him to be a real Japanese, to be competitive precisely in Japanese society. Not everyone can bear such a life, because it is really hard.
The material was prepared by Maria KARPOVA
The Japanese are known to be hardworking people. In the summer, they take only two weeks off and then go to work earlier. However, they know how to relax. You can escape from the daily hustle and bustle not only on vacation, but on weekends and in the evening.
beach holiday
The Japanese go to the beach not to swim, but to walk along the shore, have a barbecue and sit in a tent. Well, splashing in the water is the last thing. As a rule, no one goes deeper than their own height. Girls without a circle - nothing. They don't know how to swim. They just stand in the water, wearing a circle, and catch the waves. But the guys know how to swim and very well. They don’t swim behind the buoys, the Japanese are very law-abiding. Girls on the beach are sure to have lush hairstyles, bright makeup and manicures. Any public place. After splashing in the water, they build sand castles and sunbathe. Asians love to bury each other in the sand. It is also fashionable to make oppai from sand. If you're heading to the beach in Japan, take the time to choose your swimwear. Girls can be detained by the police for a too open swimsuit, and men's swimming trunks must be shorts, otherwise the guy will be considered a yaoi.
Picnic
Going out into the countryside with friends or family is in the nature of things in Japan. The Japanese picnic is called imonicai. Such a pastime for the benefit of the soul and stomach is very popular among the Japanese, especially in autumn. More often, imoni is prepared in nature. This is a thick soup with potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms and meat. The Japanese enjoy this dish, drink sake under the fresh autumn sky and, of course, socialize. Many schools and organizations organize imonicai for their students and staff.
Mountains
One of the favorite leisure activities of the Japanese is a trip to the mountains with hiking trails through high mountain valleys and relaxation in traditional ryokan hotels. In Japan, there is a tradition of himatsuri - to climb Mount Fuji. Himatsuri completes the "Fire Festival" climbing season, when ritual burning of dry grass on the slopes of the mountains, lighting of huge bonfires in the form of hieroglyphs and colorful fireworks take place. On the eve of the holiday, at the foot of Fuji, the Japanese build torches that look like bamboo shoots, two or three human heights. In the old days, women were not allowed to climb Mount Fuji, but nowadays morals have softened, now several million people visit these places every year.
Alone with nature
The Japanese love and appreciate nature very much. Flowers, snow and the moon are beautiful for them. In Japanese, the following concepts have been formed:
Hanami - admiring flowers;
Tsukimi - admiring the moon;
Yukimi - to the snow.
Cherry blossom viewing is Japan's most favorite form of recreation in the spring. Japanese families go to the park early in the morning to take a seat, sit on the grass and admire their national beauty.
Baths and mineral springs
The Japanese like to visit the public sento baths or go to the onsen mineral springs. The difference between onsen and sento is that in sento water is not mineral, but ordinary, it is heated by a boiler. The most loved by the Japanese is the traditional onsen in the old Japanese style. Mineral springs are visited not only by adults, but also by young people. To visit an onsen, you have to go out of town, and there are a lot of sentos in the country, in Tokyo alone there are 2.5 thousand of them. Sento is open from lunch until midnight. For the Japanese, bathing is not just a hygienic procedure, it is a special philosophy, a triumph of the physical and spiritual, which allows you to feel happy and renewed. Since the bath is a public place, here people not only relax, but also have a conversation. It is believed that in the bath you can come to a peaceful agreement and face off with the enemy.
Rest in the city
In the evening or on weekends, when the Japanese do not have the opportunity to go somewhere, he rests in the city. Historically, Japanese males in the family have a particular sense of male superiority. Therefore, they choose entertainment away from home, so as not to burden themselves with the home environment and the company of their wife. But Japanese husbands dedicate Sundays to their wife and children, they go for walks, relax with their families, and on the rest of the evenings they choose to relax in the company of friends or colleagues. Numerous clubs, bars and restaurants open their doors to Japanese people who are tired of work and family every evening. Here, the Japanese can forget about their problems, having a drink with work colleagues or just with friends. Such a pastime is considered to be the maintenance of social contacts and is welcomed by the heads of companies and firms.
Another popular Japanese recreation is spending time in the company of women. Geisha are in demand mainly due to foreigners. And the Japanese prefer to have fun in the company of hostesses. After a hard day's work, a Japanese will not tell his wife about his problems, but will go and talk to a young Japanese woman. A hostess in Japan is most often a pretty young girl with knowledge of a foreign language who meets guests of a restaurant, casino, disco or entertainment complex. Previously, girls working as hostesses in bars or nightclubs were called night butterflies. Now the profession of hostess is very popular among Japanese women, about a third of top models also work as hostesses. Japanese men quite often resort to relaxing with charming girls.
The rest of a Japanese girl and woman consists of visiting a hairdresser, a cafe, karaoke and shopping. Japanese women love to get their hair cut. They enjoy the variety of forms and means available to them to embody their fantasies within the framework of modern fashion. In cafes, they meet with their girlfriends, talk and brag about their purchases or their husband's success at work.
Asians love to sing karaoke. In Japan and Korea, karaoke bars are very popular, where you can gather with friends, sing songs and eat dessert. A Japanese will sing even if he can't. Karaoke is not a place where they show off their talent, but have fun.
Sometimes the inhabitants of Japan spend their free evening in theaters where there are performances of musical, puppet and classical theaters. The modern Japanese theater is a bright, unique world that you want to plunge into again and again. Visiting the theater with a large company for a Japanese is a very good way to spend time and get a lot of positive emotions. He is at- young woman
Oppai- boobs
Hana- flowers
Tsuki- moon
Yuki- snow
There is a stereotype that it is good to work in Japan. This stereotype comes from our compatriots who work by invitation in foreign companies, where the Japanese try to adapt to the level and style of foreigners. Meanwhile, Japan's traditional work system has a peculiar structure, and it is quite difficult to exist in it. That is why there are not so many foreigners building a career in classic Japanese companies. Epson's Marina Matsumoto tells how the average office worker exists in Japan.
Tokyo. View from the 45th floor of the observation deck. Photo by Swe.Var (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/swe-var/)
Dress code
Of course, the conditions depend on the specific company, but in principle the dress code in Japan is much stricter than in Russia. Failure to comply with its rules has serious consequences for the employee, up to instant dismissal.
In a traditional Japanese company, they always wear a black suit, regardless of the weather, even if it is +40 outside. The Japanese endure both heat and cold calmly, as they go through a very harsh school of hardening the body in childhood. Recently, a new law has been passed allowing short-sleeve shirts to be worn to work. This is due to the forced energy savings, in which even in extreme heat, air conditioners are not always used in offices.
In some companies, women are not allowed to wear fitted suits - they must be absolutely straight. The skirt must cover the knees.
Women's accessories are also prohibited. I have a big serious company, it is known internationally. But I work where mostly Japanese people work. At my workplace, I was only allowed to wear a cross - under my clothes so that it was not visible, and a wedding ring.
Makeup should be invisible. Japanese women love to make up brightly, blush their cheeks strongly, almost all of them have false eyelashes. But at work, a woman should be as less attractive to men as possible.
In some places, women are required to wear only short hair that does not cover their ears. Hair color must be black. If by nature you, for example, are blonde, you will have to dye your hair.
Men, in addition to long hair, cannot wear a beard and mustache. It's an unspoken rule that everyone knows. The stable image of the Yakuza (a traditional form of organized crime in Japan) interferes.
Subordination
When I got a job, I signed a bunch of documents, where I assured that I would not discuss anything with clients and colleagues other than work: neither the weather, nor nature. I do not have the right to share my “personal data” at work - who is my husband, how am I doing ... At home, I do not have the right to talk about my work. I do not have a secret job, but it is accepted and stipulated in my contract.
Only work at work
They take to the workplace only what is needed for work: for me, these are documents and a pen. I can’t take my bag, wallet and phone, it remains at the checkpoint.
There is a favorite proverb in Russia: "Done the deed - walk boldly." In the workplace in Russia, the main thing is that you fulfill the plan for today. In Japan, “plans for today” are of no interest to anyone. You came to work, and you have to work on it.
How the Japanese slow down the workflow
In Russia, we all know that wages depend on the results of your work. If you work hard, you get nothing. If you work hard, you get bonuses and promotions. You've done everything, you can leave early or ask for an additional task to earn more.
In Japan, they pay by the clock. Almost all Japanese take overtime. But often this results in the fact that they stretch one task that can be done in two hours - for a week. The deadlines set by the company also do not always correspond to the level of complexity of the work. The Japanese will poke around for hours, we think they work like sleepy flies, but they think they do the job "thoroughly". They incredibly slow down the workflow, so it’s hard for us to work with them.
And this, by the way, is one of the main reasons why their economy was not in the best condition. With this system of payment by the hour, they have trapped themselves. After all, in fact, the work is not designed for quality, but for the number of hours spent in the office.
Long lengthy conversations
We all know that “brevity is the sister of talent”, but in Japan, brevity is the narrow-mindedness of the mind. The Japanese cannot speak briefly and to the point. They launch into long and lengthy explanations that are aimed at making even a narrow-minded person understand what they are talking about. Meetings can last an incredible number of hours. The Japanese believe that if they talk about the same thing for a long time and in excessive detail, then they respect the interlocutor.
Society stratification
It takes a lot of work and organization to grow rice. Therefore, historically, Japan has developed a system with a very narrow specialization of labor and a rigid stratification of society. Everyone has his own duty and his own place in the life and production process.
Japanese communities have always been well organized. For example, a samurai never cooked his own food, he could easily die of hunger if the peasantry had not rescued him.
As a result of such a mentality, it is very difficult for any Japanese to make an independent decision that is not inherent in his status. They cannot take on an elementary responsibility, at least somehow beyond the scope of their ordinary habitual affairs. To put a comma or not to put it is a problem for half a day. The preparation of elementary documents is a series of endless, very slow consultations. Moreover, the necessity of such consultations is striking. If an employee nevertheless takes the liberty of making a decision not based on status, then everyone in the hierarchical chain associated with him will receive a reprimand. This is Eastern despotism in action: “I am a small person, I am a simple peasant, and I should only do what I have to do.”
Again, everything is understandable: Japan - a small country with a large overpopulation, needs strict frameworks and rules. To survive in Japan, you need to clearly know: my border is here, and this is the border of another person, I must respect it. Nobody goes beyond their limits. If a Japanese marries them, he will literally be lost.
Russia has a huge territory, expanse, open spaces. We are not chained. We are free. A Russian person can do anything. And the Shvets, and the reaper, and the igretz on the pipe ... - this is primarily about us, Russians!
Same as everyone
Interestingly, in Japan you don't have to show your difference or superiority in mind. You can not show your uniqueness, feature. This is not welcome. All must be the same. Since childhood, uniqueness has been burned out there with a red-hot iron, so Japan will not give the world either Einstein or Mendeleev.
The famous Japanese technology is a myth. As a rule, these are ideas that are not created by the Japanese. What they are good at is deftly picking up and improving in time. And we, on the contrary, can ingeniously create and forget ...
To survive in Japanese society, you have to be like everyone else. In Russia, on the contrary, if you are the same as everyone else, you will get lost. New ideas are constantly needed to master and fill a large space.
Career
In the classic Japanese campaign, careers are built for a long time. Career growth depends on age, not merit. A young specialist, even a very talented one, will occupy an insignificant position, work hard and for low wages, because he just came. Because of this organization of the workflow, it is increasingly difficult for Japanese companies to compete in the international market. Yes, there is the concept of Japanese quality, but this no longer saves them, because business is conducted in too Japanese a way.
Salary
The official salary in Japan is high. But with the deduction of all taxes, which amount to almost 60%, they receive an average of a thousand dollars in their hands. Young people get even less. At 60, the salary is already a very decent amount.
Vacation and weekends
There are no holidays in Japan. Weekends are Saturday or Sunday. And depending on the company, you are entitled to a few extra days off a year. Let's say you have 10 days, but you can't take them right away. They need to be broken. It happens that you need to take one day off a week - and go somewhere on business. In my campaign, I have to give a month's notice so that everyone can cooperate and replace me. In some companies, these terms are even longer. It is problematic to leave work for an unexpected incident.
If you get sick on Monday and think not to go to work, then you will not be understood. Everyone goes to work with a temperature.
Holidays can become days off: the day of remembrance of the dead - Obon, in mid-August. But a young specialist does not have such an opportunity, he will work for the first two years without extra days off.
For the new year, 1-3 days are given. If they fall on Saturday-Sunday, then no one, like in Russia, will transfer them to Monday-Tuesday.
There is also a "golden week" in May, when several state and religious holidays are held in a row. My husband worked all days, I had 3 days off.
Working day
Standard working day from 9 am to 7 pm. But most importantly, you should keep in mind that if it is indicated that the working day is from nine, then you cannot come right to this time. Even if you arrive at 8.45, it is considered that you are late. You need to come to work at least half an hour in advance, some come in an hour. It is believed that a person needs time to tune in to the working mood, to prepare for work.
The end of the official working day does not mean that you can go home. It is not customary to leave before your boss. If he is late at the office for two hours, then you are late, and this will not be considered overtime. Your personal circumstances are your personal problems, which, as I already mentioned, are not discussed with colleagues under the contract I signed.
Informal communication
In Japan, there is such a thing - "nomikai" - "drink together", reminiscent of a Russian corporate party. Somewhere "nomikai" takes place every day, in my campaign - twice a week. Of course, you can refuse, but they will "look askance" at you. Why drink? - because in Japan there is a positive attitude towards alcohol. Shinto involves making offerings to certain gods in the form of alcohol. Japanese doctors believe that drinking alcohol daily is beneficial. Nobody talks about doses.
The Japanese do not know how to drink, and, as a rule, get very drunk. The booze itself will cost you nothing, either the boss or the company always pays for it.
Now, in order to further stimulate visits to bars with colleagues, employees have even begun to pay for “nomikai”. It's part of Japanese culture to work together and drink together. It turns out that almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you spend only with your work colleagues.
In addition to nomikai, you need to drink with customers, with partners, with officials with whom the company is connected.
Yes, in Russia there is something similar, but it is completely incomparable with the Japanese alcohol scale. And then in Russia the attitude towards alcohol is much more negative.
Now you can imagine the whole picture. The Japanese leaves the house at 7 am. At work, he exists within the rigid framework of his status. After the end of the official working day, he takes extra hours because he has to feed his family. He then goes out to drink with colleagues and returns home from there at 2 am, most likely drunk. He works on Saturdays. He sees his family only on Sundays. And until the evening, the whole day off, he can either sleep or drink, because he is in terrible stress from such a cruel regime.
In Japan, there is a separate concept - "death by processing." This is a very common case when people die at their desks or, unable to withstand the load, commit suicide. For Japan, this is in the order of things, an event to which there is practically no reaction. People will even resent if someone's suicide interfered with their work. Everyone thinks: “Why didn’t you do it somewhere in a quiet, inconspicuous place, because of you I won’t come to work on time!!”.
It must be understood that Japanese society did not sit and come up with these rules for itself. Everything has evolved over the centuries due to the geographical and historical uniqueness of Japan. Probably everyone will agree that they had good reasons for such a mobilization of society, a constant readiness for something. A small territory, a lot of people, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis - everything can collapse at any moment. Therefore, the Japanese from childhood learn to work in a group, learn to survive on their piece of land. In fact, all Japanese education is not based on teaching a person something, developing him, it teaches him to be a real Japanese, to be competitive precisely in Japanese society ... Not everyone can endure such a life, because it is really hard.
The Japanese are known to be hardworking people. In the summer, they take only two weeks off and then go to work earlier. However, they know how to relax. You can escape from the daily hustle and bustle not only on vacation, but on weekends and in the evening.
The Japanese go to the beach not to swim, but to walk along the shore, have a barbecue and sit in a tent. Well, splashing in the water is the last thing. As a rule, no one goes deeper than their own height. Girls without a circle - nothing. They don't know how to swim. They just stand in the water, wearing a circle, and catch the waves. But the guys know how to swim and very well. They don’t swim behind the buoys, the Japanese are very law-abiding. Girls on the beach are sure to have lush hairstyles, bright makeup and manicures. Any public place. After splashing in the water, they build sand castles and sunbathe. Asians love to bury each other in the sand. It is also fashionable to make oppai from sand. If you're heading to the beach in Japan, take the time to choose your swimwear. Girls can be detained by the police for a too open swimsuit, and men's swimming trunks must be shorts, otherwise the guy will be considered a yaoi. 
Picnic
Going out into the countryside with friends or family is in the nature of things in Japan. The Japanese picnic is called imonicai. Such a pastime for the benefit of the soul and stomach is very popular among the Japanese, especially in autumn. More often, imoni is prepared in nature. This is a thick soup with potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms and meat. The Japanese enjoy this dish, drink sake under the fresh autumn sky and, of course, socialize. Many schools and organizations organize imonicai for their students and staff. 
Mountains
One of the favorite leisure activities of the Japanese is a trip to the mountains with hiking trails through high mountain valleys and relaxation in traditional ryokan hotels. In Japan, there is a tradition of himatsuri - to climb Mount Fuji. Himatsuri completes the "Fire Festival" climbing season, when ritual burning of dry grass on the slopes of the mountains, lighting of huge bonfires in the form of hieroglyphs and colorful fireworks take place. On the eve of the holiday, at the foot of Fuji, the Japanese build torches that look like bamboo shoots, two or three human heights. In the old days, women were not allowed to climb Mount Fuji, but nowadays morals have softened, now several million people visit these places every year. 
Alone with nature
The Japanese love and appreciate nature very much. Flowers, snow and the moon are beautiful for them. In Japanese, the following concepts have been formed:
Hanami - admiring flowers;
Tsukimi - admiring the moon;
Yukimi - to the snow.
Cherry blossom viewing is Japan's most favorite form of recreation in the spring. Japanese families go to the park early in the morning to take a seat, sit on the grass and admire their national beauty. 
Baths and mineral springs
The Japanese like to visit the public sento baths or go to the onsen mineral springs. The difference between onsen and sento is that in sento water is not mineral, but ordinary, it is heated by a boiler. The most loved by the Japanese is the traditional onsen in the old Japanese style. Mineral springs are visited not only by adults, but also by young people. To visit an onsen, you have to go out of town, and there are a lot of sentos in the country, in Tokyo alone there are 2.5 thousand of them. Sento is open from lunch until midnight. For the Japanese, bathing is not just a hygienic procedure, it is a special philosophy, a triumph of the physical and spiritual, which allows you to feel happy and renewed. Since the bath is a public place, here people not only relax, but also have a conversation. It is believed that in the bath you can come to a peaceful agreement and face off with the enemy. 
Rest in the city
In the evening or on weekends, when the Japanese do not have the opportunity to go somewhere, he rests in the city. Historically, Japanese males in the family have a particular sense of male superiority. Therefore, they choose entertainment away from home, so as not to burden themselves with the home environment and the company of their wife. But Japanese husbands dedicate Sundays to their wife and children, they go for walks, relax with their families, and on the rest of the evenings they choose to relax in the company of friends or colleagues. Numerous clubs, bars and restaurants open their doors to Japanese people who are tired of work and family every evening. Here, the Japanese can forget about their problems, having a drink with work colleagues or just with friends. Such a pastime is considered to be the maintenance of social contacts and is welcomed by the heads of companies and firms.
Another popular Japanese recreation is spending time in the company of women. Geisha are in demand mainly due to foreigners. And the Japanese prefer to have fun in the company of hostesses. After a hard day's work, a Japanese will not tell his wife about his problems, but will go and talk to a young Japanese woman. A hostess in Japan is most often a pretty young girl with knowledge of a foreign language who meets guests of a restaurant, casino, disco or entertainment complex. Previously, girls working as hostesses in bars or nightclubs were called night butterflies. Now the profession of hostess is very popular among Japanese women, about a third of top models also work as hostesses. Japanese men quite often resort to relaxing with charming girls.
The rest of a Japanese girl and woman consists of visiting a hairdresser, a cafe, karaoke and shopping. Japanese women love to get their hair cut. They enjoy the variety of forms and means available to them to embody their fantasies within the framework of modern fashion. In cafes, they meet with their girlfriends, talk and brag about their purchases or their husband's success at work.
Asians love to sing karaoke. In Japan and Korea, karaoke bars are very popular, where you can gather with friends, sing songs and eat dessert. A Japanese will sing even if he can't. Karaoke is not a place where they show off their talent, but have fun.
Sometimes the inhabitants of Japan spend their free evening in theaters where there are performances of musical, puppet and classical theaters. The modern Japanese theater is a bright, unique world that you want to plunge into again and again. Visiting the theater with a large company for a Japanese is a very good way to spend time and get a lot of positive emotions.
A source of information.
