4 ms·

If you are seen as being "Japanese" you are expected to conform. If you are seen as a foreigner, you get a pass. If you ever find yourself working in Japan, us

If you are seen as being "Japanese" you are expected to conform. If you are seen as a foreigner, you get a pass. If you ever find yourself working in Japan, use your foreignness to an advantage!

dvcrn 10y ago
We are lucky enough to work in a very modern field with a different mindset in contrast to other jobs. I'm at my 3rd company in Japan now and while some of my previous experiences were bad, it was really more the fault of the company with things you could easily find in other countries as well and not "because Japan".
unsignedint 10y ago
And that's exactly why I can't work there.[0] (Though, it's funny I was actually very close of doing just that.) Too bad I don't have perks of using foreignness there... [0]: https://hideki.hclippr.com/2011/06/02/social-expectations-in-japan-and-why-i-cant-ever-live-in-japan/ https://hideki.hclippr.com/2011/06/02/social-expectations-in...
- qbert 10y ago
  You could work for a foreign company within Japan.
  - unsignedint 10y ago
    That would have been tolerable for me, but considering I have been experiencing difference in overall sociological expectations by just visiting there, I don't know if I would have been truly happy if I were in that situation. I wasn't exactly "fit to their spec" back when I was living in Japan at young age, either.
    - hkmurakami 10y ago
      I've worked there. It definitely did a lot of damage to my psyche. Even if you work for a foreign company, the way personal relationships work is very different from the states. That had taken me a decade to realize. I'm glad you didn't make the same mistake I did.
      - unsignedint 10y ago
        And that somewhat aligns with my experience; perhaps the way personal relationships work probably more about where the company is located rather than who owns it. For what it worth, I work for a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese company in the States and I'm doing very well :-)

If you are seen as being "Japanese" you are expected to conform. If you are seen as a foreigner, you get a pass. If you ever find yourself working in Japan, use your foreignness to an advantage!

dvcrn 10y ago

We are lucky enough to work in a very modern field with a different mindset in contrast to other jobs. I'm at my 3rd company in Japan now and while some of my previous experiences were bad, it was really more the fault of the company with things you could easily find in other countries as well and not "because Japan".

unsignedint 10y ago

And that's exactly why I can't work there.[0] (Though, it's funny I was actually very close of doing just that.) Too bad I don't have perks of using foreignness there... [0]: https://hideki.hclippr.com/2011/06/02/social-expectations-in-japan-and-why-i-cant-ever-live-in-japan/ https://hideki.hclippr.com/2011/06/02/social-expectations-in...

qbert 10y ago
You could work for a foreign company within Japan.
- unsignedint 10y ago
  That would have been tolerable for me, but considering I have been experiencing difference in overall sociological expectations by just visiting there, I don't know if I would have been truly happy if I were in that situation. I wasn't exactly "fit to their spec" back when I was living in Japan at young age, either.
  - hkmurakami 10y ago
    I've worked there. It definitely did a lot of damage to my psyche. Even if you work for a foreign company, the way personal relationships work is very different from the states. That had taken me a decade to realize. I'm glad you didn't make the same mistake I did.
    - unsignedint 10y ago
      And that somewhat aligns with my experience; perhaps the way personal relationships work probably more about where the company is located rather than who owns it. For what it worth, I work for a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese company in the States and I'm doing very well :-)