Say goodbye to Japan's old way of working

Japan's population is shrinking and its companies find it increasingly challenging to find workers. The government has set its eyes on attracting foreign immigrants to fill labor shortages, but there is a problem. Japan's difficult language, rigid institutions, and infamous work culture make it an unattractive destination for skilled workers. Their solution? Work style reform.

But is immigration really the answer to the root causes of Japan's demographic challenges?

FULL TRANSCRIPT + SOURCES:

FURTHER READING:

The Japanese Economic Miracle (Berkely Economic Review):

How a Fading Japan Regained Its Superpowers (Bloomberg):

[ewwminm]

Title a bit misleading. This was more of a japan history lesson

[languist]

Japanese society is believed to be utopian by Western viewpoints, but we tend to forget that Japan has working conditions that would be considered illegal by European standards.

[Oceanbeachfish]

I have spoken to people who have lived in Japan and they all tell me that from the outside and from a tourist perspective it is an amazing place but once you actually live there and experience it it is a nightmare.

[kodai]

As a Japanese in my 20s, I feel sad to hear people think nightmare to work, and I cannot deny. But people’s minds about working culture are changing a lot like our generation don’t expect the first job would be our life long employment. Especially big international companies don’t allow workers to overwork anymore to appeal new graduates and investors. Also although still limited, some companies open up opportunities for foreigners regardless of the language capabilities. Hard working culture are still common but ofc it differs company to company. I hope some of you want to live in Japan can find a chance to live and appreciate rich culture and beautiful country!🇯🇵

[judahyrs]

I absolutely love Japan! Been living here for over 20 years. Clean, safe, drug free, no panhandlers. To be honest there is no utopian country on this planet, they all have one issue or another.

[yutoriotsu]

I'm Japanese and work as a web developer. I work remotely, four days a week. I only work 4 hours a day while pretending to work 8 hours, lol. The pay is decent but enough to live in Tokyo. If I move to a smaller city, the cost of living would be much cheaper. I think this situation is ironic because, thanks to Japan's strict immigration policies and the fact that many foreigners dislike living here, I can enjoy this amazing work-life balance, lol.

[HaoJunLiu-qsxk]

The biggest problem with this video is that it still confuses the difference between "migrant workers" and "immigrants." The reason why Western countries have a headache on the immigration issue is because they are too lax in reviewing immigration qualifications.
A simple example is that most Asian countries including Japan do not allow dual citizenship.

[Lotuzyo]

Japan please don't make the same mistake as Europe in regards to immigration.

[vengxance]

Europe tried to solve its demographic issues with mass immigration, especially from muslim countries. It's not going very well, our society is worse off.

[Joe-Przybranowski]

Id live in Japan in a heartbeat if I were wealthy.
The countryside is stunning and full of history.
I wouldn't be interested in working there or living in an urban area.

[Oniromanciee]

The content and title have nothing in common. The video is shallow and seems AI generated.

[itch]

This video and everyone's comments are wrong.

I am a Japanese person living in Japan.Japan's economic indicators and salaries are mixed with data from full-time housewives who have never worked before who work part-time for low wages.(Women's groups will complain if they find out about this mistake, so please don't make it public.)The economic indicator of Japan's dollar exchange rate is simply the government's national policy to induce a weaker yen.

I'm from the so-called lost generation.However, at that time there was a custom that one had to decide on a job before graduating from school.In the long run, it's not a big problem, and statistical data shows that it's not a problem.

Although not mentioned at all in the video, the major problems in Japan are as follows:
・How have you made self-sacrifice for your organization or company?
・Is this way of life acceptable?
Evaluations are no longer based on income or ability.Even as a Japanese person, I used to get fed up with it when I was a student or just starting out, so I think it would be difficult for a foreigner.On the other hand, if you keep an appropriate distance from Japanese society, I think it is the most comfortable country in the world to live in.

This person probably created the video without knowing much about the characteristics of Japan.

[sj]

This video is a like a regurgitated Wikipedia article

[dreystube]

As a Canadian living and working in Japan for over 20 years, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else especially these days. Nonsense Title

[flo]

I love your videos but you didn't tackle the title of the video. Problems in everyday life in Japan as a foreigner? Work? Integration? Language?

[dmytroizotov]

My take as a person living here for 4 years - if you expect that everything and everyone will be just as in your home country, then of course, you will be disappointed. But, as they say, your expectations are your problem. If you know the language, understand the culture, then the life here will be much smoother. Add safety + fantastic transportation and life will look like heaven :)

[evaristo]

It’s not for everybody. People that feel “special” and deserve more than others will not enjoy living in Japan. People that behave like spoiled brats and demand more than they give will not enjoy living in Japan. People that have no discipline and cannot follow rules and be responsible will not enjoy living in Japan. I have lived 28 years in Japan and worked in a very very traditional company for 25 years. I feel tremendously comfortable! I believe in discipline and mutual respect. I believe in consideration for others and contributing to your community. There “harsh rules” the video complains about, seem pretty reasonable to me. The cities have no graffiti in the walls and are clean. The city is safe for everyone! There is social stability and justice is same for everyone. I love Japan!

[TokyoMINOMINO]

I moved to Japan 3 years ago originally to Shikoku but later to Tokyo and it's the best thing I've ever done.

[WideData-ecwi]

If you are a foreigner moving toJapan, first thing you notice is problems with renting an apartment, firstly many apartments don't want foreigners, secondly they need gaurantors to rent an apartment so good luck finding someone or you can spend money to hire company to be your guarantor, thirdly, you need to pay key money/gift money, which is a huge amount of unrefundable money to the land lord.

[stevensmith]

The order in the video is wrong. Japanese economic strength led to the Plaza Accords not the other way round. Then Japan was coerced - due to political expediency- into overvaluing its currency…

Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 before the Plaza Accords, which occurred in 1985. The video suggests the opposite.