When you work as an ALT in Japan, do your work the longest possible time. Throw the term EFFICIENCY out of the window.
Seriously. If you want to be a successful ALT in Japan, you have to take your time in doing your job. Need to write a simple memo? Draft it in handwriting. Then type your draft. Edit in handwriting. Type the edited version. Proofread in handwriting. Proofread the typewritten one. Print. Need to cut papers? Do it one by one. Don't use the paper cutter. A friend also shared how to photocopy inefficiently. Need 40 copies back to back? Make 20 copies. Only on one side. Then flip it and do the other side. Repeat for the remaining 20. Bottomline: Just don't rush in finishing your tasks.
The reason? The Japanese value hardwork. And for them hardwork means longer working hours. Like really long. The average Japanese employee works about 1765 hours a year, the ninth among the world's hardest worker. Korea's the only Asian country that beat them up the rank. The Japanese even have a word for people who died of working. It's karoshi.
(More on karoshi, here)
From what I see and know from the teachers in my school and the students in my Business classes, this is how the Japanese see hard work.
Definition 1: Hard work is when an employee usually works more than 8 hours a day. If there's an 8th day in the week, they should work on that day too.
Teachers stay late in school. I honestly don't know what they do cause their lessons are not that great. They also go to school on the weekends for club activities. They say that clubs are important. Sure, but how about rest? I like to ask.
Even students stay until 6 pm or beyond that for club activities. Then most of them go to juku or cram school, then they have to do homework. Japanese student are trained to work as hard as their teachers. No wonder they sleep in class. In fact, sleeping at work or in class is acceptable in Japan. It means you're really hardworking that you weren't able to sleep at all.
(More on sleeping at work in Japan, here)
Some companies implemented a non-overtime day to stop employees from doing overtime work. They just had to do it. Otherwise, employees would just keep on working. My Business English classes are always from 6 to 8 pm. Whenever I ask my students what they're going to do next after the class, they always say that they're going back to work. I'm just baffled. It's already late.
Definition 2: Hard work means work always come first. Never mind family life or social life.
Just think about this: If you're working more than 8 hours a day even during weekends, do you think you'd still have a great domestic or social life? So yeah, I don't think these Japanese workers have great family and social life.
(More funny pictures of sleeping Japanese, here)
A most common observation is how Japanese wives actually push their husbands to work longer hours. This is supposedly good for one's career. At the same time, I've also heard many times how strained husband-wife relationships are in Japan. A Japanese woman told me that it's common for husbands and wives to not sleep together anymore after having a child. They just don't have time. She said that it's a good thing she's married to an American guy.
I once asked a teacher if she goes out with her friends on weekends. She looked at me, puzzled, as if my question was weird. She said she goes out with people when she has time. I want to ask when is that but I don't want to appear weirder. Based on her reaction, guess that socializing is not really a big part of their lives.
When you visit touristy places in Japan, it's common to see a group of old people sightseeing together. I wonder if these people waited for their retirement to see places in their own country. Or maybe they go in groups so they have a reason to socialize.
Definition 3: Hard work is when you're creative enough to prolong your work, pretend that you're working or add unnecessary tasks to your workload.
With all the technology available in a Japanese workplace, it's easy to get things done. But then you don't want to be seen as lazy by not extending your work time. You can't also stare at the clock when all your tasks are finished. The solution is to be inefficient. Take your time, look serious while actually doing nothing (Example: blogging while at work with a thinking expression on your face) or just do whatever that seems work-related. Just do something! Don't look as if you finished a day's work when the day's not yet over. For the Japanese, work should never be done.
I always admire people who work hard until I came here. I admire the Japaneses' willingness to place in extra hours. I admire their dedication to their jobs. However, I can't understand what's the use of extra hours when your family or social life is already bordering to extinction? What is dedication without passion? I'm just wondering, that's all. I have the time to wonder like this at the longest possible time cause I'm in Japan.
More on Working Hard in Japan:
Myth or Reality: Japanese are Hard Working
Hard Work in Japanese Culture
Inefficiently Hard Working Japanese
Japanese Salary Men Working to Death
Seriously. If you want to be a successful ALT in Japan, you have to take your time in doing your job. Need to write a simple memo? Draft it in handwriting. Then type your draft. Edit in handwriting. Type the edited version. Proofread in handwriting. Proofread the typewritten one. Print. Need to cut papers? Do it one by one. Don't use the paper cutter. A friend also shared how to photocopy inefficiently. Need 40 copies back to back? Make 20 copies. Only on one side. Then flip it and do the other side. Repeat for the remaining 20. Bottomline: Just don't rush in finishing your tasks.
The reason? The Japanese value hardwork. And for them hardwork means longer working hours. Like really long. The average Japanese employee works about 1765 hours a year, the ninth among the world's hardest worker. Korea's the only Asian country that beat them up the rank. The Japanese even have a word for people who died of working. It's karoshi.
(More on karoshi, here)
From what I see and know from the teachers in my school and the students in my Business classes, this is how the Japanese see hard work.
Definition 1: Hard work is when an employee usually works more than 8 hours a day. If there's an 8th day in the week, they should work on that day too.
Teachers stay late in school. I honestly don't know what they do cause their lessons are not that great. They also go to school on the weekends for club activities. They say that clubs are important. Sure, but how about rest? I like to ask.
 |
| sleeping Japanese credit: http://www.tristanvick.com/ |
Even students stay until 6 pm or beyond that for club activities. Then most of them go to juku or cram school, then they have to do homework. Japanese student are trained to work as hard as their teachers. No wonder they sleep in class. In fact, sleeping at work or in class is acceptable in Japan. It means you're really hardworking that you weren't able to sleep at all.
(More on sleeping at work in Japan, here)
Some companies implemented a non-overtime day to stop employees from doing overtime work. They just had to do it. Otherwise, employees would just keep on working. My Business English classes are always from 6 to 8 pm. Whenever I ask my students what they're going to do next after the class, they always say that they're going back to work. I'm just baffled. It's already late.
Definition 2: Hard work means work always come first. Never mind family life or social life.
Just think about this: If you're working more than 8 hours a day even during weekends, do you think you'd still have a great domestic or social life? So yeah, I don't think these Japanese workers have great family and social life.
 |
| Too busy to sleep at home credit: http://www.japantrends.com/japan-train-sleeping-strange-pictures/ |
(More funny pictures of sleeping Japanese, here)
A most common observation is how Japanese wives actually push their husbands to work longer hours. This is supposedly good for one's career. At the same time, I've also heard many times how strained husband-wife relationships are in Japan. A Japanese woman told me that it's common for husbands and wives to not sleep together anymore after having a child. They just don't have time. She said that it's a good thing she's married to an American guy.
I once asked a teacher if she goes out with her friends on weekends. She looked at me, puzzled, as if my question was weird. She said she goes out with people when she has time. I want to ask when is that but I don't want to appear weirder. Based on her reaction, guess that socializing is not really a big part of their lives.
When you visit touristy places in Japan, it's common to see a group of old people sightseeing together. I wonder if these people waited for their retirement to see places in their own country. Or maybe they go in groups so they have a reason to socialize.
Definition 3: Hard work is when you're creative enough to prolong your work, pretend that you're working or add unnecessary tasks to your workload.
With all the technology available in a Japanese workplace, it's easy to get things done. But then you don't want to be seen as lazy by not extending your work time. You can't also stare at the clock when all your tasks are finished. The solution is to be inefficient. Take your time, look serious while actually doing nothing (Example: blogging while at work with a thinking expression on your face) or just do whatever that seems work-related. Just do something! Don't look as if you finished a day's work when the day's not yet over. For the Japanese, work should never be done.
I always admire people who work hard until I came here. I admire the Japaneses' willingness to place in extra hours. I admire their dedication to their jobs. However, I can't understand what's the use of extra hours when your family or social life is already bordering to extinction? What is dedication without passion? I'm just wondering, that's all. I have the time to wonder like this at the longest possible time cause I'm in Japan.
More on Working Hard in Japan:
Myth or Reality: Japanese are Hard Working
Hard Work in Japanese Culture
Inefficiently Hard Working Japanese
Japanese Salary Men Working to Death
