Harmony and Respect: How Japanese Work Culture Can Redefine Western Work Perception
Positive aspects of Japanese work culture to help the Western lifestyle
Living in Europe and meeting people who hate their job is almost a daily routine. People complain about their employment, low salary, boring work or being embarrassed about their job. It is almost normal to hate your job, do the minimum to survive until the weekend, finish your shift fast and get on with your life.
Then, I moved to Japan. I spent a year and a half in Tokyo and travelled throughout Honshu and Kyushu. I met many people, locals in big cities as well as small villages and it struck me that life and people’s attitudes toward work are a bit different in Japan than what I was used to in Europe.
Hardship of Japanese Work Culture
Everyone is familiar with the hardcore working environment in Japan: long hours in the office, short holidays, heavy drinking culture and a life centered around work with little time for family.
I met many Japanese people who were not fond of this intense working lifestyle and employees who were so exhausted that they were contemplating ending their lives. It seems that many, especially younger generations want to change this system, but it is rooted so deeply into the culture that it is very hard to bring any innovations.
However, as familiar as we are with this aspect of working in Japan, I would like to focus on a different aspect that is hardly noticed but is very important. I took it as my biggest lesson from my Japanese experience and incorporated it into my own, Western working style.
Is Hierarchy and Seniority Bad?
Hierarchy and seniority are essential parts not only of Japanese working culture but also of the general lifestyle. Even the language changes if you speak to someone older than you in a shop or school, or your superior at work. Those who study Japanese are familiar with keigo, the formal language.
Respecting seniority is taught from the youngest age. You can see kids in school and at home behaving respectfully towards teachers, parents, and grandparents. This is something that in Western cultures is failing more and more nowadays. When I was an assistant in a primary school in Tokyo, I was truly amazed to see how well-behaved Japanese children were.
Compared with Western countries, it is scary to think that in primary schools in Europe, teachers have few rights, and very often children behave rudely and disrespectfully toward them, even in primary schools.
Many people would comment that children are suppressed by this strict education and manners, but are they really? Looking at adulthood, is it that bad to respect someone in your workplace who worked more years than you or has greater experience? Do we need to be in a constant rat race with our colleagues? I think that seniority and respect would boost performance and positive vibes in companies.
Do We Have to Always Focus on Individual Success?
Collectivism is much more appreciated in Japan than individualism. Of course, this has its negative aspects of having difficulty developing your personality or expressing your ideas. However, partially adopting this aspect in your own working culture can create an amazing working environment, where everyone cares about the group and achieving success together.
Would it be so bad to have a workplace where harmony is the priority and where nobody creates unnecessary drama? In the end, work itself might be stressful; we don’t need an environment that additionally stresses us throughout the day.
“Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Reading the Air
Japan belongs to a high-context culture, where many things are not communicated, compared to the low-context culture where it is common to express all that is on your mind. It means that people in Japan have to understand the vibe and adjust their behaviour or responses. This concept has its term in Japanese, kūki o yomu 空気を読む, which means literally to “read the air.”
Very often it is perceived as a negative factor by Western societies as it is believed that people should freely express what they think. However, at the same time, this concept teaches people to be aware of their surroundings and to notice changes in other people.
“Reading the air” can be very helpful in any job to make it easier for one another, to help without being asked, and to take initiative when we see someone struggling. In the Western world, sometimes we use the excuse that nobody said anything as our response to a problem. But if we turn on our senses, we can adapt easily to our surroundings and anticipate challenges at their initial stages.
Be Proud of Your Job
The last point I want to discuss is the respect that Japanese people have for their jobs, no matter what they do. They take huge pride in what they dedicate their life to. This is one of the most beautiful things I have noticed when talking to Japanese people.
Maybe their job is not perfect, it doesn’t pay well, it might not be what they dreamt of, but when asked about it, they can talk about its positive sides with such passion and commitment that makes you realise that life is much better with this positive attitude.
Instead of walking around constantly unhappy and complaining, how nice it would be if everyone felt a part of the society, where every job matters. Every job teaches us something, serves others, and can give us a sense of accomplishment. To have this comprehension could change the attitude to our job, even when it isn’t perfect. Waking up in the morning with that feeling can change your whole day!
Improve Your Work Culture to Serve You Better
My life changed for the better after my stay in Japan. I can notice others around me, care about the environment at my work and treat my colleagues the way I would like to be treated. In the end, I feel we have the same goal and by supporting each other, rather than competing with one another, we can create and achieve much more. Being humble and respectful toward people who have more experience and knowledge helps me develop my skills. Lastly, all these factors helped me to realise how happy I am at work, and how rewarding it can be working as a part of a team.
“Working as individuals we can achieve a lot, but working as a team, we can move mountains.”
