Japanese culture is often appreciated by the West for its beauty, cuisine, and work culture. The Japanese minimalist interior design is making waves across the globe, with people adopting it to reduce clutter and find calmness in their homes. Japanese foods, like sushi, tofu, and ramen, have made their debut globally for some time now. Let’s not forget about the anime culture, as conventions are scheduled worldwide, with millions of people doing cosplay.
The country’s work culture is also highly appreciated, as it helped Japan recover from disastrous events. People’s extreme dedication to contributing to society’s well-being made it possible for the country to experience one of the most impressive modernisations of a nation. In this case, we’re talking about the Meiji era, where the country’s politics, economy, and societal features changed drastically. However, these ethics also led to a few less pleasant things for which Japan is now known.
Let’s explore how Japanese people work.
The focus on collectivism
One of the most essential traits of the Japanese work ethic is collectivism, as groups are considered much more powerful than individuals alone. That’s why Japan also tends to have a strict hierarchy, so everyone in the workgroup knows their duties and roles and respects superiors as the chain of command is clear.
Therefore, teamwork is prioritised in a company. Both success and failure are distributed across groups and not one individual. Employees are expected to work together towards reaching a goal and not be competitive against each other because collectively, they are much more appreciated.
Unfortunately, collectivism can sometimes strip employees of their creativity and innovative ideas. This can considerably affect their productivity, but since it goes against work ethics, people usually overwork themselves not to let their colleagues down and compromise the group’s efficiency. This has caused a massive problem in Japan with karoshi (death from overworking).
Most employees work too many hours per week, exposing them to mental and physical health problems. However, what companies don’t know is that overworking can lead to mistakes regarding data security. In most of these cases, contacting a Data Breach Compensation Expert can help mitigate the losses. Still, the business might have to deal with a compromised brand image following an attack.
The importance of good manners in business
If the Western work culture is becoming more relaxed and friendly, in Japan, you must be mindful of your mannerisms and ensure you respect others enough to win yours. For example, punctuality is vital in business, so it’s common for people to arrive at least five minutes early before any appointment or meeting. Those who fail to be on time are usually seen as unprepared for their roles in the business.
At the same time, people who exchange business cards must do so with both of their hands for the outmost respect for the other. This happens even outside the business industry, so it’s more of a common tradition. Additionally, people bow their heads when exchanging something, which is a sign of respect deeply ingrained in Japanese culture.
People are also accustomed to the standard business language, Keigo, which includes appropriate titles and honorifics for superiors. Expressing respect for others is extremely important for Japanese people, which is why they have plenty of different terms for very polite formal forms of addressing others.
The need for continuous learning
One remarkable thing about Japanese workers in most fields is their eagerness to learn. Although they’re qualified or even overqualified for their jobs, people don’t hesitate to refine their skills and techniques to improve at work and show improvement to superiors.
This practice comes from the issho-kenmei saying, meaning people should devote their lives to a single purpose and improve themselves in that area of work all their lives. That’s why it’s common for older people to be seen performing their jobs or hobbies until the very end.
This is also why Japan could stay relevant for so long and become the hub for technology and innovation because people never cease learning and improving themselves. Indeed, this can become overwhelming at some point, mainly due to societal pressure. However, it also gives people a reason to continue and fulfil their duties.
Still, the Japanese culture lacks work-life balance
As efficient as the Japanese are, their work ethics can sometimes interfere with their lifestyles, making spending more free time and allocating moments for family, friends, or interests difficult. Considering how common it is for Japanese employees to work overtime, most are not able to do anything after work besides dining and sleeping, especially when they have to commute.
Therefore, some companies require workers to go out after work drinking with their colleagues and superiors to socialise more. This practice allows people to get to know each other and unwind after a stressful day at work, but it can sometimes do more harm than good. That’s because there’s no boundary between work and personal life.
This is also known as the Nomikai culture, in which most employees must engage. Unfortunately, if someone prefers not to participate in this activity, the rest of the co-workers are inclined to isolate them. The problem is that not everyone fancies everyday drinking, sometimes heavily, as these meetings can take up to a few hours.
People also miss the last train to their home, so they need to spend the night at karaoke places, manga cafes, or friends. This adds to the tiredness and drinking, making people less efficient the following day. Therefore, there are many pros and cons of the working culture in Japan, but this is what makes it special.
What will you adopt from the Japanese working culture?
The Japanese culture has a particular mantra for working, as people are encouraged to consider the collective before the individual. At the same time, they’re expected to give their best at work and be formal with superiors at all times, which may become overwhelming, but it’s what made the country a hub of development and innovation.