How Japanese bosses and employers think.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Early next year i plan to expand my rural Japan cafe to include rescuing stray cats in my area to turn it into a unique Cat Cafe. Any help is very much appreciated. www.buymeacoffee.com/realruraljapan

[@MarRee-zi3ri]

Seek God and you will find him he will change you and if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you wil be saved from your sins and set free from sin and be in The Lord Jesus and God will give you his peace that surpasses all understanding and comforted by the Holy spirit

[@wampabites]

I'm currently working as a heavy machinery maintenance crew. We clean painting booths with strong solvents and no one but me is wearing proper gear (imagine cleaning parts with solvents and not wearing goggles and respirators... and I'm the one that's "weak"). I was told by my section chief I'm not allowed to buy specialized coveralls and tools (with my OWN MONEY) because "it's not part of our uniform". So we wrap legs with... kitchen wrap and cover our shoes with cheap cloth. Cheap nitrile gloves that rip easily, if you're lucky to find some at the section. Paint thinner on your skin hurts as hell but that's what's allowed in there. It can be dangerous sometimes. Work culture in Japan is retrograde. But fighting the system is a waste of time.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Time to leave and do something else.

[@wampabites]

​@@RealRuralJapanI'm considering it, but it will take some time. Working as a haken shain for big companies sucks, and at this stage of my life THIS is the better option. At least the pay is a bit better. I could work as ukeoi next. Dead end jobs like mine actually offer a lot of opportunities, but I want different work methodologies and more professionalism.

[@RealRuralJapan]

That is not going to happen ever but it pays the bills. I have worked many a dangerous crappy part time job we got to do what we got to do sometimes.

[@jiyushugi1085]

I spent six years in Tokyo working as a freelance translator/copywriter and had a few job offers from companies I worked for, but never in my wildest dreams would I ever have accepted those offers. Maintaining a certain distance from one's employers is a good thing, as it prevents the inevitable faux pax and other personal issues that can spoil a relationship. Now, even fifteen years after leaving Japan my clients continue to send me translating work. One other noteworthy characteristic of Japanese companies that should be mentioned is that once you've established a good relationship with them, they stick with you.

[@jiyushugi1085]

@@わわ-l8w 確かです。 僕は運が良かっただけかも知りません。

[@DovidM]

Do you find that a Japanese company sticking with you has its downside? I found companies shocked if you’ve raised your rates or said that you are no longer interested in doing one of the three things you have done for them in the past. They react as if you are ungrateful or being a primadonna. Once you’re “family,” they’re uncomfortable with any change in the relationship.

[@jiyushugi1085]

@@DovidM No, my relationships with them remained solid. Perhaps because I never once raised my rates nor ever declined work. Raising one's rates can be problematic because we don't know what the company's budget for the various jobs is. It's quite possible that they're already paying all that they can afford, so if you ask for more, that puts them in a bind. And while they will usually pay what you ask once, you may never get work from them again. I was very fortunate that after my first two years as a translator (and very demanding years they were) almost almost all my translating and copywriting work came from Dentsu and other ad agencies. Ironically, when they asked how much I wanted for individual jobs I never set a price because they always paid me far more than I'd ever have the nerve to ask for! However, working for translating companies is very different because they're working on much smaller budgets with smaller margins. Also, many of the small translating companies have only one or two main clients. If they don't deliver the work - maybe because the translator refuses to do it - they may lose the client and go out of business. The change from working for translating companies to working for ad agencies was revelatory, as they seemed to have unlimited budgets. The work was not only much easier but paid much more. Too, the agencies tend to have large 'discretionary funds' so I enjoyed many enjoyable evenings and delicious meals at their expense. I must confess, however, that I had a unique skill that was much in demand. I'd spent my youth working as a motorcycle mechanic and motorcycle racer, including three years racing at the professional level. And I was apparently one of the few, if not the only person who could translate highly technical documents about bikes and their technology into idiomatic English. The academics know the language but know nothing about bikes, and the bike people know bikes but not the language. So, I had a lock on my niche. Things are more competitive now, though, and Japan's economy is also much different.

[@jiyushugi1085]

@@DovidM No, my relationships with the translating companies and ad agencies I worked for were all very good. However, asking for more money, something I never did, can be problematic because we don't know the budgets for the various jobs. They may be paying all they can afford. If I was satisfied with the pay I did the work; if not I stopped working for them. Too, I always made a point of working for multiple companies as insurance. As I got more work from ad agencies I stopped working for translating companies because the agency work was easier, more enjoyable and paid much more.

[@murrayobrien9192]

As an Australian who has lived and worked in Japan over 40 years ago, I can vouch for everything you say. I would never consider being an employee in Japan ever again. I may live in Japan at some point again but I will be a retiree just enjoying the good things and avoiding the annoying things.

[@SwissTanuki]

A long time ago, when my Japanese wife and I got married, we discussed many times where we should spend our life. Since I already had a job we decided to stay in my country Switzerland. Now we start to talk about our retirement, and it looks like we'll go to Japan. If Japan doesn't change too much in the next years, we'll have a very nice retirement. Pension will be much higher than average. With the savings we'll be able to buy a house cash.

[@murrayobrien9192]

@@SwissTanuki My wife (Japanese) and I are likely to have have a house in Japan and Australia so we can flip between the two. Just live the best of both seasons. We have grown children so don't want to abandon them.

[@kv4648]

Japan will have too many old people, and so will the rest of the world

[@SwissTanuki]

@@kv4648 I'm looking forward to my end days with good food and polite neighbors

[@MarRee-zi3ri]

Seek God and you will find him he will change you and if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you wil be saved from your sins and set free from sin and be in The Lord Jesus and God will give you his peace that surpasses all understanding and comforted by the Holy spirit

[@nathanbutcher7720]

I had the fun time of formally quitting a traditional Japanese company to change jobs in Japan. That went over like a lead balloon. They put me in their office and asked me to refuse to go to the new company. Then they said that I couldn't leave because I had more work to do (well, of course!), and if I were to start at the new company that I would have to come back and finish the work for them! (yeah, right!) This sort of bullying is common, but then a lot of companies have no problem attempting to skirt Japanese labor laws. Legally I was entitled to give two weeks notice and I gave them four. I was told by the headhunter that got me a better job that this sort of bullying is common and not to listen to it - as many beaten down salarymen do and get treated like dirt for staying. The best thing to do when quitting a Japanese company is simply not to show up to work and refuse their phone calls trying to find you. They will naturally just strike you from employment without any of the drama. That's how some of my then Japanese co-workers did it. Some more modern Japanese companies will not bully you though - it just depends how traditional it is.

[@RealRuralJapan]

I have told a couple of bosses in my time that they were sacked as my boss because they were useless when resigning. What are they gonna do? Sack you?

[@nathanbutcher7720]

@@RealRuralJapan They promised to dirty my name among companies so it would be harder for me to get a better job. That was also a pointless threat, because the company I went to was way more prestigious and treated me better than they did! I have my shin-nyuu sha-in office etiquette book somewhere. It all but codifies Japanese office and employer expectations. Some interesting stuff in there.

[@mebeasensei]

I know that it's cold but we have a dilemma. If a foreigner goes and tells their company to (f it) then the image that foreigners are wild and selfish and don't give a f about the company that is paying them gets perpetuated. A catch 22. As the video says, it is us, you, we that decided to apply for the company, and from that moment, we owe the company. In days gone by, in times of lifetime employment, it must have had merit. Nowadays, 40% of the workforce is permanent, the rest dispatch of short term contracts. It is changing. I have also seen it happen to Japanese people too. The idea that an employee acquires intellectual/cultural property from one work place and then sells it to a rival company through jumping ship is still abhorrent and a violation of some tacit trust in the minds of many I feel.

[@RealRuralJapan]

@mebeasensei All companies ever formed in history eventually went under and became no more same will happen with all that exist now and how this happens is up to them. People like a title even a CEO title but no one can even remember the name of the biggest company in the world in let's say 1963 let alone who was the CEO or CFO at the time. Most people working multinationals couldn't even tell you who ran it 15 years ago but think they are a hot shot, and the world will collapse without them. Too many people wasting their time doing things they don't really want to do working for a company that couldn't care less about them. But they like their job title and think it impresses people when they should be doing what they want to do instead. If they like it fair enough but many don't, they are just putting on the bread on the table but that can be done many different ways. How many companies hire people just so they can get the IP for free? It's a jungle out there.

[@mebeasensei]

@@RealRuralJapan companies resent employees leaving and taking their knowledge to rivals..that will be. And in this age, if we really on a salary to eat, we rely on the company, and the image we put forth has to reflect that, ‘I know who butters my bread’ kind of thing, even if it is a conceit..perhaps it IS a conceit. That jungle stuff is cool, but that doesn’t mean employers won’t value loyalty, even if they lay everyone off like a coal mine would ..at the stroke of a pen. I wish schools would teach us how it really works and how entrepreneurs and companies can minimize their risks and liabilities while the average Joe has to though his or her hat in and fully ‘commit’.

[@WilkinsMichael]

Very true in 99% of cases at Japanese workplaces. It can seem different when things are going well and the people you interact with are polite and kind. But the minute there is a slight problem that all ends and you realize any loyalty or human feeling was an illusion. Once you decide to leave, no matter how above and beyond your duty or how many sacrifices you made for any amount of time, it is worth nothing to them and you are coldly dismissed. If you go into it with your eyes wide open it isn't so bad but if you are naive it can really hurt.

[@RealRuralJapan]

People have been brainwashed into thinking they have a career. A career is a series of mundane jobs usually working for another persons dream. People are usually happy getting enough money to forget about what they really want to do. Smart bosses know the number amount to stop talented people from doing this.

[@MauricioYouTube]

I worked in Japan for several years, and I wonder if these are still repercussions of being a country that is still only 100+ years old from the end of its feudal period? Its feudal "structure" remains a deep framework for how many Japanese companies do thing even today.

[@RealRuralJapan]

It is a military structure. Pay rises are time in the service not performance etc right down to mustering and singing the company song before work. The only competent people available to run companies after the war were the military rank and file. McArthur banned the nationalistic songs and ordered them to sing something else. So you get this weird work culture forming with all the negative stuff that comes with it. The bullying etc etc.

[@StarHelix-]

The last time I was in Japan, I was hearing news about there being a massive shortage of IT workers, and not a lot of cybersecurity literacy. I came back to my country with the goal of getting enough work experience and a degree/certs to go back to Japan to start my own MSP. Now I'm glad I randomly found your video!

[@valdius85]

My wife told me multiple times already to focus on figuring out how to do freelance. I’ve always been a company men, but I had enough and now I’d prefer freelance. Especially that I work in IT. Freelance is also a good way of testing the company.

[@yyyy-uv3po]

Do you get health insurance with freelance?

[@arcepty7648]

Just here for the rainy drive through the countryside and the commentary is a plus

[@RosCug]

Hey there . There’s a Japanese word that encapsulates what you are saying. DATSUSARA. Roughly meaning to quit your salary job and go out and do your own thing. A scary decision but an aspirational philosophy.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

The fact there's a specific word for it speaks volumes 🫤

[@qtdcanada]

Interesting! But I would venture to say that it does happen in rare occasions! Actually, there were few cases of samurai quitting service of their lord/clan and becoming farmers. Miyamoto Musashi -- from what I had read -- initially yearned to be a samurai and become a retainer for a lord, but later on in life he avoided this to pursue other personal interests.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@qtdcanada You must have read the alt.history of Musashi, because he was still serving in battles at the age of 54, became a hermit at 59 and died at 61. Are you confusing him with another Samurai ?

[@endarior]

intersting chat, but WOW those mountains with the mist and forests are BEAUTIFUL

[@jussiniemi9560]

Cats are brutal They come back with their ears ripped to shreds and a chunk missing from the neck and be like "where's the food" :D

[@RealRuralJapan]

Ha

[@chrislyon9885]

Great information in this video and very helpful as I’m new to the Japan workforce. However, as a former Electrician and Tradesman having worked in Victoria most of my career I would say the trades industry in Australia has already started to take a downward spiral in recent years and at least in my experience bosses and managers tend to not take on your ideas even in Australia unless they see it’s success in the real world so often any changes come around in an organic sense rather than being accepted on a theoretical level. It almost has to be an accident in a sense. I’m currently working in the hospitality industry here in Japan and so I’ve been lucky as the company I work for is very open minded and has a great mix of native and foreign staff. But I’ve still felt some of these vibes you’ve explained. It’s definitely much looser when it comes to standards but more rigid in attitudes.

[@st.james0]

I have done a couple of internships in Japan and based on my experiences and the experiences of friends who were interns in different companies I completely agree that employers try to harvest as much information as possible from us before the internship period is over. I have noted that some organisations don't fully cover all expenses incurred on a work trip which is a shocker based from my experience back home in Swaziland.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Yep, but people never call this out because it's a big company not a small business. Shows just how much real thought most people put into what they believe about issues like this.

[@jetnavigator]

I find it fascinating how robot-like Japanese work culture is while at the same time you see how much artistic and craft stuff there is. Not to mention how creative people like Miyazaki are revered. My experience with Japanese companies overseas is that the people they send out to run the business are either brilliant and being groomed for greater things, or complete oxygen thieves banished to the colonies. I found it mostly to be a case of the latter...

[@RealRuralJapan]

Whoever has been there the longest and also wants to go would get that gig so you could get anyone.

[@mobpsy1526]

True, they make the best anime and video games with magnificent depth and creativity seemingly with lots of freedom and then work rules are like that loool

[@lukecavill2556]

Hi, mate! I am an Australian living in Taiwan with my Japanese wife and two kids. We have been watching your videos recently, and have learned a lot! We have been facing a few obstacles in our plans to move to Japan, mainly in how we would go about making the first steps. I would love it if I could contact you and speak to you about a few things in private if possible. Please let me know. All the best. Luke

[@RealRuralJapan]

You can join my Patreon at Jiji level as it includes a zoom a 30-minute meeting with me every month. I'm currently helping 3 people at the moment in similar positions as you.

[@johnrbnsn]

Thanks for sharing this perspective

[@domdomdidity]

Congratulations on your channel's growth, good luck !

[@5anjuro]

As for the work culture, it really depends. I have worked in a large MNC with a substantial Japanese division, formerly an actual nationwide Japanese company, and visited the Japan operations. One of the main clients was another global tech company. The work culture at that client's operations was more like global, a mix of EU and California practices. Endless video meetings, coffee breaks etc, extra holidays, people disappearing at 5pm.. Others worked with purely Japanese operations and the conditions were much tougher.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Being at work and actually working are 2 different things and i bet the global way of doings things got the same or better results with less of the BS.

[@TkyoSam]

Just found your channel. So spot on about a lot of stuff regarding working here. Subscribed 🎉

[@三上家]

The idea is to work for yourself not work for a Japanese person in a corporate setting especially, that's a disaster - even for Japanese people.

[@treelineresearch3387]

Starting a viable IT business other than a consultancy is also much the same in the west. Usually you're playing with other people's money, be they angels, venture capital, or shareholders, and it's very difficult to get off the ground without them, so most of us are still just high tier wagies bound to corporate. I suspect it's quite a bit harder to get a solid stable of technical consultant customers as a westerner in Japan without having some really solid social connections and track record though.

[@DovidM]

If you discuss in detail what you did at Clients A, B and C, the prospective client thinks you are disclosing trade secrets, and that you would do the same to them if you were hired for a consulting engagement. I don’t know how else to make a pitch other than to walk them through what has worked for my other clients. As for a track record, companies don’t seem impressed that you have worked for similar sized or larger clients. There is a lack of trust on their part.

[@HaxbyShed]

.... and from the other viewpoint, I have been a western employer in Japan and I found the Japanese employees could very passive even if they had worked in a western company before. Also I would say the females tended to show more initiative. Only generalising of course .... but that was my personal experience. I think some of the Japanese employees found our western ways quite confusing and even a bit alarming. My secretary had the job of explaining to people what I actually meant (I don't mean translation, I mean just why I did the stuff I did which would be obvious to us). She was Japanese but had lived in UK for some years. She was invaluable in getting things done

[@BrendanRaymondKoroKoro]

I'm about to experience this for myself on starting my first real job in japan on Monday as a mechanical designer. I have vast and diverse experience and will be bringing all of my Australian text books into the office. I'm sure i will soon find out that they'll probably throw them out the window. I'm worried how you said it will be rigid like joining the military... It's definitely going to be a culture shock for me. I have a feeling i will regret moving here...

[@RealRuralJapan]

You will be fine until you suggest anything LOL. Good luck hopefully the company is more forward looking than most.

[@BrendanRaymondKoroKoro]

@@RealRuralJapan hopefully they will go easy on me... The language barrier will be frustrating for everyone... But one thing i'm not sure of is: as a mechanical designer, how do i avoid making suggestions? I'm not sure if there will be a sempai kohai system... But i guess i'll find out on Monday... >.

[@RealRuralJapan]

You won't find anything out Monday you will find out in 3 months' time.

[@BrendanRaymondKoroKoro]

@@RealRuralJapan geez this is so much harder than i thought... And not just the language barrier... 40+ hour service zangyo is is a bit too much...

[@RealRuralJapan]

@BrendanRaymondKoroKoro Always have the vision to work for yourself here eventually this work culture will never change, and no one cares what you know. Some people can't accept this reality even when told about this. Gambarimasu!

[@Brucemagoose511]

An interesting listen, thanks. I take it trade unions are non-existent or toothless in Japan? I'm very grateful to work where I am. The employee has a lot of options to prevent them being screwed over. Both in terms of trade unions and in terms of changing job. Many employers have to be very flexible in order to get any sort of quality of applicant. A buyers market compared to what you describe in Japan.

[@Idontwantahandle3]

In my view, the management is either too complacent or too risk-averse. They seem more focused on safeguarding their positions rather than pursuing growth opportunities. This cautious approach might maintain the status quo, but it will inevitably lead to stagnation for the company. In the short term, this tactic may create stability, but in the long term, companies-who are willing to take risks and be more innovative-will inevitably take over. I imagine this attitude and management approach will work against the Japanese economy in the long term, especially given how innovative and competitive the market is these days.

[@arghentrock]

Very interesting. 👍

[@jgrady9553]

Really interesting

[@khaoscero]

IT is literally the cheapest business to start. All you need is one laptop and youre good to go. if you need some infrastructure then you just rent it like AWS and cheaper options.

[@RealRuralJapan]

A guy who buys a table and sells lemonade is not a restaurateur no matter what he calls himself.

[@khaoscero]

labels don't matter, the only thing that matters is how much money you make. tons of people freelance or have their own llc and do software engineering on their own, like me

[@thomgri]

Sounds like strict specialization

[@Mr__Chicken]

Another great vid...How come you don't keep your firewood dry btw? Why let it get wet in the rain?

[@RealRuralJapan]

The water is inside the wood. People get confused by the terms seasoned and wet. Seasoned means the water has left the wood and wet means it is still green or freshly cut down. The sun and wind dry out the wood and rain has little effect in this process. If you put out a wooden in the rain the next day when the surface water has evaporated the table will burn like gasoline and that’s because the wood is seasoned and has little internal moisture.

[@isaacchapman7628]

I have no desire to work for a Japanese company. Just going to try to put together a stack of engineer money here in the states and either retire early in japan, or start a board game store if I really think I can do it. I'd probably want to try working part time in a similar store for a while to gain experience, how does part time work differ from being a full time salaryman married to a company?

[@RealRuralJapan]

It's all bad.

[@dkinney1000]

This one good reason why Japan is shrinking.

[@valdius85]

Another angle of things... Westeners who leave their countries and move to Japan are rare in terms of character trades, especially risk, openness creativity etc. Many of them are fine in Tokyo in places that value them, but that is very small amount of people. These who end up in average companies, who don't require any creativity and do repetive tasks, struggle. The expectations don't fit what is expected of them. I used to get very stressed at work and still do. I think it is because people, including me, put too much value in work in terms of it being at the way they want to. Insted of thinking that they simply sell their time for the value they agreed on. It is obviously separate subject that you've touched on few times but not dedicated videos. It has different angles and framework of thinking about work. It could be useful for westerners in Japan, who don't understand why they love to visit but hate to work here. Basically, people need to stop caring about the job and care more about relationships outside of work. 🤣

[@RealRuralJapan]

Foreigners go to school so they can get a JOB. Not many even think about or get taught how to work for themselves. Education is a free training ground for companies and that is why the big companies donate to universities and offer internships afterwards because it’s cheap labor for them. Before companies took on people on low pay and trained them up now they let the suckers pay for their own training. University is a scam by and large.

[@valdius85]

@@RealRuralJapan I have masters degree, and I agree with you. Most diplomas make no sense.

[@mobpsy1526]

@@RealRuralJapan Absolutely, it starts already in school. No self employment education, zero finances teaching so god forbid the person might not be dependent on a paycheck

[@DovidM]

I’m in IT. Many of the college grads that we hire don’t understand what IT work is really like. There’s more grunt work than they expected, and more is demanded of a new hire than when they were interns (duh!). Some complain about having to work with other groups in IT. Others ask what books they can read to become a senior admin (this is not a ridiculous request but they haven’t mastered being a junior admin yet).

[@davidweiser9406]

It would be a lot easier to not care about the job if you were not expected to be at the office until the boss leaves and then go out drinking with everyone. Throw in the random non-optional transfer and Japan's office culture is detrimental to a lot of their concerns about deteriorating family life.

[@deanchur]

Good test for you that should produce interesting results: Ask your staff in Japan to tell you what they think you, as their boss, can do better. While I'm all for integrating into a foreign culture, there are some things other countries do better and should be recognised as such; for example, if you're gonna build a high speed rail system in Australia then it'd be a really good idea to get someone from JR or Eurostar to help out instead of going at it alone.

[@RealRuralJapan]

High speed rail wouldn't work in Australia due to many economic factors that a Japanese engineer knows nothing about. A good economist is who you want to talk to first.

[@diskographi]

僕は上司にペコペコしたり、飲み会にでも行ったりせずに働きたいだけです

[@BabyDingo]

In the US, a new manager is happy to burn decades of customer goodwill if it means they can charge their customers more. Because even if they fail, they can take that mercenary attitude to another org which will pay them more. In Japanese companies, this would be unthinkable. Because the cost of failure would be too high for the manager.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Customers burn decades of goodwill for cheaper prices all the time that is why shops are full of cheap junk. The Japanese have offshored almost as much as anyone else they just do it their way and manipulate the customer differently. Companies that don't change die even Japanese ones. The Japanese are more risk adverse, but they know how the game is played.

[@BabyDingo]

@@RealRuralJapan No I agree with you. But uh, customers cannot "burn goodwill", it is the customers' decision to spend with the company, which is like a vote of confidence in the company. I was trying to point out that, having diverse experience is not necessarily seen as a plus by Japanese companies precisely because, most companies might not look to innovate in as drastic a way as western companies do. The military analogy is really apt. Were you ex FFL?

[@RealRuralJapan]

No not ex FFL. Customers are very fickle just like subscribers on a KZbin channel. I have had subscribers say they have loved all my videos and got a lot out of them one minute. A week later disagree with the one they are commenting on at the time and say UNSUBSCRIBED!!! in a show of anger or defiance or something. People will do what they do, and everyone has their reason for something but sometimes companies give what the customers say they want only to find out they will jump ship over a couple of pennies. I have done videos for people many times on a topic in goodwill i didn't plan on doing who asked for it and never even got a thank you. Not complaining it is just the nature of things and why many You Tubers quit as it can be a thankless job.

[@grzesiek1x]

Very interesting this video. It looks like an average job in Japan is quite hard 😬 Do you think that everywhere is like that in Japan or for example low level, entry jobs the most? I can't imagine a doctor or eengineer who starts from I don't know cleaning the floor or something basic in a hospital 🤔 I am also thinking, maybe it is better to be a self employed in Japan as a foreigner who is more used to Western companies? Is it possible something like that I mean from the law regulations etc. Let's imagine an IT guy or engineer who is building something and has a small company in his country, so he could start his own bussines in Japan right? Amd it would be easier than just start from the emtry level job and just leave his own compqny behind. I am not sure if I get the job market in Japan... I know some Japanese people who hated working in Japan and they moved to Europe to finally do what they really always wanted and loved!!

[@RealRuralJapan]

You can move your company here, start a company or work for someone all avenues are available.

[@GamerCracked]

Really feels like Japan could be a real-world power if they didn't waste so much time and effort on these silly self-inflicted games at work, filling in forms and sending faxes. Maybe it's a necessary sacrifice to maintain a society that is so homogenous and stable. Can't say I feel much desire to work in Japan knowing what goes on in the workplace, which is a shame because I have a lot of experience in an industry in which Japan is suffering a worker shortage.

[@RealRuralJapan]

This is like a crack shooter saying the army needs men but i will only join if i can reorganize the army the way i want. Not going to happen and that is what the video more or less is about. This is how it is for better or worse and best to work for yourself if you can swing it.

[@5anjuro]

Maybe truck drivers not the best example? At the moment there's severe truck driver shortage, even Mitsubishi is selling its logistical branch to Seino. I an guessing anyone between 20 and 60 years of age and can drive a truck gets a job these days.

[@RealRuralJapan]

It’s an analogy.

[@JustIn-mu3nl]

Woah, an Aussie in Japan, you got a sub mate.

[@seancatacombs]

It really did throw me for a loop how having a lot of horizontal experience across different disciplines is actually seen as a negative in much of Asia. Employers just see such candidates as having high risk of opening a whole can of worms - one of the worst traits to be associated with here! An employee who ingrains themselves into various operations across the org is seen as a liability regardless of how much value they provide, because that employee now has a lot of leverage over the employer and could take a more mercenary view of their employment vs the average worker

[@RealRuralJapan]

Yep, they like to keep in the workers in the dark as much as possible.

[@davidweiser9406]

I don't think that i would ever work for a Japanese corporation in Japan. Foreign corporations operating in Japan have far more reasonable expectations and work culture. Unfortunately, that also means that 99.9% of opportunities are stuck in the Tokyo metropolis.

[@TobaccoPipesJapan]

Well said.

[@joshnabours9102]

I see. So the employers attitudes are largely the same in the USA and Japan, but the employee's attitude is very different.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Not exactly a Japanese boss would have no staff to run his company if he acted like they do over there. Word would get around fast and nobody would bother applying.

[@joshnabours9102]

@@RealRuralJapan That is actually happening here in the US. In a slightly different way due to culture and motivation differences, but it is definitely the same thing. I'll explain my comment a little better though. The part you said about companies wanting a new worker they can form to their culture is definitely something US companies do. What you had said about US companies is true also though. There is a high vs low dichotomy about it though. Upper management positions definitely work as you mentioned. But for lower level positions of "frontline workers" and most non upper management positions (plus most IT workers) in most US companies want new workers because they are cheaper and easier to squeeze more value out of using company culture. This is also why US companies are willing to pay massively for equipment that allows them to eliminate the need for skilled laborers and replace them with high schoolers wherever possible. In response to this US employees are doing exactly like you mentioned. They are pushing for more EU like job contract protections, higher minimum wages, and are generally witholding loyalty and refusing to work for companies that use these tactics to withold their worth in compensation. If workers find out before applying they will refuse to apply. Of they find out during the interview they will walk out. If the company does this after starting the job they will find a new job as soon as possible and ghost the bad employer. Websites like Glassdoor have sprung up to assist in this. For previous generations in the US (until around the 1980s) it was actually extremely common to work at the same place for 40+ years until retirement. It is only relatively recently that employers have begun to treat employees as disposable resources and employees have responded in kind with the withdrawal of their loyalty and began job hopping in earnest without stigmas.

[@RealRuralJapan]

@joshnabours9102 They haven't escaped the mentality of relying on someone for a job this can be improved but never talked about or taught in schools. Many young people have skills but the capital requirements to go it alone is far too expensive and they have an unwillingness to work together with people and risk their own money and time.

[@joshnabours9102]

@@RealRuralJapan I think there is some opportunity cost and cultural tradition that plays into the mindset you described in the US as well. Because historically it was the standard route to build up savings from a typical job and then invest that accumulated money into a business or something else for retirement. This seems to be the cultural origin of 401k accounts. Also, it is what parents have taught their children for at least 2 generations now in the US. "You need to do good in school so you can go to a good college or else you will end up flipping burgers for a living." As a result it becomes rare for people under age 25 to stray from this parental teaching. It doesn't help that financial management skills are really only taught in college either. So until they focus on learning it themselves most younger people are not financially literate enough to properly manage a business. The financial conditions in the US just compound the issue. You basically need 2-5 roommates paying rent to have a roof over your head and food nowadays.

[@RealRuralJapan]

@joshnabours9102 Agree and the housing situation in part is brought about by the same thing instead of real investments that generate real wealth and progress for everyone. Everyone has heard of this saying in our culture. Invest in brick and mortar you cant go wrong!

[@peterhub1]

I believe what is being said here is true, but it stands in stark contrast to what Japan appears to be. Why do so many innovations and extremely thoughtful solutions come from Japan? Why are they able to improve, for example; cars, computers, city design, convenience, and stuff like the handwash station built into the filling basin of a toilet. How do they simultaneously do everything by the book and reinvent the book? I really don't get it

[@kernfel]

You'll have heard something along the lines of "You have to first know the rules, to be able to break them". I wonder if there's a stronger version of that, where, in order to rewrite the book, you first have to be able to not just know it, but write it backwards, forwards, and diagonally, or in other words: Become extremely knowledgeable and skilled in the one tiny niche you happen to occupy -- just like the Nagano-Tokyo highway truck driver.

[@davidweiser9406]

A lot of the innovation that comes from Japan is the exception, not the rule. Japan, like everywhere, has some very exceptional people. And like everywhere else, every once in a while one of them figures out how to get real innovation through the BS. Take the Toyota production system that blew American competitors out of the water with high quality at low prices. This originated as American industrial engineering ideas pre WWII. Everyone came home from the war, kicked the women out of the factories, and laughed off the innovations that industrial engineers had implemented. But the Japanese welcomed those same industrial engineers with open arms, and even spawned a few of their own. The Japanese companies that went all in on this were the exception and many back slid. Toyota has even admitted in recent years that they lost sight of their commitment to high quality and their products suffered as a result.

[@mebeasensei]

As an Aussie, how do you go for financial advice ? Because I think it is pretty tricky as an Aussie living as an expat here.

[@RealRuralJapan]

I don't have money so i don't need it! I am just a small cafe owner and just make a modest living.

[@mebeasensei]

@@RealRuralJapan that sounds so good, but I’m sure it ain’t that simple either. Thinking of buying and retiring in rural Japan myself. Seen just a few vids, I Very inspired by your stuff so far.

[@Hello-gf2og]

Whats the deal with the Bacterial outbreak over there? Are people concerned?

[@RealRuralJapan]

If 200 people die a year in Japan from some bacterial thing it is all over the media but if 200 000 people die in the streets of USA a year from homelessness and drugs it gets about the same attention. No nobody is freaking out about this.

[@WANDERER0070]

I had enough crazy bosses in Canada, germans and Italians being the worst,,thinking about retiring in Japan as houses are so cheap there and food is amazing,,work no thnx 😂

[@DovidM]

I know people who retired and then went back to work because they needed the money. I assume that a few retirees need to get a job of sone kind to make ends meet.

[@brucebaum1458]

If the bosses feel they own their staff what are the number and outcomes of sexual harassment incidents or are they generally hushed up or written off has after work/drinking consensual relationships.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Women are as bad as men at bullying and harassment they dominate HR. Anyone who knows anything about HR knows they are the worst for it.

[@nathangoshawk]

I find it strange how a country like Japan, with a tradition and appreciation of craftsmanship, should be so slap-dash in their in their attitude towards manual skills training.

[@RealRuralJapan]

America has a great tradition of high-level tertiary education but have you looked at what has come out of it lately? It is comical and the degrees i wouldn't even call slap dash because slap dash at least infers it might do at least some good.

[@nathangoshawk]

@@RealRuralJapan Yes, it's comical but also very sad. Aspects of western society are getting hijacked by wayward, minority pressure groups who seem to believe that promoting their message is more important than the quality of the 'end product'.

[@valdius85]

Military, especially the successful ones, work slickly differently than you’ve described 😂 I’ve been listening to Jocko Wilink for a long time, he shares official documents on leadership etc and I’ve changed my mind on how in the army work. At least the USA forces 😂❤

[@RealRuralJapan]

Jocko Wilink did what he was told and had no say what the military did, does or will do. He had some guys under him who he managed as a leader as he was in the special forces if i recall. He didn't make budget decisions or anything of strategic importance like a company owner does. A very narrow job with some leeway at a tactical level on small operations which he had no say in by and large. In the grand scheme of things, he would be a mid-level manager in a dept at a multinational. Totally replaceable and discardable because that is how the military operates.

[@valdius85]

@@RealRuralJapan True, he was sort of mid level in company terms, definitely no grand strategy sort of thing. He has the leadership training company and offers decent advice. But again, lots of if is about being quiet and doing what’s told :) Unfortunately there are very little new successful companies coming out of Japan, and there used to be plenty. The culture shifted to taking limited ownership and basically no risk. This is no defence for Westerners taking without asking, this is an argument against Japanese managers not asking their best employees for their opinions.

[@valdius85]

@@RealRuralJapan "... of strategic importance like a company owner does" - that one made me think. 😆 There is a difference of owner having a strategic importance, like a vision, and how to implement it in details. I saw micromanagement in all unsuccessful companies and it is more common in Japan that anywhere else. BTW1: currently have a mix of both in my company, with top two managers with low micromanagement behaviour. BTW2: I am pro structure in the companies. BTW3: even though I push back, I enjoy the subject.

[@FoxyfloofJumps]

Thanks for the warning and the reality check! Retire there, not work there for someone else, got it.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Not at all. Work yourself while here if you can.

[@lordbacon4972]

The Japanese company mentality is like an ant or bee colony. Each ant or bee is assigned a role for life. Another analogy is that Japanese companies are stuck in the medieval mindset as if they are still in feudal Japan where members are in indentured servitude for the clan for their entire lives.

[@RealRuralJapan]

No, you are totally wrong on this. It is a military structure with rank and rising pay with how many years of service regardless of performance. This is because the only people left after WW2 that had organizational ability were the officer class. MacCarthur actually assigned these guys to these positions in companies, and they took the military culture with them including the whole lining up of people briefing and debriefing staff before and after work. The company song replaced the national anthem too because it was outlawed. This is a common misconception because people just repeat BS they heard like you just did. Read up on Japanese history and you will soon find most of what people have told you is utter BS.

[@lordbacon4972]

@@RealRuralJapan This makes sense. Thanks for the clarification!

[@DroolRockworm]

You sound like you may be this “hypothetical” truck driver ;)

[@RealRuralJapan]

No I’m not I don’t have a Japanese truck license.

[@valdius85]

Edited, heavily :) Westeners could use some real thinking before they open their mouths. That includes me as well. 😂 Most companies do not require creativity, do your job, get paid and have a life outside of work. :)

[@RealRuralJapan]

It amazes me that foreigners don't understand that millions of them have gone before them, and that their ideas aren't always new and they are well known here but dismissed well before they ever heard of them. Afterall Japan is probably the most visited country on the planet, but they arrive with the mentality like they just got off Perrys boat!

[@valdius85]

@@RealRuralJapan I agree with that and I’ve been there myself with that silly mindset. Now that learned some dynamics in Japan, I understand why it’s such a great place to visit, but less great to live in :) Not sure if that is only me, but foreigners have to much need on being listened to and being seen. I am fixing that myself and learning how to be happy in solitude. I asked around and Japanese seem to legitimately have less of a problem with being by themselves, which makes it easier to shush :) Let me know your take on it, I’m curious.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Foreigners by and large think that all opinions are equal. But don’t see their hypocrisy that when their car breaks down they take it to the mechanic and not to their hairdresser. Too many people are just full of BS and can hold two opposing opinions at the same time.

[@valdius85]

@@RealRuralJapan I thought and updated the thread... :) Christianity says we all have value, but not an equal value. I think that all good companies should ask employees for feedback. But the employee needs to be good at their job first, otherwise it is a waste of time. Also, unless stock is part of the pay, why do employees care? Most of us get paid by hour, so it is employer responsibly to make company successful. It was a waste of energy to even try.

[@RealRuralJapan]

I have lost count at the number of people I have asked to start a little business together when hearing about workplace BS in the kitchens we have worked in together. People like to complain but not many do anything about it. They are professional victims and everyone owes them something. It gets tiring listening to these people who are really just lazy when all is said and done.

[@kurisu100]

The only thing i do not get is, y it is so exaggerated in the context of japanese workspaces. This is the truth in every country. As long as you are not a real friend of a boss, they see you naturaly just like a tool. But employes do the same, they do the job for money, not for the funny time they have ... . This is normal life. You need to do things you do not want to do.

[@RealRuralJapan]

It is on a whole other level, and you won't find a single foreigner who has ever worked here who would say otherwise. It is almost like they feel they own their staff it's just not even in the same ballpark.

[@honestheuristic5467]

I'm an IT guy working in Japan and I think this the military is a great metaphor for the work culture and this video is great. But it seems horrible for the individual employee because there's no leverage to increase your salary or your working conditions if the only way to advance is to be at the mercy of leadership and it's a big reason their lives are so hard. So as much as I think it's good to understand it, you can't stop fighting for yourself or you'll just wind up working horrendous overtime for pennies like most Japanese do.

[@RealRuralJapan]

But people want to ride a desk and not farm so i have only a little sympathy for them. The opportunities now in Japan are huge to do this and make good money if you are young, smart and have the energy. But little takers unfortunately because people like air conditioning and a job title more than a bit of freedom. Business startup and manager visa in many prefectures for the entrepreneurial minded.

[@Grahamplaysgo]

Japan is suffering from an unstoppable collapse in population which might change the way Japanese companies operate. We can hope talent rather than seniority becomes the bar for promotion. But Japan is also suffering from a brain drain. Talented young workers are simply voting with ther feet and going abroad because opportunities for promotion; a world class salary and work life balance are so crap here. This is especially true for women. With a degree from a top university they are spreading their wings.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Some chase money some chase other things its nothing new.

[@ArchOfficial]

Hopefully this stuff will change once the generations change. For better or worse I wouldn't say modern Japanese teenagers and young adults are "like western people", but they're not like the very old current Japanese employers either. They're sick of a lot of stuff from what I can gather from conversation, although it's a limited and highly "liberal-biased" group I suppose.

[@neoillogic]

old japan is like that. but yeah a lot of japan is old japan :p

[@cocolenchojapan]

Sadly, I think Japan is being left behind. That fax machine and flip phone only goes so far in today’s market.

[@RealRuralJapan]

There are 2 types of people left who use flip phones. Aussie drug dealers and Japanese business owners.

[@cocolenchojapan]

@@RealRuralJapan hahaha 😂

[@cunjoz]

what you said about Australia and being a tradie is fundamentally incorrect. what you do is you get yourself a Hilux and that's it.

[@RealRuralJapan]

I have no idea what you mean here.

[@cunjoz]

@@RealRuralJapan lol it's just a joke about how tradies in australia all drive Toyota Hiluxes and that that basically counts as your tradie license.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

This sort of experience discrimination is really holding Japan back...☹️ It's strange, because it's totally the opposite of what happened in Japan from 1946 - 1970... The most obvious example of this is Japanese English language training materials that have the same silly mistakes printed in them for 30 yrs....

[@RealRuralJapan]

Japan was running a military economy up until the 1980s. Just produce no need for orders just pump it out and with the trade deals made after the war people found a buyer for it all whether the demand was there or not. Product dumping and all that sort of thing until it got abruptly stopped.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@RealRuralJapan It's well past time for the military employment mindset to end eh ? Businesses embraced radical structural change post war, but never changed the serf worker mentality 🫤

[@RealRuralJapan]

@edwardfletcher7790 This mentality is everywhere. How many times do people hear as a kid growing up this. Study hard, stay in school so you can get a GOOD JOB. This is a serf worker mentality and people think nothing of it and actually think it's great! Maybe it is time to change this mindset to one where people aren't relying on others for something and have self-belief that they can do something for themselves. Just because one way could look better on the surface doesn't mean that it is any good either.

[@beserkman5809]

bro i just straight up dont believe you, an efficient country purposefully not hiring ppl w/ exp logically makes no sense, whats ur exp in JP?

[@RealRuralJapan]

A lot of things don't make sense why did you think i did the video? Your premise that Japan is an efficient country is so far from the truth that it is laughable.

[@rickmaurer8726]

If you worked for a Western company, that is not how it is done....you haven't worked in America. All my jobs have been like this since the early 2000s. The only difference is Japan has better healthcare.

[@RealRuralJapan]

Japanese don't go overseas for the same conditions and worse healthcare.

[@davidweiser9406]

Find a better industry, seriously. Almost no one in the US cares one bit if you have had 5 jobs in the last 10 years. That wasn't always the case, but the recession changed that. Employer loyalty doesn't exist here and now it's hard to find many people that worked here between 2008 and 2012 that haven't gone through a few jobs. I have never had a job where unpaid overtime was a thing, but I have seen companies that constantly have overtime. Surprise, they have a hard time recruiting employees.