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Types of jobs
Whatever you did or would like to do in your home country, chances are good that you can do it in Japan too. There are plenty of jobs available for foreigners and competition is fairly low. Certain professions such as doctors and nurses require Japanese licensing, but the skills, experience, and qualifications you already have may lead to an interesting diversion that you may have never considered.
Working in a Japanese company
The Japanese work ethic is quite different to the Western work ethic and, much like the education system in Japan, the group is considered more important than the individual. For this reason you will find Japanese workers frequently working unpaid overtime and rarely taking their allocated paid vacation time. Japanese workers say they would feel guilty if their colleagues had to do extra work to compensate for their absence. Praise goes to the department rather than the individual, as does blame if something goes wrong.
Some companies show signs of attempting to incorporate Western work ethics with their own, partly in an effort to improve communications between global companies, partly because of their fascination with Western ideas.
In a Japanese company, you may find your colleagues to be rather wary of you, especially if you are the only foreigner working there. You may feel that you are left out from decision-making processes or other issues affecting your role in the company. Confrontational approaches do not work with the Japanese. Part of the reason that you may feel you are not taken seriously is more to do with you as a foreigner, rather than with you as a woman, and there is always the underlying assumption that your role in the company is temporary. Many Japanese workers stay at the same company from the day they graduate from university to the day they retire, slowly working themselves up the ranks. You are probably going to be there for just a few years. If you are patient, tolerant, open-minded, and willing to communicate in a calm way, then you may find working for a Japanese company to be a great learning experience.
The ‘English industry’
Many jobs reflect Japan’s need for native English-speakers and for assistance in the globalisation of Japan. These jobs include English teachers, business consultants, copywriters, and translators. Many people with absolutely no experience in these fields often find themselves working at high schools, for publications, or successful companies.
‘Mizushobai’
Mizushobai directly translates as ‘the water trade’, as traditionally this work was done on riverbanks, but it is now used to refer to work that involves alcohol. Hostess bars, ‘exotic’ dancing, strip clubs, and the sex trade are classified as mizushobai. Some Western women choose to work in this area while in Japan. Regular bars are also considered to be part of mizushobai.