How many hours do they work? Is it the typical 9-5 like in the West.
Japan - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I dont know exactly this is only going by how my host family works. But everyone works different hours unless you are a business person. (not counting the commute) My host dad works 8:30 - 6:00 He gets saturdays and sundays off
2 :
technically it's supposed to be 9-5, but most people put in a lot of overtime and work half day on saturdays
3 :
It's getting closer to the Western work week now, though there are still some dinosaur companies who rarely let their employees go home. I know someone who frequently spends the night in the office, there's no point driving an hour home when you get off at 1:00 a.m. and have to be back at 5:00 a.m. Americans take pride in productivity at work, and are not afraid to take time off when they get alot done during the course of an average work day. In the Japanese mind, time spent at work IS productivity, regardless of whether work is actually being done. It's more important to show how much you value your company and your co-workers be being in the office as long as possible. Consequently, much more time is spent chatting over tea, extended lunches, and just staring at the papers in front of you. I know this is going to draw many flames, but the foreigners with experience in Japanese office environments will mostly back me up.
4 :
Our company's day: 8:10 AM Cleaning the office( vaccuming, cleaning in front of the building, wiping the dust everywhere, cleaning the toilet, watering the flowers, etc.) 8:40 AM Morning briefing( chourei) 9:00 Start work 12:00(maybe few minutes later, but never even a second before) Lunch break- you finish your lunch asap and work for free. 13:00 Officially back to work 15:00 15 min coffee break (oyatsu time) The day ends for the regular office workers at 8:00 PM .I go back earlier, but obviously they eat dinner at the office, because I find dirty bowls and cups and spilt miso soup at the kitchen corner.
5 :
For a Japanese teacher at junior high school: Mon-Fri 8:00 Arrive at school 8:10 Morning meeting 8:30 Classes start 12:30 Lunch 1:30 Classes renew 3:30 End of school/ beginning of club activities 6:00 End of club Sat: Normally club activities in the morning and sometimes afternoon. Even though school ends at 6pm, my best friend is a young teacher and she often doesn't go home until 7-10pm because she is planning/marking or doing admin work.
