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> Mediocre Japanese student can remain in Japan and be relatively OK. Mediocre student somewhere in talent concentration point is screwed - he's where the top t

> Mediocre Japanese student can remain in Japan and be relatively OK. Mediocre student somewhere in talent concentration point is screwed - he's where the top talent of the world is, and has to compete with them for any nice opportunities. Given the lower salaries and longer working hours in Japan, I'm not convinced that the mediocre Japanese student is better of than the mediocre US student. Even if the Japanese student scores a "better" job (in relation to the opportunities available locally) than the US student, the absolute differences between job markets can make his job worse.

hkmurakami 9y ago
If you go to a "pretty good" college in Japan (Most often the "March" colleges and above", generally you have a solid paycheck, good social prestige, and decent (though declining) job security. The high level of public infrastructure and low cost of living (compared to US coastal cities, even Tokyo is cheap) means that your dollar (or yen) goes much further than in NYC or the Bay Area. Overall it's not too bad a deal compared to the bifurcating job outcomes we see in the States.
- Apocryphon 9y ago
  Isn't the work culture pretty bad, though?
  - hkmurakami 9y ago
    Hours are long and the commutes are (often) long. Culture is hierarchical and often seniority based. Groupthink, consensus, backroom deal making (rather than open argumentation which is the norm in the states), and not rocking the boat are priorities. But you're basically never going to be fired and generally speaking companies do genuinely seek to "take care of" their people in ways that US companies no longer do (but used to, many decades ago). It's a highly frustrating environment for a restless high performer, but for the mediocre college grad I don't think it's a bad deal at all. They grew up there, know the culture, and have been trained/educated to navigate its waters.

hkmurakami 9y ago

If you go to a "pretty good" college in Japan (Most often the "March" colleges and above", generally you have a solid paycheck, good social prestige, and decent (though declining) job security. The high level of public infrastructure and low cost of living (compared to US coastal cities, even Tokyo is cheap) means that your dollar (or yen) goes much further than in NYC or the Bay Area. Overall it's not too bad a deal compared to the bifurcating job outcomes we see in the States.

Apocryphon 9y ago
Isn't the work culture pretty bad, though?
- hkmurakami 9y ago
  Hours are long and the commutes are (often) long. Culture is hierarchical and often seniority based. Groupthink, consensus, backroom deal making (rather than open argumentation which is the norm in the states), and not rocking the boat are priorities. But you're basically never going to be fired and generally speaking companies do genuinely seek to "take care of" their people in ways that US companies no longer do (but used to, many decades ago). It's a highly frustrating environment for a restless high performer, but for the mediocre college grad I don't think it's a bad deal at all. They grew up there, know the culture, and have been trained/educated to navigate its waters.