“I really want to work again, but all day care centres for children are full.” This is the dilemma that women face when they try to start work again after maternity breaks. “Isn’t it funny that day care centres are always full while the birth rate has been declining?” One young mom said.
August 01 2008 | Life and Weekly Articles | 4 Comments »
Like in other countries, oil price increases have pushed up inflation in the Japanese economy. The price of every item has increased, including gasoline, food, and air surcharges. Checking my household account is the scariest of my daily routines, and it urges me to do something to manage my spending. Well, it looks as though I am not the only Japanese who thinks this way. The following explains how the Japanese cope with inflation:
July 25 2008 | Economy and Weekly Articles | No Comments »
“Japanese are polite.” This is what foreigners tell me when they visit Japan for the first time, and I agree at first. It amazes me how courteous the service is of companies and shops in Japan, especially since I have returned from overseas. For instance, early one morning when I visited a bank branch office, all of the bankers greeted me with a deep bow and said: “Ohayo Gozaimasu!” (Good morning). When I walked through the door I also heard a voice saying: “Arigato Gozaimashita” (Thank you very much) from somewhere in the ceiling. Everyone certainly seems to be polite, even machines. But, are they polite from the bottom of the heart?
July 18 2008 | Culture and Weekly Articles | No Comments »
Denshi-money (electric money or smart cards) makes our lives more convenient. With Edy, a rechargeable smart card, I can buy a lunch box and a snack bar at a convenience store. With Suica, a rechargeable smart card for trains and subways, I can take the subway without using a ticket machine. I can buy things and travel around even if I do not have enough cash in my wallet!
July 04 2008 | Technology and Weekly Articles | No Comments »
Advertisements for tenshoku (career change) are found everywhere in Japan. On the packed commuter train there are wall banners advertising career change fairs and recruitment companies. On websites there are sections entitled “job vacancies” and “changing jobs”. On Japanese search engines such as Yahoo! Japan there are online recruitment sites for full-time, part-time and temporary workers. It seems from these advertisements that Japanese have no trouble in finding career opportunities.
June 28 2008 | Culture and Economy and Weekly Articles | Comments Off
Did you watch ‘Around 40’ last Friday?” “Yeah, it was very good. I felt as if it was my story…”
“Around 40” is a television drama series, which TBS has broadcasted on Friday nights since April. The drama series consists of stories about Japanese women who are around forty years old, dealing with issues such as marriage, work and childbirth. Along with the popularity of the drama, Japanese women aged around forty, so called “ara-fo” (an abbreviation of around 40), have attracted the media’s attention. Many articles about “ara-fo” are published in fashion magazines and on websites. In addition, major Japanese websites such as Nikkei BP, and Yahoo! Japan have “ara-fo” in their Japanese lexicons.
June 20 2008 | Culture and Weekly Articles | No Comments »
“Yesterday, you said that I had to do that. Now, you ask me to do this. What do you want me to do?? Why do you change your instructions so frequently? I am so confused!” A female worker in her 20s yelled this at a male manager sitting at his desk. The manager in his early 40s wiped sweat from his forehead without a word. A couple of hours later, the male manager was yelled at again by a general manager. “Why cannot you do this? Isn’t it your responsibility to manage your people? We have to do this by tomorrow morning!”
These are typical scenes in the office of a Japanese company. Middle managers in Japan are often in a position of “inside the sandwich”, somewhere between the top and the bottom. This sandwich press is pushing middle management harder than ever before.
June 13 2008 | Communication and Culture and Research and Weekly Articles | No Comments »
