japan :: tokyo :: general

[Ichigo100%]

True, I'll probably do that and see what information I can get.

[djrajio]

Perhaps one of you can clarify the laws and regulations of working in Japan. I was just reading up on how it's prohibited for college students to work part time in japan if they don't have a permit to do so, and before continuing you get screened by the immigration office.

You basically can't work at any entertainment businesses, etc. Now I'm just wondering if this is the same case for just a foreigner coming into japan to stay but not for schooling. Would I need to go through the same screening procedure and have an alien registration card to be permitted to work?

perhaps ive already answered my own question, but I just got a bit confused and wanted to clarify how the rules work.

Man give it up.

Ur never gonna be a super Animez manga artist here.

It's all done by Koreans now.

[djrajio]

how about trad omiai?

As long as she can cook, clean, and looks decent. I'm down.

[Guest jmatsu]

As long as she can cook, clean, and looks decent. I'm down.

gotta bring back the bushido. if she can't cook, clean and don't look decent she ain't a woman (no kenjutsu 4 yr ken yaknowwhatisayin?).

[DEPHT]

Japan Pays Foreign Workers to go Home, Forever

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/business/global/23immigrant.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&sq=japan&st=cse&scp=5

"But Mr. Kawasaki said the economic slump was a good opportunity to overhaul Japan’s immigration policy as a whole.

“We should stop letting unskilled laborers into Japan. We should make sure that even the three-K jobs are paid well, and that they are filled by Japanese,” he said. “I do not think that Japan should ever become a multiethnic society.”"

Thoughts? What's the public reaction over there, if any?

[djrajio]

I don't think anyone cares really.

And I actually think this is a good thing cuz its almost like an ethnic cleansing.

But on the real, there sure are a lot less douche bags in Tokyo.

Or they are just spending a lot less money in the 23区

[cyberPUNK]

i'm sure they don't give a shit, haha. although to be honest this is probably a shitty long term decision considering the aging population problem. they need to increase their population and if they aren't going to make babies to do it, it's either build robots or let in more foreigners. something's got to give.

[Guest jmatsu]

they should stop the undergrad bullshit work holiday programs and the 3rd world country liberal foreign policy and only let in educated/skilled foreigners who can contribute to society/the economy.

[cyberPUNK]

word

either that or shorten the work day so people actually have time to fuck, no more zangyou!

[djrajio]

The work day is shortened and the japanese govt. requires people to take 5-7 consecutive days off for vacation.

It's just the concept of 義理 is so ingrained in the culture that people just work "overtime" all the fucking time.

[Ichigo100%]

Man give it up.

Ur never gonna be a super Animez manga artist here.

It's all done by Koreans now.

lol, rajio what makes you think that's my purpose? I'm not on that anime shit anymore so cut the nonsense dude. I'm sure you're just teasing, but still it's annoying now lol.

[djrajio]

lol, rajio what makes you think that's my purpose? I'm not on that anime shit anymore so cut the nonsense dude. I'm sure you're just teasing, but still it's annoying now lol.

Sorry meant video games. Same shit.

[cyberPUNK]

The work day is shortened and the japanese govt. requires people to take 5-7 consecutive days off for vacation.

It's just the concept of 義理 is so ingrained in the culture that people just work "overtime" all the fucking time.

yeah definitely true. i suppose the whole work culture needs to simply change. also it'd help if j beezy's wouldn't turn into housewives the second they get married. need two fucking breadwinners, especially when you got to support your parents and shit too, no time or money for kids. no wonder salarymen are killing themselves.

[Ichigo100%]

Not even video games either, I'm actually pursuing public relations right now. I just finished an internship for a small company. The experience wasn't great though since my boss didn't pay me for like 5 weeks.. I would just be happy working for anyone right now..

Gaming is difficult to get in with less than 3 years of experience in the field. Plus, a lot of companies are looking for programmers and art directors.. I can hardly find any PR positions open right now.

I kind of agree with what that article is saying, to a certain degree. I think that hiring non-experienced workers would definitely hurt Japan's economy, but as Jmatsu posted, hiring well educated/experienced foreigners would perhaps open more doors to opportunity.

[djrajio]

Yeah there are a whole host of problems with Japanese corporate culture and societal issues but you could argue that they are also virtues.

For example an American would consider the fact that Japanese women get married, become housewifes as a loss of economic productivity but a Japanese would argue that the lack of a mother figure during a childs upbringing has resulted in youth societal problems as witnessed in the states.

The problem I see with the current Japanese corporate structure is that compensation is not based on performance but on seniority. So Japanese companies (aside from the Toyotas and Nintendos of Japa) are hugely inefficient and have wack cost-structures that need to be globalized and modernized to compete against other global players. The Koreans, Chinese, and Indians are hungry.

I think one company that embodies a truly international "Japanese" company is Uniqlo and its doing very well in the current global economic downturn.

[cyberPUNK]

yeah you're totally right, nenkoujoretsu is a bunch of bullshit. *sigh*

although i'd also argue that the hiring process needs to be retooled, since everyone comes out of college with similar talents and rather than working in a field that interests them, are simply hired and placed in a position the company sees fit. kind of kills any passion and drive you may have had to begin with. at least this is something i've heard from a lot of friends.

haha, this is one of the more serious conversations i've seen in this thread in a while if not ever.

[jcotteri]

Yeah there are a whole host of problems with Japanese corporate culture and societal issues but you could argue that they are also virtues.

For example an American would consider the fact that Japanese women get married, become housewifes as a loss of economic productivity but a Japanese would argue that the lack of a mother figure during a childs upbringing has resulted in youth societal problems as witnessed in the states.

The problem I see with the current Japanese corporate structure is that compensation is not based on performance but on seniority. So Japanese companies (aside from the Toyotas and Nintendos of Japa) are hugely inefficient and have wack cost-structures that need to be globalized and modernized to compete against other global players. The Koreans, Chinese, and Indians are hungry.

I think one company that embodies a truly international "Japanese" company is Uniqlo and its doing very well in the current global economic downturn.

hence Tadashi Yanai is Japons richest...post recession slip.. though i wold argue that japon has been in recession for the past 2 decades nearly

[Ichigo100%]

I definitely think it's an issue that should be discussed since it effects a majority of people. After re-reading that article, I think that it's quite inhumane to just invite someone into your country to work, then once all the dirty work is completed you just throw em the cash and kick them out.

However, as forementioned in my other post, I do think that hiring more skilled workers would help in a variety of different ways. You get rid of all the shit and bring in people who are actually worth something. It'll help strengthen the manufacturing sector for sure.

This whole "ethic cleansing" thing though I find it a bit far fetched. I know that Japan has been notorious for having a tight immigration policy on foreigners, and that they're very one sided in regards to culture, etc. But I think that increasing the population with a more multicultural influence would definitely boost the country's reputation in terms of living, working, travel, etc.

[dismalfuture]

Ichigo, have you been to Japan yet?

[Ichigo100%]

Nah, I haven't had the opportunity to go yet however I've had many friends of mine who've stayed/lived there give me a bit of info. I also do a bit of research on my own time. I find it better to just gather all the information I can before I jump on a plane to a place im unfamiliar with.

I'm going to admit, I don't know all too much about the labour sector in Japan or much of the laws altogether (hence the research), but much of that article I felt was a bit over the boundary in terms of equality. I can understand to a certain degree that if you aren't skilled enough or have no background experience, that you shouldn't be given a higher pay raise than someone who does.

However, what seemed to trigger me was the fact that these are citizens who've lived in Japan for more than 10 years, contributed to the slumping economy, but get treated as if they were mere tourists. Getting a pay package then being told to leave and not come back (not to mention your kids being held back) is a total kick in the face for the most part, and it leaves a sour taste in the mouths of those who intend on working in Japan in the long run.

[horriblyjollyjinx]

Just make sure you don't dream too much, and expect Japan to be heaven on earth, or significantly different from America even. At the end of the day you have the same obligations here as in America; you need to make a living, build a career, find friends, a gf and all what comes with it etc etc. No one is going to expect less from you in Japan than in America. Your life here will not be trouble-free and there will not be girls screaming at you when you walk down the street and no company will throw money at you just because you're white.

I haven't read your posts so I don't know what you want to do, and I don't want to put you off from them, just make sure you don't have any unreasonable expectations, because that's what could make your life in Japan a misery.

But other than that, I definitely think you should experience living in another country and on your own. If nothing else it will make you see life in America in another light.

[Ichigo100%]

I hear you Jollyjinx. I don't have high expectations though. That's why I'm not really rushing out at the moment. I'm trying to just finish up my final year in college before I start making decisions on where I should go.

Japan is just one of the places I plan on visiting. I wouldn't mind living there for a few months to get the hang of things, but my intentions are to travel to other parts of the world just to see what opportunities are out there professionally.

[the bandanna almanac]

Japan Pays Foreign Workers to go Home, Forever

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/business/global/23immigrant.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&sq=japan&st=cse&scp=5

"But Mr. Kawasaki said the economic slump was a good opportunity to overhaul Japan’s immigration policy as a whole.

“We should stop letting unskilled laborers into Japan. We should make sure that even the three-K jobs are paid well, and that they are filled by Japanese,” he said. “I do not think that Japan should ever become a multiethnic society.”"

Thoughts? What's the public reaction over there, if any?

Most foreign workers here who are not apart of a corporate institution are pretty upset by it and see it as a anti-progressive. The public reaction is almost nothing since this article is only a brief in most of the Japanese newspapers. Honestly, it can't be sensationalized in Japan since it would make Japan look bad, hence not really that newsworthy here.

Also it is a voluntary system so it is not really agressively kicking them out rather than coaxing them to get on a plane. The Japanese government is not exactly the brightest nor elegant of groups and their decision making seems to be based on politics rather than statistics and experts.

[conqueror]

i've been here pretty much since the start of the year and leave in just under 2 weeks; i've had such a blast. maybe i'll try and find work here when i finish university (i'll be 29ish then), i just don't want to fall in the stuck-in-eikaiwa-seemingly-forever slump that so many fall into.

[cyberPUNK]

at 29 you're really risking getting stuck in that eikaiwa slump.

on the brightside, a former classmate at doshisha while i studied abroad was an english teacher around the age of 30. he lived there three years at the time and had studied enough japanese to where he's now in the business school at doshisha as a regular student. he's looking to pass ikkyuu next time they offer it and do something with that once he's done. the best advice i can give you is that if you want any shot at a decent job, you'll need to pass the japanese proficiency ikkyuu exam.

[dismalfuture]

salaryman's life salaryman's dream

[conqueror]

at 29 you're really risking getting stuck in that eikaiwa slump.

on the brightside, a former classmate at doshisha while i studied abroad was an english teacher around the age of 30. he lived there three years at the time and had studied enough japanese to where he's now in the business school at doshisha as a regular student. he's looking to pass ikkyuu next time they offer it and do something with that once he's done. the best advice i can give you is that if you want any shot at a decent job, you'll need to pass the japanese proficiency ikkyuu exam.

thanks for the advice. yeah, i know (almost) fluency in japanese is generally a must. as i said, i'd love to give it a go after university but i don't think i could deal with doing eikaiwa. maybe for a year tops but i dunno. from what i've read, generally unless you are in finance/law/I.T. (programming)/engineering career options are pretty slim. for the record i'm deciding between studying psychology or journalism, so job options in japan for a foreiginer in those areas i imagine would be slim to none.

[sircheesecake]

My life is fucked. I somehow got my stupid ass involved with a psycho jap bitch. For stupid fucking reasons, I can not just move on and get her out of my life. If I do, I know she will make my life miserable. I live in too small of a town. This fucking blows.

[cyberPUNK]

that's actually pretty funny. care to elaborate?

i forgot...include pictures if possible.

[dismalfuture]

lol @ sircheesecake