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60 percent of young, “irregular workers” in Japan want a do-over

Preston Phro
Sep 20, 2013
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“I hate this job.” Not exactly uncommon words, are they? While you may not necessarily love the work you do, it’s always nice to at least not hate your job, right? Unfortunately, it seems that all too many of us are stuck in life-draining professions, wishing we could start all over. And, it turns out, over half of young “irregular” Japanese workers can sympathize.

Internet, Japan
(employment • Surveys • work)

Five things that keep Japanese people chained to their jobs

Cara Clegg
Aug 26, 2013

Japanese workers are famous for their seemingly inexhaustible dedication to their companies and ability to work long, long hours. Japanese even has a specific word for death from overwork: karōshi (過労死). But is this work ethic something that Westerners ought to admire, or is Japan in need of a holiday?

Japan Today asked foreigners “Why do you think Japanese work such long hours?” and received a huge amount of comments from people who had experienced life in a Japanese company. The responses were overwhelmingly negative about the Japanese work ethos, and many believe a shift in attitudes towards work right across society is necessary. Five points in particular stood out as particularly problematic.

Japan
(Japanese culture • lifestyle • work)

Woman ties herself up at home and calls police to get out of going to work

Preston Phro
Aug 23, 2013

No matter how great your job as a chocolate taster may be, there will eventually come a day when you wake up, roll over, and think, “Oh, gawd, I do not want to go to work today!”

Now, if you were a normal person, you might lounge in bed for a few minutes before sighing and forcing yourself up. Or, if you were really desperate, you might even call in with a fake cough or a miserable story about your Aunt Mildred who fell and broke her spleen and needs a spleen cast.

Then again, if you were this 20-something woman in Tokyo, you might come up with an altogether more, uh, unique plan.

Japan
(bound • crime • shibari • work)

Get paid 10 bucks an hour to sit and take naps at Kyoto pickle shop

Master Blaster
Jun 23, 2013

Nestled in the mountains of Sakyo, Kyoto lies Yasehieizan-guchi Station. Expect for the autumn when tourists from neighboring cities flock to see the changing foliage, it’s an almost eerily quiet corner of Japan.

Rumor has it that a small shop selling pickled eggplant is offering a rare part-time employment opportunity. For a wage of 1,000 yen (US$10) or more, they will pay someone to do nothing but sit around. Hours are flexible and benefits include arranged transportation to and from the jobsite along with naps.

Mr. Sato headed for the hills of Kyoto to verify this job and possibly consider a change in occupation himself. What he found, however, was the sad but touching truth behind the Mata Tora pickle shop and their weird job offer.

Japan
(food • Kyoto • work)

Japan second worst in G8 for employee satisfaction

Cara Clegg
Jun 19, 2013

A recent survey of working conditions in the world’s largest economies reveals some interesting insights, as well as some that might not be so shocking to anyone who’s worked in said country. Read on for the full ranking.

Read More

Global, Japan
(employee satisfaction • G8 • work)

Don’t like drinking with the boss? No Promotion For You!

Oona McGee
Apr 21, 2013

In Japan, husbands often hand over their pay packets to their wives, who are the chief financial controllers for the household. Husbands then receive a fraction of their pay in the form of a monthly allowance, which has to cover costs such as cell phone charges, lunches and all-important networking and relations-building nomikai, or work drinking parties.

According to a survey by Shinsei Bank, the average office worker receives an allowance of 39,600 yen (US$398) a month. But when the average cost for attending a drinking party is 2,860 yen ($28.75), and one lunch is an average of 510 yen ($5.13) a day, many workers are now choosing to skip out on after work drinks. What they don’t realise is that this attempt to save some yen is actually jeopardising their careers.

Japan
(business • drinks • Nomikai • Salaryman • work)

Sega Japan Offers $22k to Play Games With Latest Job Offering, Total Working Hours: 1 Week

Andrew Miller
Jan 27, 2013

For many of us out there, the recent festivities of the New Year will be leaving our pockets empty and our stomachs a little bloated, but if a certain recent job advertisement is anything to go by there’s a way to make some quick cash on a large scale. No this is not some dodgy backstreet deal but a fully fledged chance for a six month contract with Sega.

The position offers a 2 million yen (US$22.5k) compensation, and while it’s ongoing for a six month period, the actual hours of work sum up to no more than one week!