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Working in Japan
Apr. 3rd, 2014 08:27 pmSince plurk is being a bitch and not loading, I guess I could post what it's like to work in Japan and what you would expect in case anyone has thought about working there.
Cons
- Expect long hours
- As a foreigner, your status at whatever company you choose will usually be pretty low.
- Ladies, expect to be treated differently than men. Women's status still kind of sucks here.
- Apartments are small! Do not expect to have an oven or a dryer for your clothes.
- The cost of living is a bit higher in Japan than America.
- Many restaurants advertise Western foods. DO NOT BE FOOLED! Other than chain restaurants like McDonald's and Subway, so not expect any kind of Western food to be like you remember it back in America. As an example, the Japanese love to put mayonnaise on EVERYTHING, including pizza. (They also put corn, sea food, and other strange things on pizza.)
Pros
- Even if your status in the company is low, to everyone else, you're a mysterious figure. As a teacher, especially at the kindergartner classes, I'm practically an instant celebrity. Students are usually excited to meet foreign teachers.
- As a foreigner, you get a bit of slack when it comes to Japanese customs. Foreigners aren't expected to know everything about Japan and most people show surprise if you happen to know even a little Japanese. Most people tend to be patient and will politely correct you if you make some kind of mistake.
- Even with long hours, at least in my experience, it's still better than what the native Japanese have to deal with. Most companies should have found out by now that Americans have a different work ethic, and they know that people will quit if they work them too hard.
- If you come to Japan and don't know Japanese, you can usually do ok. Most cities have culture centers where you can take Japanese classes for cheap or even free. Older people may not know any English, but it is a requirement in schools now, so most people may know at least a few words. Please don't expect to be able to hold a conversation with most people in English though.
And that's all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to ask any questions.
Cons
- Expect long hours
- As a foreigner, your status at whatever company you choose will usually be pretty low.
- Ladies, expect to be treated differently than men. Women's status still kind of sucks here.
- Apartments are small! Do not expect to have an oven or a dryer for your clothes.
- The cost of living is a bit higher in Japan than America.
- Many restaurants advertise Western foods. DO NOT BE FOOLED! Other than chain restaurants like McDonald's and Subway, so not expect any kind of Western food to be like you remember it back in America. As an example, the Japanese love to put mayonnaise on EVERYTHING, including pizza. (They also put corn, sea food, and other strange things on pizza.)
Pros
- Even if your status in the company is low, to everyone else, you're a mysterious figure. As a teacher, especially at the kindergartner classes, I'm practically an instant celebrity. Students are usually excited to meet foreign teachers.
- As a foreigner, you get a bit of slack when it comes to Japanese customs. Foreigners aren't expected to know everything about Japan and most people show surprise if you happen to know even a little Japanese. Most people tend to be patient and will politely correct you if you make some kind of mistake.
- Even with long hours, at least in my experience, it's still better than what the native Japanese have to deal with. Most companies should have found out by now that Americans have a different work ethic, and they know that people will quit if they work them too hard.
- If you come to Japan and don't know Japanese, you can usually do ok. Most cities have culture centers where you can take Japanese classes for cheap or even free. Older people may not know any English, but it is a requirement in schools now, so most people may know at least a few words. Please don't expect to be able to hold a conversation with most people in English though.
And that's all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to ask any questions.
