Comments on: Why do the Japanese Work so Hard?

By: Arion

Arion — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:06:43 +0000

Me, I’m fixing to graduate from high school, and I still have yet to figure out what i want to do. I do know for sure that I don’t walk in some cubicle hell, costantly worrying about bills. however, I guess it’s a question of courage. Do we stick to the status quo? Get some stable job, pension, bills, and all that? Or shake things up? Honestly, I’d love to do the latter myself, and so would a lot of people I think, but I guess the unknown is scary. You know?

By: Jason Samfield

Jason Samfield — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:23:39 +0000

Righteous.

By: John

John — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:12:22 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed the article. I like to buy a lottery ticket from time to time just to dream of what I would do with the money. Then after thinking up some really good ideas I ask myself, what is stopping me from achieving those dreams?

By: soteiguy

soteiguy — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:36:09 +0000

many, Matt, many.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:19:01 +0000

Have they ever died working?

By: Louis J Sheehan

Louis J Sheehan — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:00:15 +0000

Because they do very little actual work during the day. Just ass-kissing.
– Louis J Sheehan

By: VoXman

VoXman — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 06:56:00 +0000

Has anyone done a study or simply figured out how these salary men can go out and get blind drunk and then still function at work in the morning?

By: Freddie Frickin' Flintstone

Freddie Frickin' Flintstone — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:25:06 +0000

Part of the problem is that it is so damn hard to concentrate in your typical open-plan Japanese office that you end up getting most of your useful work done after the crowds have gone home. If I could come in at 1pm and leave at 9pm, I’d get as much work done as if I came in at 9am. But the Japanese office norm dictates that I come in at 9am regardless of what time I leave. So it’s 12 hours a day for me usually, of which I’m being paid 8 hours worth of salary, which is the amount of work I actually do. The other 4 hours are hard to account for, but I needn’t be spending them in the office.

By: webangelpb

webangelpb — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:04:29 +0000

I agree with Dave and Katie. I don’t think Japanese work as hard as is believed. They do stay at work for long hours though.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:02:39 +0000

I work as an assistant English teacher (JET) and I know that people in my program have a bad reputation for being lazy. But, WOW! The school office is constantly full of chatter - at one of my schools, the teachers gather ’round for Youtube videos (or something) and laugh and giggle and, just wow.

There is so much room to work and play at a Japanese school that it is almost wrong. We also get to play with the kids from time to time.

In my experience, the teachers do stay late, often scrambling around with mysterious papers that they are grading? Reading for fun? Perhaps they’re making up for the day they spent sitting around giggling. But, the thing is that, at night (usually no later than 7), the work pace is much slower, much easier and the chatting continues.

The Japanese may work long and hard, but at a school, they mix it up with a LOT of togetherness. Couldn’t ask for a better job.