business (Page 13)
Not a fan of the boy wizard? Maybe you’d prefer to hold your meeting in the Wonderland room instead.
The crisply suited men of World Order are here to teach you some basic Japanese business tricks (and advertise an energy drink while they’re at it).
It’s no secret that many countries face looming demographics problems as their populations age.
Much has been written about developed markets like Japan, Germany, and Italy, which have the largest percentages of their populations age 65 and up.
But another country also deserves attention: China.
With rules regarding everything from tea to elevators, some new employees think it’s all too much.
Ad for Tokyo auditions lets would-be anime stars know that they won’t be working in the booth if they’ve previously done work with their clothes off.
Kumamoto Prefecture is still reeling after back-to-back large scale earthquakes struck the region late last week. Yet somehow Japan’s major convenience store chains have managed to get 97 percent of their shops up and running in a matter of days.
Unless your definition of “almost none” is “enough to get a side job.” Then go right ahead.
There’s a reason why the same parents who encourage their kids to become doctors or lawyers don’t try to steer them into becoming anime studio employees.
Chinese officials are set to discuss ways to stimulate the country’s sputtering housing market during its Central Economic WorkingConference later this month, according to Chinese state media.
On November 18 a young woman was spotted on the streets of Shenzhen City in Guangdong, China carrying a sign which read: “Overnight and overtime work has made me into an old lady. Both my love and work lives are miserable. I request approval for workers’ compensation.”
It was an unusual yet straightforward demand that triggered debate and reflection on the state of working conditions in the country.
Japan is famous for fast trains, but one new line crawls along at 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) per hour! Can the ultra-slow Snow Turtle save an endangered company?
November marks five years since Vikas Pradhan sent out his first tweets in broken Japanese describing the hardships of starting a restaurant. In response and a heartwarming show of support, the Twitter community rallied behind Pradhan not only online but in actual paid visits to his Nepalese cuisine restaurant Daisuki Nippon, putting it firmly in the black.
However, in a rather sudden turn of events, Pradhan tweeted that as of 31 October the original Daisuki Nippon had closed down.
It’s no secret that Japan may be headed for a bit of a labor crunch, as the population ages and many older workers reach retirement age with fewer young up-and-comers to replace them. And, while the Japanese government seems reluctant to take measures to replenish the shrinking workforce with foreign laborers, non-Japanese workers are nevertheless entering Japanese corporations and workplaces in record numbers.
But Japanese offices are also notorious for their long hours, slow pace of advancement, and frequent, long meetings. Traditional Japanese companies seem stuck in an old-school work culture even as companies in the rest of the world offer increasingly progressive work-life balance programs, workplace perks, and office hours.
With this stark contrast in mind, our Japanese sister site tracked down seven non-Japanese workers to get their for-realsies impressions of what it’s actually like to work at a Japanese company.
Career arcs in Japan used to be simple. You finished school, got a job, and worked there until it was time to retire. Along the way, you were paid a salary calculated strictly on the basis of how long you’d been with the company.
That’s not necessarily the case anymore, and as more and more Japanese switch employers, and even industries, they need a baseline from which to evaluate the pay of potential posts, which is where Japanese website Kyuryo Bank comes in. Yes, Kyuryo Bank has all the salary-related numerical data and progression charts you’d expect, but it also has something truly unique: awesome anime-style illustrations of professions ranging from public accountant and lawyer to web designer, pro blogger, and yes, even “chicken sexer.”
Now that it’s October, fall is slowly beginning to creep up on Japan, which means seasonal favorite dishes including pumpkin, sweet potato, and mushroom will again be arriving on dinner tables across the land in no time. As for the lattermost, people from the countryside are more likely to pick or grown their own rather than buy mushrooms from the supermarket, and some varieties like matsutake can easily retail for a few hundred dollars.
Unfortunately matsutake and other kinds of mushrooms don’t fetch quite as high of a price in China, but while one man was gathering mushrooms, he stumbled across something that was worth much more: a giant bees’ nest.
It’s no secret that working in Japan can be pretty miserable. Long hours, unpaid overtime, power harassment, and mandatory drinking parties with coworkers are just some of the factors that contribute to workers all over Japan leading stressful lives.
But misery loves company, so that’s why we present the top 11 tweets to make you feel glad you don’t work in Japan. Some of them are attempts at encouragement, some of them are commiserating, and some of them are so painfully sad that you can’t help but cry. So read on and see how your own work compares to Japan!
MOST POPULAR
Today
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Can instant TKG from Don Quijote really recreate Japan’s beloved raw-egg-on-rice dish?
Japanese government ID card and app to be required for certain Pokémon card purchases next month
Shinkansen trial of moderately air conditioned cars draws mixed reactions from travellers
Studio Ghibli releases huge new wooden clip collection featuring 25 anime movies
Studio Ghibli releases new Totoro coin purses…but who’s the blue character?
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji twice in five days for very dumb reason
Tokyo’s Giga Mart lets visitors “steal” from a convenience store… if cameras don’t catch you
Two Americans decide to hike Mt. Fuji before trails open, both need rescues on back-to-back days
Japan’s new Calpis pudding: The right call for summer, or tampering with purin perfection?
Weekly
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japan reacts to Donald Trump’s “Islamic Republic of Japan” remark
Japanese airport rebrands itself as “Sushi Airport” to attract foreign tourists
Three new starter Pokémon Jets to fly in Japan, first begins carrying passengers this month- Japanese government ID card and app to be required for certain Pokémon card purchases next month
- Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Studio Ghibli theme park’s new dessert is a drinkable version of Hayao Miyazaki’s pilot daydream
Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order
Monthly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country- Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon- Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Yearly
- Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo- Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】- Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Studio Ghibli releases new Totoro coin purses…but who’s the blue character?
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji twice in five days for very dumb reason
Tokyo’s Giga Mart lets visitors “steal” from a convenience store… if cameras don’t catch you
Two Americans decide to hike Mt. Fuji before trails open, both need rescues on back-to-back days
Japan’s new Calpis pudding: The right call for summer, or tampering with purin perfection?
Studio Ghibli brings anime characters to the table with new Totoro placemat that’s like a movie cell
“They’ve got be kidding me.” – Mayor in Japan fed up with off-season Mt. Fuji hikers needing rescue
Japan now has a takoyaki sandwich…created by a Michelin-listed restaurant
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japan has otaku/fan event insurance to cover oshikatsu expenses when events are cancelled
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji two times in two days, but system is working as intended
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Onidon opens in Tokyo with unique fusion tempura rice balls you won’t find anywhere else
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