Career Pathways in Japan:

Category : Career | Sub Category : Latest career Posted on 2023-11-06 10:26:43

Japanese work culture has always been a much-discussed topic among foreigners. Some criticize it exaggeratedly, and some admire it. Work culture in Japan is based on an intense commitment, ethics, and extreme dedication to the company and the work itself. Japanese companies expect people to have a sense of responsibility and appreciation for the workplace as a second home. In fact, in the olden days, and to some extent even today, the workplace was like a second home with lifetime employment practices.

Work culture in Japan also has an extremely process-oriented approach with attention to micro-details. Traditional companies in Japan also have a strict hierarchy system.

Japanese society places strong importance on the hierarchical relationship between a senior and a junior. Known as the nenkou-joretsu system, this principle is one that permeates Japan’s corporate culture, which places respect and value on seniority. The importance of hierarchy is rooted in Confucianism, which emphasizes social relationships based on each individual’s position in society. For many years, Japanese companies also maintained a seniority-based wage and promotion system. This meant that all new employees would be issued a standard basic wage and receive pay increases or promotions based on their years of service rather than on merit. This practice discouraged employees from changing jobs as employees who left to join another firm would likely have to start from the bottom of the totem pole again on a lower salary. In recent years, however, Japanese firms have been seeing a change from the seniority system to the more globally recognized merit-based system.