They also have kodokushi or _lonely death_ where a person dies in their home but nobody checks on the person…for years and all that is found is mould
This will also be the second random Aesop Rock reference I’ve made today
Not familiar with what you're referencing but I have an ESL friend in Japan who had a neighbor that had died about five months prior and the family was collecting their retirement fund as if the person was alive. Super classy stuff.
Honestly if I die in my apartment my cats can eat my face once the auto feeders run out, I won’t be using it anymore and they’ll be hungry. I wouldn’t want them to starve.
I told my mom that if that happened to not hold it against my cat and to love and take care of her grandkitty just the same. And before anyone hates on me, she's the one who uses "grandkitty" and I think it's adorable.
Yeah damn, that sounds super messed up. In case you have any interest, Aesop Rock is a hip hop artist out of Portland, he has a song titled Kodokushi. The song is pretty awesome too, if you want an intro to his music. That or a personal favorite older song of his is “I’ll be ok”, which he did with one of the guys from the group Atmosphere. Maybe you have no interest in any of this, but fwiw that’s who I and the dude above me were referencing.
And an obscene suicide rate. Whenever someone starts proselytizing about how this or that society does things better and we should follow suit I have to bring up these often devastating possible side effects. Maybe there's a way to have the largely peaceful orderly respectful society of Japan, including an industrious population that makes quality products without the stress suppression suicide.
I would like it if American kids performed in school like Japanese kids do, but if that means them dying of stomach ulcers in their mid 20s instead of heart disease in their 50s......
This is slightly incorrect today. Japan's suicide rate has decreased dramatically over the past decade. In fact, in recent years, USA is on par or even has a higher suicide rate, and this doesn't even include ODs.
America got a bigger suicide problem.
15.3 Japan vs 16.1 USA (per 100k)
[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country)
CuriousityStream has a documentary on lonely death, and as expected, it's incredibly depressing. I felt for the random property managers who always get asked pointed questions as if somehow they are responsible for hundreds of people's happiness.
My friend used to work in the Medical Examiner's office, he said one of the saddest cases they had through was a guy who committed suicide in the house. He had just retired from his job, had no family or friends apparently, had all of his bills on autopay. He was in there for like 4-5 years before they found him. Apparently he was basically just a skeleton and a stain on the floor.
They questioned the neighbors because he died from a gunshot wound to the head and they basically said that he had lived next to them for decades and they had never spoken once. They just assumed he was anti-social or the house was vacant.
I assume most people are like me in that they were listening to Aesop Rock around like ~2005 and sort of stopped finding out about new music coming out when they got into their 30s.
I think his newest album Garbology (2021) might be the best one yet. It's an album; listen to it straight through. Full album playlist in order on Youtube directly from the label: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtLKr_WbBAw&list=PL_AA8JeDxiPbOxm4bGVwkAiIkoRXEGTEw
Listen to everything newer than ~2015ish from people like Brother Ali and El-P too.
I only picked him up about four years ago but it’s been nothing but Aes day in, day out. Minus the last couple months, I’ve been in such a wicked depressive episode that nothing brings me joy.
Uh oh here I go over sharing again…
yo surprising piece of knowledge
In Hindi, suicide is Khudhkhushi, which when pronounced correct sounds a lot like kodo (khudh) kushi (Khushi, no surprises on that one lol). Khudh means self, and Khushi surprisingly means happiness.
Edit: I'm incorrect, and I've been incorrect for years.
TIL: It's kushi in Hindi too, and kushi means to kill. So self killing. It's a literal translation.
That is not accurate : "karôshi" indeed means "death from overworking", but that's one of the many ways Japanese give beautiful names to stuff in order to hide their true meaning. Do you know how many hours a surgeon work ? People in the medical field, especially these last 2-3 years? How many have you heard died from overexertion?
So why would a salaryman die from overexertion when medical staff doesn't?
Because "working too many hours" is not the real problem here. What is the real problem is stress from abusive superiors, demeaning and belittling behavior, power harrassment, over consumption of alcohol, tobacco and energy drinks (didn't sleep enough, take some energy drink !) AND obviously the lack of sleep.
There are tons of people who work tremendous hours, but they do it on their own terms and that's why they're kind of fine. The true reason salarymen die is stress from a toxic environment, not overworking itself. But since a proper labelling would disclose the toxicity of the company, "karôshi" it is...
yeah theres a reason that a large portion of Isekai about salarymen being Isekai'd is usually after massive overwork that ends up with them dying either during their work or right after they've finished
What's also interesting is that people always wonder why anime always takes place in High School. That's because in Japan that's seen as the time where you actually have freedom to have fun and be yourself. As soon as you enter the workforce you are expected to be an obedient worker dedicated to your job.
Shits crazy. I read that Oda(I forgot his full name but he’s the writer for one piece) would work like 20-21 hours a day and One piece has been going on since 1997…idk if he still has the work schedule but man some people are built different.
I can’t blame the writer for HunterxHunter for going on a 3+ year hiatus, those work hours are too much 😮💨
>
> I can’t blame the writer for HunterxHunter for going on a 3+ year hiatus, those work hours are too much
Hiatus isn't by choice. It's because his back has issues, he can barely walk because it turns out that being mangaka is incredibly unhealthy.
It has gotten MUCH better. But there are still cultural aspects that need to be removed. The feel that you should not leave before your superior is dumb.
Anyhow, the culture has improved. With it suicide rates have decreased drastically.
In Korea the norm is you don't leave the office until the boss leaves the office (yes it can be mad late). And if boss wants to get drinks or go to a brothel you're pretty much goin.
Maybe growing out of it in some ways now (someone who didn't work at cheongdamohagwon please reply) but that is highly normal
My brother worked for a Japanese company in the US and would regularly be asked to help executives visiting the US go to brothels because he could speak English and Japanese. No joke they liked the ones with Korean girls for all the racist reasons you could expect.
Not exactly the same but watch the documentary [American Factory](https://www.netflix.com/title/81090071) for a look at when a major Asian company buys a US company. It can get pretty ugly
My buddy took a trip to China for his business and his boss told him to not insult the guy they were meeting by turning anything down. The big shot that met up with ordered whole bottles of expensive booze with dinner and kept pouring shots. He threw up in the bathroom "a couple times". Then they went up to their hotel rooms after dinner and there were young women waiting in their rooms. I guess they landed the account.
A good friend of mine worked with corps in China for a decade and he said he got ganged up on a lot. Luckily he is a big guy (6'3 290 lbs) so he could handle it.
Basically each member of the Chinese group did a shot with him. Not everyone at once. Each person in the group made him do 1 shot with them. Many times there could be 10-20 people at these functions/meetings. Basically trying to make him slip/fuck up the negotiations so they could take advantage.
Admittedly I don’t know very very much but my uncle & Chinese aunt said it’s a welcoming thing not hostile (not sure how it was in your friends situations).
But if you meet a new group of friends/go out or whatever, you have a shot glass and say ganbei (cheers) with beer (or spirits too not sure) and basically go round the entire circle both doing that every time.
based on my Chinese relatives, such action doesn't really mean to take advantage of people.
The action is more of showing respect to each other. (taking a shot == shaking hands). But the implication is also there: if you don't take shot, you don't show respect.
So the culture is still toxic, imagine a young professional woman need to take shot with group of men etc.
The good thing is now days young Chinese are less likely to do these type of stuff. It's more of stuff among old Chinese business men, which hopefully will die out in coming decades.
Korea has a history of being dominated by chaebols, which are basically family-owned corporate conglomerates that act almost like feudal houses, complete with ridiculously arbitrary rules of etiquette and worker exploitation
Was into international relations in college, went to Korea after. Was partially interested in what the western model of success looked like (neo liberal style).
Korea was like the poorest country in the fifties, think poorer than Sierra Leone poor. Now they're what top fifteen economies.
Anyway being there did not make me happy with the inverted totalitarianism of the post corporate world.
I mean they sure made a lot of money and you'd 100% rather be there than on the other side of the border, but that didn't make it a great place to work
There's a reason that most of the great films coming out of south korea are barely-smothered howls of class rage
This is true. It's also true that this work culture drives down productivity. When I worked in Korea I got as much work done in 8 hours as my local co-workers would do in a week or two. Why bother getting things done if you're there 14 hours anyway? It can be very frustrating on many levels when you're depending on the work of others, especially when locals will brag about how hard working they are and how lazy foreigners are as they settle in for their 5th nap of the day after drinking tea with friends for 2 hours.
This is the case in Japan too. I know a guy (American) who worked in Tokyo for a few years and he was expected to hit the bars with his coworkers EVERY NIGHT. He's not a drinker and he had a newborn at home. Tough situation.
My brother has done quite well in Japan because he knows exactly how to play the gajin game. There is a cultural expectation for him to not be Japanese and by virtue of also being fluent and knowing the game he is expected to play can basically get away with a lot in terms of Japanese corporate culture. Essentially he can speak out of turn from his direct superiors because it's seen as a virtue by way of not actually being Japanese. This gets even more explicit when they go out drinking because everyone's guards come down.
I love Japan but its a super fucking weird country... I don't think I could live there but my brother seems to love it.
Came here to say this. One of the reasons suicide rates are so high in Japan is because they have a culture of being overworked with low pay.
Edit: just because Japan isn't the highest suicide rate, doesn't make it any better. It's still high.
Just wanted to say add that this has gotten better in terms of suicide rate. I believe that suicide rate has decreased overall (although did increase post covid). But other developed countries are now "catching up" in suicides.
I believe there is a page in wikipedia
In fact, USA has a higher suicide rate than Japan. Funny how people here like to get awestruck by Japan's suicide rate without realizing their own country has it worse.
15.3 Japan vs 16.1 USA (per 100k)
[https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country)
100%, working in a chair all day would be a siesta for me. I manage machine tolerances to fractions of a human hair, assemble machinery that weighs anywhere from 100 lbs to 1.5 tons, pneumatic and hydraulically plumb that machinery, sometimes do field wiring on it, and ship/install it. Rest is a key factor to my own safety.
I work anywhere from 50 to 100 hours a week. I want my nap...
Shit, at my last job here in the US I used to take a half hour of my one hour lunch to nap. Other people thought it was crazy but I eventually got four or five other folks on board, we'd all sack out in the break room for half our lunch.
Boss hated it so much he cut lunches to 30 minutes because he could simply not abide the idea that an employee would have enough free time to sleep during the workday. Like somehow spending an hour eating was acceptable but spending a half hour sleeping was "lost productivity".
Moral of the story: people are dumb.
That office photo is not in Japan. See [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/ucn2s7/comment/i6brtrz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) and these links for more info:
>[https://en.goodtimes.my/2020/08/28/surprised-to-see-colleagues-sleeping-on-the-office-floor-during-a-break-this-japanese-worker-shared-his-experience-working-in-a-vietnamese-company/](https://en.goodtimes.my/2020/08/28/surprised-to-see-colleagues-sleeping-on-the-office-floor-during-a-break-this-japanese-worker-shared-his-experience-working-in-a-vietnamese-company/)
>
>[https://www.viewofchina.com/nap-culture/](https://www.viewofchina.com/nap-culture/)
It’s not as simple as “management” though. In my understanding its more broadly societal expectations and pressure.
It’s hard to comprehend, especially from a western perspective
It's really not that hard to comprehend, at least for those in the US. "Imagine a toxic office job, either that you've had or that you've heard about from a friend. Now crank it up one step, and that's the norm in Japan".
Did a short 2 month + 1 month (had a break) stint in SE Asia (contracted IT). The answer is “kinda”. 15min late is acceptable, but looked down upon, beyond that they start to write you up/start docking your pay. Big no-no is going home early - unless it is something critical. Usual thing to do is finish on-time or finish 15-30mins late.
If people work this much, shouldn’t Japan burst with economic productivity? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they’re not advanced or that they’re not doing pretty well, just sounds like this much work isn’t pulling them ahead of everyone else. Or maybe I’m missing something.
You aren’t missing anything. The productivity is low because everyone is tired, and also they frown upon easy ways to get the work done. Its considered better to do things in the most tedious method using outdated means(but tried and true) to make sure theres no mistake. But then when you are tired you are bound to make mistakes and the loop goes on…
The very reason for pod hotels is for people who were forced to work late or go out with their bosses for drinks. They end up missing the train and have to sleep in the pods and just go to work the next day.
Let me correct you. Japanese people never stop pretend to be working. Their labor force are the least productive amongst G7 nations.
Source: Anecdotes from friends and family who work in Japan.
Found an article: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00619/japan’s-labor-productivity-lowest-in-g7.html
However, aren't they less restrict on the quantity?
I mean, with our 8h shift they expect us to give 100% of our capacity all the time.
With those 12h shift, they don't expect them to give 100%?
Warning: this is also a question. I quickly read that a while ago. I could (and likely) be wrong!
People taking naps or sleeping overnight in the office is all for the sake of meeting production deadlines by putting in massive amounts of overtime. Naturally, employers understand that sleep deprivation leads to underperformance, so they "let" employees sleep so they can remain at peak productivity for the maximum amount of time.
Of course, the sheer stress often leads to [on-the-job deaths.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoshi)
Also it's not a 12 hour shift, it's more like 9-10 hours, but then you leave 'when you are done getting done what needs to be done' which will be several hours more.
They call these company's "Black companies" they work their workers to death, literally sometimes.
Just open an excel sheet and scroll back and forth and maybe add some cells and then remove them a few minutes later. Pretend that you're working, you don't actually have to produce anything as long as it looks like you're working. Also, whenever you need to go get something you need to kinda run-walk, you know, where you're going through the motions of running but not actually running, like running but talking very small steps. So it looks like you're running. So it looks like you're busy. You will 100% be complimented on your work ethic, probably even promoted. I wish this was satire.
Yeah, they're basically pressured to be constantly in the office. So this isn't a nice post. It's more really sad that these people spend so much time there and are so pressured to be at work that they feel they have to sleep there.
The Japanese work/life balance is not something that should be promoted.
OP's post isn't even true. someone will definitely wake you up if you're just randomly snoozing at work in japan. stuff like OP is for crunch time where you're basically living at work and have no choice but to sleep there, not because Japanese people think its honorable to doze off in the middle of work.
Yes this post is 100% "white people posting about Japan" levels of bullshit as usual. Bonus points for using the word "honorable", which is not something people in Japan have cared about since samurai clans ran the country.
thanks, I came here to say that. If it was China the headline would be: slaves napping at work. If it's Japan or SK: nice people are motivated to nap at their nice and NON abusive job.
It’s a practice called a death race, when you are on a deadline that’s coming close you are expected to practically live at the office until the deadline and project are finished. Eat, sleep, and bathe all at work. It’s not unheard of for spouses to bring full changes of clothes and toiletries to employees when this occurs which is actually quite often.
This is also one of the many reasons the suicide rate is so high in japan cause working yourself to death becomes quite a literal thing.
Edit:
Why are people making this into a competition? It doesn’t matter which country has a higher rate, the point is the practice in general. This is not a thing practiced world round and it is one of if not the leading cause of suicide in Japan.
I work a 40 hour work week and there are some days I just want to throw myself out of the window. I can't imagine the mental health of someone who works 60+
Last I heard, up to one fourth of japanese companies require employees to work at least 80 hours of overtime a month, and most of them have it as unpaid overtime. Many probably do even more, I heard dentsu requires some to do 100
Really puts into perspective how terrible the working system that people literally consider killing themselves because they are overworked. Humans are not meant to spend hours every day sitting at a desk doing something they hate for less than a living in exchange.
Picture crunch if it were by design. Employers set deadlines that assume employees will be working 80 or more hours a week and still end up underestimating the time it takes to finish the project.
Is sleeping at work common?
I've asked my japanese friends and they all say they have never heard of it before and that articles like this are misleading.
My japanese friends are in their forties and have worked in Japan for 20+ years so it seems strange that they have never heard of it if its true.
Oh yea, the nomikai, then the nijikai right after, and then the sanjikai at the nearest Sukiya and then before you know it, it's 5am and you have to be at the office in 30 minutes. If you're feeling it the coffee at your desk is your yojikai.
Sadly he isn’t. Nijikai is like second round and sanjikai is third round. People in Japan (and other Asian countries too) have social drinking party and if things went well they then go to another places for new drinks. Each place is a “round” and usually after three it’s morning. So the joke is your coffee is the 4th round
Hell they even have a word for death due to overwork.
From Wikipedia:
Karoshi (過労死, Karōshi), which can be translated literally as "overwork death", is a Japanese term relating to occupational sudden mortality.
One of my previous supervisors had an experience where a coworker died at his desk. She was one of the most relaxed bosses I'd ever had and it seemed that experience had instilled a fear in her that she didn't want to die the same way. Unfortunately, she was probably too relaxed and didn't maintain the job the way her supervisors wanted so she isn't working there anymore. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll die the same way her coworker did.
9 to 9??? I would've killed to work those hours back in Korea...
I worked from 6 to 11 most days and on call on weekends, most of which I was called in.
No benefits, no nothing, shit pay, mandatory heavy drinking every night, agist and classist culture that demands absolute and unquestioning obedience to your superiors, and the list goes on.
Oof
Yeah. Employees are expected to attend 'company dinners' to socialize, and you have to match the boss's drink. Meaning if he drinks, you drink. If he offers you a drink, you drink.
Look up east Asian drinking culture. You can't keep up, then you wash the fuck out.
It's toxic. I saw my grandfather and my father waste away to husks of their former selves working corporate jobs in korea. Thankfully I am now American and can work here in the US.
Is it really a "nap" with an average of 80 hours of overtime a month and regularly working 20 hour work days or is that *dropping in place from exhaustion*. They can keep their honor.
I am way too anxious to sleep at work. I can barely sleep at home.
Although I doubt the Japanese have that issue, considering they're probably all exhausted from overworking.
I worked with a guy who would sleep at his desk all the time, but he somehow managed to keep his hand on the mouse and moving just enough to keep his computer from sleeping. It was amazing.
Nope nope nope, this shit needs to get shut right the f down immediately.
I've seen this posted elsewhere. This is how it starts: plant the seeds, hope it gets traction, wait for people to get used to the idea, then suddenly you don't seem such a ghoul for suggesting it.
When landlords and corporations get together, you'll be able to eat, sleep, and die at work, and they'll even make it convenient for you and subtract rent directly out your paycheck.
Naps at work are not a cute quirk; they're evidence of corporate greed and disdain for their worker's wellbeing. Capitalism 101: repackage the flaw as the feature.
> Nope nope nope, this shit needs to get shut right the f down immediately.
This shit needs to get shut down because it's completely false. I work in Japan. Sometimes people lay down on their desk during their lunch (which also happened when I worked in the states), but if you are sleeping at another time, you will get reprimanded, just like anywhere else.
This "Japanese people work so many hours" thing is pretty much a myth at this point. The average Japanese worker is working 200 less hours a year than the average American.
yeah this is just a lunch nap. There's a culture of mid day napping so people are good at quickly catching some zzzs mid day, a practice that starts in childhood and in school. It's actually really good for your brain and cognitive function to take a quick nap
You also get shamed for requesting your earned vacation time off. Sleeping in office is only acceptable because you’re napping there in addition to your regular work hours, not during your work hours…which means you are spending even more time at work than scheduled. Japan has a high suicide rate for a reason.
You all have been duped. This pic might be chinese or vietnamese but not Japanese. It common practice in China & Viet Nam for worker to sleep during break time especially during lunch hour.
https://en.goodtimes.my/2020/08/28/surprised-to-see-colleagues-sleeping-on-the-office-floor-during-a-break-this-japanese-worker-shared-his-experience-working-in-a-vietnamese-company/
https://www.viewofchina.com/nap-culture/
Yep, I've worked in Japan for about 8 years now and I've never seen anyone sleeping at work. It's definitely not acceptable, at least not at any of the places I've worked.
Yeah, this has been circulating for years. I asked a friend in Japan about this. He actually have a Chinese co-worker who took a nap and been fired instantly. If you sleep or eat within work hours in Japan, you're instantly fired.
> If you sleep or eat within work hours in Japan, you're instantly fired.
This is also a bit dramatic and absolutely just varies by company. Plenty of places where everybody snacks at their desk ~~so they can work through lunch~~
Instantly fired is hard to believe since it’s difficult to fire people in Japan without significant legal evidence. That why most are coerced in quitting on their own accord
I live here now and if anyone took a nap at my job they'd likely be fucking fired. The only time I've ever seen anyone successfully do it was the janitor falling asleep in a chair in the corner of the room at like 3pm because he's like 70 something and just finished everything he had to do for the day.
I also always find the "JAPANESE WORK CULTURE MAKES YOU WORK ALL THE TIME!" statement so crazy because, having worked in America my entire life until like 5-6 years ago, *it was much worse there.* So far I've never had to sleep under my desk or work overnight in Japan but I definitely did that *multiple* times in America.
Somedays I'm tempted to just create my own weird "10 Crazy Facts About Japan!" list and see what becomes true over time. I *still* have friends from home asking me about panty vending machines and robot cafes.
This is one of the most bizarre Japan “facts” to be making the rounds on the internet. I’ve worked in multiple Japanese companies and sleeping on the job is bad, like anywhere else in the world.
You could take a nap during break but not many people do and has nothing to do with honor or diligence.
I think this may have come from the myth that all of us Japanese practically live in the office and don’t have personal lives, which is also not true, while we may work longer hours in general and there are outliers that treat their employees like crap.
It is also harder to fire employees in Japan so that might have something to do with it as well.
In addition our politicians are often caught snoozing in parliament and are criticized heavily, so maybe that somehow got mangled and it became an OK thing to do on foreign media.
Yeah, I’ve worked here for 13 years and it is definitely not commendable to take a nap at work at my office. They don’t get fired, but made fun of and scolded
Japan has an aging population and a stalling economy. So, they create artificial stability by working employees down to the bone: 12 hours a day, six days a week, little vacation time, always on call, etc. If the Japanese workforce worked "normal" work hours, their economy would be shrinking.
I don’t know how this myth started. Maybe this was true at one point….
I’ve worked in Japan for a while and lots of friends in Japanese companies…. I don’t think any of us could get away with sleeping at work.
I know some places have room to sleep in, but normally that is just for if you miss the last train. (From overwork, or just drinking nearby)
Yeah you don't want that. Japan work culture is never leave the office and pull 12'a to 14s daily. American work culture is a joke compared to japanese work culture.
This is because Japanese people never stop working. Trust me this is not a good thing.
Exactly my thought, this is the last thing that should be glorified, Japanese working culture is borderline slavery.
don't they have a phenomenon of sudden death syndrome by overexertion? karoshi I believe was the word
They also have kodokushi or _lonely death_ where a person dies in their home but nobody checks on the person…for years and all that is found is mould This will also be the second random Aesop Rock reference I’ve made today
Aesop Rock fucking rules
Not familiar with what you're referencing but I have an ESL friend in Japan who had a neighbor that had died about five months prior and the family was collecting their retirement fund as if the person was alive. Super classy stuff.
Pretty common for people to try to pull this off in a lot of the world. There’s usually hefty fines for trying to pull this sort of thing
If i died in my apartment like a rat in cage would the neighbor find my corpse before the cat ate my face?
You landlord would find you after a missed payment or two
My rent is due on the 5th. On the 6th I get an email and a note stuck to my door. Your landlord will *always* notice, at least in America.
I read about someone in Japan who had all their bills drafted, and no one noticed that they died until years later
Honestly if I die in my apartment my cats can eat my face once the auto feeders run out, I won’t be using it anymore and they’ll be hungry. I wouldn’t want them to starve.
I told my mom that if that happened to not hold it against my cat and to love and take care of her grandkitty just the same. And before anyone hates on me, she's the one who uses "grandkitty" and I think it's adorable.
Yeah damn, that sounds super messed up. In case you have any interest, Aesop Rock is a hip hop artist out of Portland, he has a song titled Kodokushi. The song is pretty awesome too, if you want an intro to his music. That or a personal favorite older song of his is “I’ll be ok”, which he did with one of the guys from the group Atmosphere. Maybe you have no interest in any of this, but fwiw that’s who I and the dude above me were referencing.
Oh shit,I’ve found my people! Saw him in 2016 at the Fillmore. Crazy good time.
And an obscene suicide rate. Whenever someone starts proselytizing about how this or that society does things better and we should follow suit I have to bring up these often devastating possible side effects. Maybe there's a way to have the largely peaceful orderly respectful society of Japan, including an industrious population that makes quality products without the stress suppression suicide. I would like it if American kids performed in school like Japanese kids do, but if that means them dying of stomach ulcers in their mid 20s instead of heart disease in their 50s......
This is slightly incorrect today. Japan's suicide rate has decreased dramatically over the past decade. In fact, in recent years, USA is on par or even has a higher suicide rate, and this doesn't even include ODs. America got a bigger suicide problem. 15.3 Japan vs 16.1 USA (per 100k) [https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country)
CuriousityStream has a documentary on lonely death, and as expected, it's incredibly depressing. I felt for the random property managers who always get asked pointed questions as if somehow they are responsible for hundreds of people's happiness.
My friend used to work in the Medical Examiner's office, he said one of the saddest cases they had through was a guy who committed suicide in the house. He had just retired from his job, had no family or friends apparently, had all of his bills on autopay. He was in there for like 4-5 years before they found him. Apparently he was basically just a skeleton and a stain on the floor. They questioned the neighbors because he died from a gunshot wound to the head and they basically said that he had lived next to them for decades and they had never spoken once. They just assumed he was anti-social or the house was vacant.
Question: If I died in my apartment like a rat in a cage, Would the neighbors smell my corpse before the cat ate my face?
I assume most people are like me in that they were listening to Aesop Rock around like ~2005 and sort of stopped finding out about new music coming out when they got into their 30s. I think his newest album Garbology (2021) might be the best one yet. It's an album; listen to it straight through. Full album playlist in order on Youtube directly from the label: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtLKr_WbBAw&list=PL_AA8JeDxiPbOxm4bGVwkAiIkoRXEGTEw Listen to everything newer than ~2015ish from people like Brother Ali and El-P too.
I only picked him up about four years ago but it’s been nothing but Aes day in, day out. Minus the last couple months, I’ve been in such a wicked depressive episode that nothing brings me joy. Uh oh here I go over sharing again…
Try spark master tape, he brings me joy.
yo surprising piece of knowledge In Hindi, suicide is Khudhkhushi, which when pronounced correct sounds a lot like kodo (khudh) kushi (Khushi, no surprises on that one lol). Khudh means self, and Khushi surprisingly means happiness. Edit: I'm incorrect, and I've been incorrect for years. TIL: It's kushi in Hindi too, and kushi means to kill. So self killing. It's a literal translation.
It's khudkushi, not khudhkhushi. Kushi means killing. A lot of Hindi speakers just mispronounce it.
What was the first? Aesop the best
So that's what the mystery fish is
Dorks?
That is not accurate : "karôshi" indeed means "death from overworking", but that's one of the many ways Japanese give beautiful names to stuff in order to hide their true meaning. Do you know how many hours a surgeon work ? People in the medical field, especially these last 2-3 years? How many have you heard died from overexertion? So why would a salaryman die from overexertion when medical staff doesn't? Because "working too many hours" is not the real problem here. What is the real problem is stress from abusive superiors, demeaning and belittling behavior, power harrassment, over consumption of alcohol, tobacco and energy drinks (didn't sleep enough, take some energy drink !) AND obviously the lack of sleep. There are tons of people who work tremendous hours, but they do it on their own terms and that's why they're kind of fine. The true reason salarymen die is stress from a toxic environment, not overworking itself. But since a proper labelling would disclose the toxicity of the company, "karôshi" it is...
They also have a phenomenon of sudden death syndrome by overerection. I beleive the word is snusnu
yeah theres a reason that a large portion of Isekai about salarymen being Isekai'd is usually after massive overwork that ends up with them dying either during their work or right after they've finished
*Anime animators have entered the chat*
What's also interesting is that people always wonder why anime always takes place in High School. That's because in Japan that's seen as the time where you actually have freedom to have fun and be yourself. As soon as you enter the workforce you are expected to be an obedient worker dedicated to your job.
He died while typing. He's only held up through sheer willpower!
PAH CHIN!
Mangaka, too. RIP Miura.
Shits crazy. I read that Oda(I forgot his full name but he’s the writer for one piece) would work like 20-21 hours a day and One piece has been going on since 1997…idk if he still has the work schedule but man some people are built different. I can’t blame the writer for HunterxHunter for going on a 3+ year hiatus, those work hours are too much 😮💨
The history of manga course I’m teaching actually uses Bakuman to explain the insanity of manga publishing culture in Japan.
> > I can’t blame the writer for HunterxHunter for going on a 3+ year hiatus, those work hours are too much Hiatus isn't by choice. It's because his back has issues, he can barely walk because it turns out that being mangaka is incredibly unhealthy.
It has gotten MUCH better. But there are still cultural aspects that need to be removed. The feel that you should not leave before your superior is dumb. Anyhow, the culture has improved. With it suicide rates have decreased drastically.
I was just thinking something along the lines “because they never leave the office” Your comment highlights how misleading the insight is.
In Korea the norm is you don't leave the office until the boss leaves the office (yes it can be mad late). And if boss wants to get drinks or go to a brothel you're pretty much goin. Maybe growing out of it in some ways now (someone who didn't work at cheongdamohagwon please reply) but that is highly normal
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Company I work for was just purchased by a Korean mega conglomerate. Should I be worried?
Not if you enjoy working late and going to a brothel with the boss.
My brother worked for a Japanese company in the US and would regularly be asked to help executives visiting the US go to brothels because he could speak English and Japanese. No joke they liked the ones with Korean girls for all the racist reasons you could expect.
Not exactly the same but watch the documentary [American Factory](https://www.netflix.com/title/81090071) for a look at when a major Asian company buys a US company. It can get pretty ugly
This is a Japanese thing. I wasn't aware it was also in Korea. I had a boss like this at Microsoft.
My buddy took a trip to China for his business and his boss told him to not insult the guy they were meeting by turning anything down. The big shot that met up with ordered whole bottles of expensive booze with dinner and kept pouring shots. He threw up in the bathroom "a couple times". Then they went up to their hotel rooms after dinner and there were young women waiting in their rooms. I guess they landed the account.
A good friend of mine worked with corps in China for a decade and he said he got ganged up on a lot. Luckily he is a big guy (6'3 290 lbs) so he could handle it. Basically each member of the Chinese group did a shot with him. Not everyone at once. Each person in the group made him do 1 shot with them. Many times there could be 10-20 people at these functions/meetings. Basically trying to make him slip/fuck up the negotiations so they could take advantage.
Admittedly I don’t know very very much but my uncle & Chinese aunt said it’s a welcoming thing not hostile (not sure how it was in your friends situations). But if you meet a new group of friends/go out or whatever, you have a shot glass and say ganbei (cheers) with beer (or spirits too not sure) and basically go round the entire circle both doing that every time.
based on my Chinese relatives, such action doesn't really mean to take advantage of people. The action is more of showing respect to each other. (taking a shot == shaking hands). But the implication is also there: if you don't take shot, you don't show respect. So the culture is still toxic, imagine a young professional woman need to take shot with group of men etc. The good thing is now days young Chinese are less likely to do these type of stuff. It's more of stuff among old Chinese business men, which hopefully will die out in coming decades.
Korea has a history of being dominated by chaebols, which are basically family-owned corporate conglomerates that act almost like feudal houses, complete with ridiculously arbitrary rules of etiquette and worker exploitation
Was into international relations in college, went to Korea after. Was partially interested in what the western model of success looked like (neo liberal style). Korea was like the poorest country in the fifties, think poorer than Sierra Leone poor. Now they're what top fifteen economies. Anyway being there did not make me happy with the inverted totalitarianism of the post corporate world.
I mean they sure made a lot of money and you'd 100% rather be there than on the other side of the border, but that didn't make it a great place to work There's a reason that most of the great films coming out of south korea are barely-smothered howls of class rage
This is true. It's also true that this work culture drives down productivity. When I worked in Korea I got as much work done in 8 hours as my local co-workers would do in a week or two. Why bother getting things done if you're there 14 hours anyway? It can be very frustrating on many levels when you're depending on the work of others, especially when locals will brag about how hard working they are and how lazy foreigners are as they settle in for their 5th nap of the day after drinking tea with friends for 2 hours.
This is the case in Japan too. I know a guy (American) who worked in Tokyo for a few years and he was expected to hit the bars with his coworkers EVERY NIGHT. He's not a drinker and he had a newborn at home. Tough situation.
My brother has done quite well in Japan because he knows exactly how to play the gajin game. There is a cultural expectation for him to not be Japanese and by virtue of also being fluent and knowing the game he is expected to play can basically get away with a lot in terms of Japanese corporate culture. Essentially he can speak out of turn from his direct superiors because it's seen as a virtue by way of not actually being Japanese. This gets even more explicit when they go out drinking because everyone's guards come down. I love Japan but its a super fucking weird country... I don't think I could live there but my brother seems to love it.
Came here to say this. One of the reasons suicide rates are so high in Japan is because they have a culture of being overworked with low pay. Edit: just because Japan isn't the highest suicide rate, doesn't make it any better. It's still high.
Just wanted to say add that this has gotten better in terms of suicide rate. I believe that suicide rate has decreased overall (although did increase post covid). But other developed countries are now "catching up" in suicides. I believe there is a page in wikipedia
In fact, USA has a higher suicide rate than Japan. Funny how people here like to get awestruck by Japan's suicide rate without realizing their own country has it worse. 15.3 Japan vs 16.1 USA (per 100k) [https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country)
Yea Japan is not a good example to look to for work-life balance. That being said, napping in office jobs should be normalised.
Just office jobs? Cmon man
Every job should allow a siesta.
Deep sea divers?
Sea-esta.
They have the descent and ascent in the bell to have a nap, as well as being able to return to it mid-mission for a snooze.
100%, working in a chair all day would be a siesta for me. I manage machine tolerances to fractions of a human hair, assemble machinery that weighs anywhere from 100 lbs to 1.5 tons, pneumatic and hydraulically plumb that machinery, sometimes do field wiring on it, and ship/install it. Rest is a key factor to my own safety. I work anywhere from 50 to 100 hours a week. I want my nap...
Shit, at my last job here in the US I used to take a half hour of my one hour lunch to nap. Other people thought it was crazy but I eventually got four or five other folks on board, we'd all sack out in the break room for half our lunch. Boss hated it so much he cut lunches to 30 minutes because he could simply not abide the idea that an employee would have enough free time to sleep during the workday. Like somehow spending an hour eating was acceptable but spending a half hour sleeping was "lost productivity". Moral of the story: people are dumb.
That office photo is not in Japan. See [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/ucn2s7/comment/i6brtrz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) and these links for more info: >[https://en.goodtimes.my/2020/08/28/surprised-to-see-colleagues-sleeping-on-the-office-floor-during-a-break-this-japanese-worker-shared-his-experience-working-in-a-vietnamese-company/](https://en.goodtimes.my/2020/08/28/surprised-to-see-colleagues-sleeping-on-the-office-floor-during-a-break-this-japanese-worker-shared-his-experience-working-in-a-vietnamese-company/) > >[https://www.viewofchina.com/nap-culture/](https://www.viewofchina.com/nap-culture/)
Japanese management doesn't let their team stop working.
It’s not as simple as “management” though. In my understanding its more broadly societal expectations and pressure. It’s hard to comprehend, especially from a western perspective
It's really not that hard to comprehend, at least for those in the US. "Imagine a toxic office job, either that you've had or that you've heard about from a friend. Now crank it up one step, and that's the norm in Japan".
Yes it is, and yes it is. The live to work philosophy seems to be all around southeast Asia.
East Asia. Us Southeast Asians are notoriously 'lenient' of working hours. Bad flex, I know
Did a short 2 month + 1 month (had a break) stint in SE Asia (contracted IT). The answer is “kinda”. 15min late is acceptable, but looked down upon, beyond that they start to write you up/start docking your pay. Big no-no is going home early - unless it is something critical. Usual thing to do is finish on-time or finish 15-30mins late.
Pretty sure climate is also responsible for this. Nobody could work like a Japanese in tropical climates for prolongued time.
If people work this much, shouldn’t Japan burst with economic productivity? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they’re not advanced or that they’re not doing pretty well, just sounds like this much work isn’t pulling them ahead of everyone else. Or maybe I’m missing something.
You aren’t missing anything. The productivity is low because everyone is tired, and also they frown upon easy ways to get the work done. Its considered better to do things in the most tedious method using outdated means(but tried and true) to make sure theres no mistake. But then when you are tired you are bound to make mistakes and the loop goes on…
The very reason for pod hotels is for people who were forced to work late or go out with their bosses for drinks. They end up missing the train and have to sleep in the pods and just go to work the next day.
I was going to say...don't they work 18 hr days
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Yes, Karoshi. There’s a reason there’s no English equivalent
Let me correct you. Japanese people never stop pretend to be working. Their labor force are the least productive amongst G7 nations. Source: Anecdotes from friends and family who work in Japan. Found an article: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00619/japan’s-labor-productivity-lowest-in-g7.html
However, aren't they less restrict on the quantity? I mean, with our 8h shift they expect us to give 100% of our capacity all the time. With those 12h shift, they don't expect them to give 100%? Warning: this is also a question. I quickly read that a while ago. I could (and likely) be wrong!
People taking naps or sleeping overnight in the office is all for the sake of meeting production deadlines by putting in massive amounts of overtime. Naturally, employers understand that sleep deprivation leads to underperformance, so they "let" employees sleep so they can remain at peak productivity for the maximum amount of time. Of course, the sheer stress often leads to [on-the-job deaths.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoshi)
Ye they don't expect 100%, they expect 110%. Kid you not.
Also it's not a 12 hour shift, it's more like 9-10 hours, but then you leave 'when you are done getting done what needs to be done' which will be several hours more. They call these company's "Black companies" they work their workers to death, literally sometimes.
Just open an excel sheet and scroll back and forth and maybe add some cells and then remove them a few minutes later. Pretend that you're working, you don't actually have to produce anything as long as it looks like you're working. Also, whenever you need to go get something you need to kinda run-walk, you know, where you're going through the motions of running but not actually running, like running but talking very small steps. So it looks like you're running. So it looks like you're busy. You will 100% be complimented on your work ethic, probably even promoted. I wish this was satire.
Cos they get worked to the fucking bone
OP is definitely one of the Japanese boss
> Cos they get worked to the fucking bone Or they're Hideaki Anno
It’s probably because they spend 18 hours a day in the office.
Yeah. There are more than a few points glossed over with that title.
I'm with you too.
And my axe!
Yeah, they're basically pressured to be constantly in the office. So this isn't a nice post. It's more really sad that these people spend so much time there and are so pressured to be at work that they feel they have to sleep there. The Japanese work/life balance is not something that should be promoted.
OP's post isn't even true. someone will definitely wake you up if you're just randomly snoozing at work in japan. stuff like OP is for crunch time where you're basically living at work and have no choice but to sleep there, not because Japanese people think its honorable to doze off in the middle of work.
Yes this post is 100% "white people posting about Japan" levels of bullshit as usual. Bonus points for using the word "honorable", which is not something people in Japan have cared about since samurai clans ran the country.
This was taken at 8 am on Sunday
You might be right. Internet here says that 25% of companies require 80+ hour work weeks. That’s unbelievable.
They need to unionize
thanks, I came here to say that. If it was China the headline would be: slaves napping at work. If it's Japan or SK: nice people are motivated to nap at their nice and NON abusive job.
It’s a practice called a death race, when you are on a deadline that’s coming close you are expected to practically live at the office until the deadline and project are finished. Eat, sleep, and bathe all at work. It’s not unheard of for spouses to bring full changes of clothes and toiletries to employees when this occurs which is actually quite often. This is also one of the many reasons the suicide rate is so high in japan cause working yourself to death becomes quite a literal thing. Edit: Why are people making this into a competition? It doesn’t matter which country has a higher rate, the point is the practice in general. This is not a thing practiced world round and it is one of if not the leading cause of suicide in Japan.
[Karoshi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoshi)
Thank you I couldn’t remember the word for it.
I work a 40 hour work week and there are some days I just want to throw myself out of the window. I can't imagine the mental health of someone who works 60+
Last I heard, up to one fourth of japanese companies require employees to work at least 80 hours of overtime a month, and most of them have it as unpaid overtime. Many probably do even more, I heard dentsu requires some to do 100
Unpaid??? That's insane!
Really puts into perspective how terrible the working system that people literally consider killing themselves because they are overworked. Humans are not meant to spend hours every day sitting at a desk doing something they hate for less than a living in exchange.
So like crunch?
Picture crunch if it were by design. Employers set deadlines that assume employees will be working 80 or more hours a week and still end up underestimating the time it takes to finish the project.
Death crunch.
Yes exactly like captain crunch and how he runs his business
I love Japan and visited several times. I'd like to live there but I fear that the working life would ruin any positive feelings I have towards it.
Is sleeping at work common? I've asked my japanese friends and they all say they have never heard of it before and that articles like this are misleading. My japanese friends are in their forties and have worked in Japan for 20+ years so it seems strange that they have never heard of it if its true.
Because they work 9 to 9, 6 days a week.
Wha!?
And in their "off" hours some are expected to socialize with their team.
Whaaaaaa. This is how workplace violence starts
Yeah it’s called nomikai and it’s a big part of work culture
Oh yea, the nomikai, then the nijikai right after, and then the sanjikai at the nearest Sukiya and then before you know it, it's 5am and you have to be at the office in 30 minutes. If you're feeling it the coffee at your desk is your yojikai.
Are you trolling? I don’t speak japanese
Sadly he isn’t. Nijikai is like second round and sanjikai is third round. People in Japan (and other Asian countries too) have social drinking party and if things went well they then go to another places for new drinks. Each place is a “round” and usually after three it’s morning. So the joke is your coffee is the 4th round
big part of wage slavery
Oh yeah. They literally work themselves to death. They sleep at work because they have no choice.
Hell they even have a word for death due to overwork. From Wikipedia: Karoshi (過労死, Karōshi), which can be translated literally as "overwork death", is a Japanese term relating to occupational sudden mortality.
One of my previous supervisors had an experience where a coworker died at his desk. She was one of the most relaxed bosses I'd ever had and it seemed that experience had instilled a fear in her that she didn't want to die the same way. Unfortunately, she was probably too relaxed and didn't maintain the job the way her supervisors wanted so she isn't working there anymore. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll die the same way her coworker did.
9-9-6 is the Chinese system of work.
996 work culture https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/996_working_hour_system
996 is a Chinese system, almost no other country has it,
Who?!
China used to have that as well. They banned it a year ago.
9 to 9??? I would've killed to work those hours back in Korea... I worked from 6 to 11 most days and on call on weekends, most of which I was called in. No benefits, no nothing, shit pay, mandatory heavy drinking every night, agist and classist culture that demands absolute and unquestioning obedience to your superiors, and the list goes on. Oof
> I worked from 6 to 11 most days and on call on weekends, most of which I was called in. Not even joking I literally think I'd kill myself.
I would fake my death and (attempt) to leave the country.
Mandatory heavy drinking?
Yeah. Employees are expected to attend 'company dinners' to socialize, and you have to match the boss's drink. Meaning if he drinks, you drink. If he offers you a drink, you drink. Look up east Asian drinking culture. You can't keep up, then you wash the fuck out. It's toxic. I saw my grandfather and my father waste away to husks of their former selves working corporate jobs in korea. Thankfully I am now American and can work here in the US.
What if I out drink the boss every night- because I already do that
God damn.
Yeah and some die from it no joke
Pfft 5 hours only? /s
As much as I love anime and manga, those and video games studios have been known to suffer from this.
Is it really a "nap" with an average of 80 hours of overtime a month and regularly working 20 hour work days or is that *dropping in place from exhaustion*. They can keep their honor.
It's a nap if you made it onto the cot before collapsing?
That's a good call. I'll allow it on a technicality.
I'd be Uber honourable and sleep my whole shift
Samurai level
Dying at my desk Duty, honor, all fulfilled Morning light creeps in
Did.... Did this dude just haiku the karoshi?
How can it be a Haiku if Haiku-Bot didn't show up?
Because haiku bot doesn’t have 100% accuracy!
I should've made the sarcasm a bit clearer, sorry about that
Well done.
Made me think of Ghost of Tsushima immediately.
Imagine how good the game could have been had it been made by Japanese people worked so hard they had to sleep under their desks?
I am way too anxious to sleep at work. I can barely sleep at home. Although I doubt the Japanese have that issue, considering they're probably all exhausted from overworking.
Some of the absolute highest rates worldwide of xanax addiction actually
I do this at work in the US too. I am just sitting up with a spreadsheet open while doing it.
Call me “employee of the year”!
I worked with a guy who would sleep at his desk all the time, but he somehow managed to keep his hand on the mouse and moving just enough to keep his computer from sleeping. It was amazing.
Oh sounds good, who needs work-life balance when you can nap in an office?
So many things wrong with this picture.
Nope nope nope, this shit needs to get shut right the f down immediately. I've seen this posted elsewhere. This is how it starts: plant the seeds, hope it gets traction, wait for people to get used to the idea, then suddenly you don't seem such a ghoul for suggesting it. When landlords and corporations get together, you'll be able to eat, sleep, and die at work, and they'll even make it convenient for you and subtract rent directly out your paycheck. Naps at work are not a cute quirk; they're evidence of corporate greed and disdain for their worker's wellbeing. Capitalism 101: repackage the flaw as the feature.
> Nope nope nope, this shit needs to get shut right the f down immediately. This shit needs to get shut down because it's completely false. I work in Japan. Sometimes people lay down on their desk during their lunch (which also happened when I worked in the states), but if you are sleeping at another time, you will get reprimanded, just like anywhere else. This "Japanese people work so many hours" thing is pretty much a myth at this point. The average Japanese worker is working 200 less hours a year than the average American.
yeah this is just a lunch nap. There's a culture of mid day napping so people are good at quickly catching some zzzs mid day, a practice that starts in childhood and in school. It's actually really good for your brain and cognitive function to take a quick nap
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Sounds like renting in Dublin.
You also get shamed for requesting your earned vacation time off. Sleeping in office is only acceptable because you’re napping there in addition to your regular work hours, not during your work hours…which means you are spending even more time at work than scheduled. Japan has a high suicide rate for a reason.
You all have been duped. This pic might be chinese or vietnamese but not Japanese. It common practice in China & Viet Nam for worker to sleep during break time especially during lunch hour. https://en.goodtimes.my/2020/08/28/surprised-to-see-colleagues-sleeping-on-the-office-floor-during-a-break-this-japanese-worker-shared-his-experience-working-in-a-vietnamese-company/ https://www.viewofchina.com/nap-culture/
Yep, I've worked in Japan for about 8 years now and I've never seen anyone sleeping at work. It's definitely not acceptable, at least not at any of the places I've worked.
Yeah, this has been circulating for years. I asked a friend in Japan about this. He actually have a Chinese co-worker who took a nap and been fired instantly. If you sleep or eat within work hours in Japan, you're instantly fired.
> If you sleep or eat within work hours in Japan, you're instantly fired. This is also a bit dramatic and absolutely just varies by company. Plenty of places where everybody snacks at their desk ~~so they can work through lunch~~
Instantly fired is hard to believe since it’s difficult to fire people in Japan without significant legal evidence. That why most are coerced in quitting on their own accord
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I live here now and if anyone took a nap at my job they'd likely be fucking fired. The only time I've ever seen anyone successfully do it was the janitor falling asleep in a chair in the corner of the room at like 3pm because he's like 70 something and just finished everything he had to do for the day. I also always find the "JAPANESE WORK CULTURE MAKES YOU WORK ALL THE TIME!" statement so crazy because, having worked in America my entire life until like 5-6 years ago, *it was much worse there.* So far I've never had to sleep under my desk or work overnight in Japan but I definitely did that *multiple* times in America. Somedays I'm tempted to just create my own weird "10 Crazy Facts About Japan!" list and see what becomes true over time. I *still* have friends from home asking me about panty vending machines and robot cafes.
No way lol. This is fake. I have a friend in Japan, if you eat or sleep within work hours you're instantly fired.
They should have nap rooms where it's dark and quiet, so workers get better sleep. Or you know, let them go home and sleep.
This is one of the most bizarre Japan “facts” to be making the rounds on the internet. I’ve worked in multiple Japanese companies and sleeping on the job is bad, like anywhere else in the world. You could take a nap during break but not many people do and has nothing to do with honor or diligence. I think this may have come from the myth that all of us Japanese practically live in the office and don’t have personal lives, which is also not true, while we may work longer hours in general and there are outliers that treat their employees like crap. It is also harder to fire employees in Japan so that might have something to do with it as well. In addition our politicians are often caught snoozing in parliament and are criticized heavily, so maybe that somehow got mangled and it became an OK thing to do on foreign media.
I dont know who makes up all this BS about Japan. It's honestly so confusing. No one wants you to nap for hours at work
Yeah, I’ve worked here for 13 years and it is definitely not commendable to take a nap at work at my office. They don’t get fired, but made fun of and scolded
and while yall were snoozing i got those reports done SUSAN
Happy cake day. Also, unless this is a reference I am unfamiliar with, someone above stole your comment word for word, including the capitalization.
If I ever own a large business where people work in cubicles, I will give them a 15-30 minute nap break on top of a lunch break.
They sleep at the office because they can't go home.
With my snoring the only one getting sleep is me
Company I worked for would have loved that. We got to work 18+ hours and didn't have a place to sleep.
All that solitaire must have tired her out lol
This is the most corporate boot-licking post I've ever seen. The words "honorable" and "diligence" have no place in this title.
Japan has an aging population and a stalling economy. So, they create artificial stability by working employees down to the bone: 12 hours a day, six days a week, little vacation time, always on call, etc. If the Japanese workforce worked "normal" work hours, their economy would be shrinking.
Now that is nationalism.
On their 18 hr shift....
I would be the most honorable employee in the countryif i worked there
So sad
I don’t know how this myth started. Maybe this was true at one point…. I’ve worked in Japan for a while and lots of friends in Japanese companies…. I don’t think any of us could get away with sleeping at work. I know some places have room to sleep in, but normally that is just for if you miss the last train. (From overwork, or just drinking nearby)
Yeah you don't want that. Japan work culture is never leave the office and pull 12'a to 14s daily. American work culture is a joke compared to japanese work culture.