Figure 1-3-2 |
Retirement is mandatory at the age 65 for life-time employees as from 2002, but they are often encouraged to retire earlier. At their leaving, they receive a bonus equal to several years pay. This is to show the employees that the company is grateful for their life-time service, and is also a valuable tool in attracting new employees. Upon retirement, the people can either decide to work somewhere else, usually in their own business, or they rely on government pension system to provide them their living. There is quite a large difference between the disposable income of working and not-working retirees. Some of the people past their retirement age stay in their companies, and in this age they are able to enter the highest managerial positions if they haven’t already. Many retirees choose the option of creating a small business, a restaurant in cities, and to spend the rest of their life on a second, slower career. Over half of the retired men aged 65-69 choose to work; the figure is lower, 28.1% for women (see Figure 1-3-2).
A. View of Work Life
Japanese has an interesting composition of the sign for the word “busy” 5). It is made up of the sign for “heart” and “die”, thus giving the word a negative meaning of dead-hearted. This word encompasses the prevailing attitude to working, which is more concerned with the employee than with the productivity. The employees are more relaxed at work that in the Western countries. They spend more time at the office, but they like to take their time. There is a prevailing sense of “nothing doing”. Even though in the manufacturing sector there is strict discipline, dedication and effort, for the white-collar workers the semi-idle atmosphere is ever-present. The employees come to work to be in the company of their coworkers, to socialize and enjoy their day. Thus the employees love to come to work, but in a spirit of recreation, not to work hard. To them, their work is where they live. In this atmosphere, they get their job done, but without stress or hurry. They can react swiftly, but wouldn’t change their way of “living” at work.
Thousands of workers are, moreover, employed in jobs that don’t need doing or could be substituted for. Nevertheless, the workers do their jobs with dedication and loyalty unheard of in the West.
Another word that can be used to show Japanese attitude to work is sodai gomi- , a word with the meaning "large garbage" 5). It is used to refer to large items of domestic waste. Colloquial meaning, however, is a reference men use for themselves. It expresses the sad identity they have to assume when they leave their beloved workplace and have to return to their home and families. There they have to part from their group, the workers of their company, and then they feel lesser, incomplete and not-belonging. Because of this, the workers like to spend most of their time at work. Even after they leave their office, they spend their time with their colleagues in local pubs, where except for socializing and resting, they discuss their workplace problems and come up with solutions. Here the groups are formed, and a lot of business decisions are made.
IV. Recent Changes
Figure 1-3-3 |
Since the 1995-1996 collapse of Japanese economy following the burst of the bubble economy, times have been changing in Japan. Not only the economy, but the changes have also affected the traditions of Japan. The most evident changes are in the demographics of the country and its rise in unemployment rate. However, more subtle changes have taken place in the relation between men and women. It can be thoughts of as an influence of the West, or just an inevitable change of the country from inside, unable to hold as it is.
A. Aging Population
Japan is one of the countries with the highest life expectancy, which stood at 80 years in 1995. There would be nothing wrong with this; however, Japan experienced a baby boom in 1940’s, which generation is now reaching the retirement age. The population growth was much lower than expected and the ratio of retirees per one worker is increasing. The proportion of people aged 65 and over in the total population was 12.5% in 1990, 17.0% in 2000 and is expected to rise to 25.8% in 2025
