Posts

June 26, 2022

I can’t offer a definitive explanation of the differences between working for an American company compared to a Japanese company due to the fact that my current employer is multinational. A mixture of German, English, and Japanese is spoken on the job and there are more German employees than Japanese. However, I have noticed some distinct Japanese-based aspects of the company. In the office, shoes are taken off in the genkan (玄関), a recessed platform immediately following the front door. The shoes are then swapped for slippers and placed in a cubby. This prevents tracking in dirt and grime to the rest of the building. I’ve come to see that how quickly a pair of shoes can be removed and put on is an important consideration in Japan. I can always tell when the office will have visitors because pairs of slippers will be neatly arranged by the door for each person to wear.

June 03, 2022

Religious identity works differently in Japan compared to the west. While the majority of Japanese follow a mix of Shinto and Buddhist tradition, they do not identify as Shintoists or Buddhists. The label of Shintoist is applied to members of Shinto sects, rather than everyday Japanese who practice aspects of Shintoism. With how personalized the beliefs and practices of Japan are for each Japanese person, I can’t hope to accurately comment on what Shintoism and Buddhism means in Japan. Instead, I will let the pictures of temples and shrines speak for themselves, leaving the deeper meaning up to the observer.

May 24, 2022

As an American, it has long been ingrained in my head that it is impolite to directly call out to a waiter, instead it is preferred to wait until they approach the table to speak to them. Calling out to a waiter is typically reserved for when an issue arises. In Japan, however, it is a requirement to call out to a waiter for service. At first I was caught off guard and would feel guilty when addressing restaurant staff, but now I have come to see the benefits of the system. It’s up to the customer to decide when they’re ready for each step of the dining experience, which cuts down on any feelings of pressure. In the United States, once the waiter sets the bill on the table, there’s a sense that it is intrusive to continue to stay. Contrasted with Japan, the customer decides when they’re ready for the bill. Granted, this does not apply to “fast” restaurants such as ramen shops with limited seating and high throughput, where there is most certainly an implicit pressure to both eat and leave quickly.

May 14, 2022

"So, what’s been the biggest culture shock?"

This may sound like somewhat of a cop out, but I honestly don’t have a definitive “biggest culture shock.” I’m not sure if I’m just lucky with how well my course on working abroad prepared me for life in Japan, if I’m just too oblivious to my own personal cultural inclinations, or if it’s just something else altogether.