You need to be careful when working at a Japanese company
Doing business in Japan as a foreigner
There are a lot of untold rules when doing business in Japan. There are lines you cannot cross and some behavior may be perceived as rude by Japanese people. If you are thinking of doing business in Japan, either you work within a Japanese company or work with a Japanese company, you must know these manners and rules.
In this article we will list up 8 mistakes you may encounter when doing business in Japan, with no knowledge about Japanese business. We will provide answers in this post so that you can avoid getting into trouble doing business in Japan.
Here are some related articles for those who would want to learn more about similar topics
Foreigners should be careful of these things before moving to Japan
The reality of Japanese Jobs and remote work in Japan
Complete guide to manners for doing business with Japanese companies
Difference between Japanese and foreign company in Japan (外資, Gaishi)
Why do Japanese companies have a lot of rules
You might have heard that Japanese people are polite in general and respect the rule. When you are waiting for the traffic light, you may notice that not everyone waits patiently for the light to turn green. When you are waiting for a train to arrive, they usually come right on time. Even when they are late, they announce in advance how many minutes they will be late. When you are lining up to get onto a ride at an amusement park, you rarely see an altercation and the line breaking up. This is because the Japanese people respect harmony and orderliness.
If you are a foreign traveler, you might think that life in Japan would be smooth, efficient and that you will feel no stress. However, working in Japan may be quite the opposite depending on the work environment. Traditionally, most Japanese companies placed a strong emphasis on TQC (total quality control) and this means that companies wanted no errors from employees’ operation. This was one of many reasons that Japan’s economy grew so much in the late 20th century.
As a user, you would feel safe to use a product or service provided by a company that puts a lot of focus on TQC. However, when you work in an organization that focuses on TQC heavily, you may feel constant pressure mentally and physically, and eventually, be completely stressed out. If you want to learn more about the dark side of Japanese work culture, you can learn more from our previous article talking about overwork in Japan.
Do the Japanese really overwork themselves more than others?
Now, let’s go into the list of mistakes you might make when working in a traditional Japanese company and how to avoid making those mistakes.
List of 8 mistakes you will make working in Japan
Can I be open with coworkers in Japanese companies?
Yes, you should be open with coworkers in Japanese companies. However, you should not be too aggressive and you should respect the TPO (time place, and occasion). There is a saying in Japan, called “空気を読め (kuuki wo yome, read the air)”. This means reading the atmosphere and saying or acting according to the atmosphere. A lot of Japanese people respect the air of the place and do not try to stand out. You should try and respect the atmosphere but you should not hesitate to have your opinion be heard.
Can I go home early while working at a Japanese company?
Yes, technically you can, but it is unrealistic. The company cannot force you to work long hours. However, you should expect to work at least 20 ~ 30 hours of after-hour work. You should check out company review sites to see how many hours on average employees work after hours.
Do I need to worry about seniority?
Yes, especially in a traditional Japanese company. Traditional Japanese companies tend to have a promotion system where employees are usually hired right after graduation and get promoted according to the time they spent a the company. Therefore, it might be hard to have a successful career if you joined a company that has seniority as a mid-career.
Will I be paid for overtime work in Japan?
Yes, however you must check the terms you signed with the company. Some companies will have a fixed overtime pay system and you will be paid a fixed amount regardless of the time you worked after hours. A lot of startups and the foreign company has a fixed overtime pay system and a lot of Japanese companies pays according to the hours they work after-hours.
Is it rude to mute your microphone on online meetings?
It depends. If you are participating in a meeting with a lot of people and if someone else is alotted a time to speak, then it is actually appropriate to mute your microphone. However, if you are on a 1 on 1 or if you are in a meeting with your client, then you should keep your microphone on.
Is it rude not to show your face on during inline meetings?
It depends. If you are on a meeting with your client then you should keep your camera on. If it is internal, it depends on the company policy.
Do I need to know about manners in Japan?
If everyone knows that you are a foreigner, people will not care that much. Typically, Japanese people expect other Japanese people to behave with Japapanese manners and rules. However, Japaense people do not really expect foreigners to know Japanese manners and rules. Therefore, if you do not have absolute confidence in knowing the Japanese business manners, than you shouldn’t focus to much in putting time in it.
Are foreign companies in Japan foreigner friendly?
Typically, yes. Usually foreign companies in Japan are more foreigner friendly than traditional Japanese companies. However, it is important to not that most people working at foreign companies in Japan are Japanese people as well. Therefore, you should expect that the company culture of foreign companies aren’t too different from Japanese companies.
You don’t have to be perfect!
Show that you are trying your best
Japanese people will definitely like it if a foreigner could exhibit perfect Japanese mannerism, and business traditions. However, perfecting it takes time and you shouldn’t try and display your manners unless you have 100% confidence. If you have any chance of offending the other person by misdisplaying your manners than you should not try to do it in the first place. It will be better to spend your time on your output and production, the thing you were hired to do.
