Working at a Japanese Company (2015)

The working culture is the thing I hate the most about Japan. I've read the history. I'm interested in the culture. I've spent time learning the language. I consume lots of Japanese media. I've visited for a short time. However, I just don't think I could ever make the dive into living in Japan unless I was working remotely for an American company (and getting paid like an American) and somehow still maintained a visa to be in Japan.

Beats me why anyone would want to work for a Japanese company anyway, since the situations described in this article have been common knowledge for decades now. I did the contractor/English teacher thing in the deluded hope for a full-time, more rewarding position. But it will never happen (ESPECIALLY if you're an English teacher, which ranks somewhere below toilet cleaner on the Japanese social scale). Eventually I got tired of the full-time position offer which always seemed to get postponed another 3 months, quit, and got the hell out of there.

While there are many companies in Japan where people do work a ton of overtime, there are also companies where people work little to no overtime. For instance, I&#x27;m currently doing consulting for a Japanese start up where most people leave around the official clock out time, and I&#x27;ve been one of the last to leave an hour after it.<p>Software developers in Japan have traditionally been undervalued, as it has been seen as a job as anyone can do with a little training. This has meant while there have been some really great Japanese software developers, there have been many more totally incompetent ones, bringing down the average level of software developers here.<p>In recent years though, there&#x27;s been a mini-boom of startups here. These startups realise the value of talented developers, and are trying to attract them through hirer salary and better working conditions. While the pay isn&#x27;t as good as the US (the weak yen makes them look even lower) and the working conditions aren&#x27;t as good as Europe, things are defiantly heading in the right direction.<p>If you are someone who&#x27;s been wanting to work as a developer in Japan, I&#x27;ve put together some resources here: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.tokyodev.com&#x2F;jobs&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.tokyodev.com&#x2F;jobs&#x2F;</a>

Very similar to patio11&#x27;s writeup. Note the same caveats apply, more or less: this is working at a big Japanese company, which is far from all of them.

&gt; Working with a Japanese company may seem like a good fit if you speak Japanese, but with the vastly contrasting work cultures and the fact you’re a foreigner in a Japanese world–you might want take a look at other options.<p>If you honestly think you speak and understand Japanese, but you don&#x27;t understand or are not already better and more completely aware of what is being discussed in this article - then you don&#x27;t actually speak or understand Japanese as well as you think you do (or as well as the many &#x27;nihongo ha jouzu desune!&#x27; acclamations might have led you to believe.)

Somehow related<p>&quot;Tell me what the software engineering industry is like in Japan&quot;<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;japan&#x2F;comments&#x2F;3q03wk&#x2F;tell_me_what_the_software_engineering_industry_is&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;japan&#x2F;comments&#x2F;3q03wk&#x2F;tell_me_what_...</a>

How do you date someone in Japan if you&#x27;re always working?

Just curious—is this the same at every company in Japan? Or is this just an anecdote? Or somewhere in-between?<p>Reading about the Toyota Way, and the cultural focus at that company, I find it difficult to believe that Toyota would just let this go unseen in the midst of &#x27;continuous improvement&#x27; and &#x27;respect for people&#x27; in other parts of their operation...

The only thing that could mitigate long working hours for a payslip is creative freedom. Though that&#x27;s probably impossible even outside of Japan.