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SalarymaninJapan.pdf
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978453300665l
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ILLUSTRATED
nSALARYMAN" IN JAPAN ['f;t?u-v/.~
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I ILLUSTRATED
"SALARYMAN" IN JAPAN
='997 by Japan Travel Bureau, tnc. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reprinted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may reproduce a few brief pas- sages and pictures from it.
'tst edition , nee. 1986 8th edition. . Sep.1997
Printed in JaPan
About this Book I) Layout This book consists of the following six sections:
(I) A day of a Salaryman; (2) The life of a Salary- man; (3) The work of a Salaryman; (4) The lifestyle of Salarymen; (5) The manners of Salarymen; (6) Business related phrases and terminology.
You can read this book in any order you like. A brief explanation refering 10 "Japanese management and the salary man" is attached at the end of this book as an afterword.
2) Japanese Words All the Japanese words in this book have been
romanized in accordance with the revised Hepburn system. Except for the names of places and people, all Japanese words are printed in italics except where they appear in headings or bold type. Long vowels are indicated by a line above, as in "Shachb ' and. since e's are pronounced "ay" in Japanese. e's at (he ends of words are marked with an acute accent, as in "shita-uke" (pronounced "shitahukay"},
Dear Readers
171isbook focuses on the "salaryman, "a special brand of worker unique to Japan. it is a historical [act that salarymen and the companies they work for have been the driving force behind the econo- mic rise a/postwar Japan. They have also garnered generous helpings of both praise and criticism from overseas sources in the process. All too often, however, these opinions are not based on fully accurate information.
In the pages ahead, enjoyable illustrations and easily read text are utilized to provide important insights into Japanese business society, concentra- ting on the mind and behavior of the salarymnn
For those (ired of fragmentary or overintellec- tual reports of Japanese business, "SALAR YMAN" IN JAPAN is for you. Take a stimulating journey into the practical work-a-day world of the salary- man - a journey guaranteed to deepen your under- standing and enjoyment of Japan.
I C·Q·N·T·E·N·T·S d!b JAI
• t c
A DAY OF A SALARYMANi THE WORK OF A SALARYMAN1 The Salaryman's Appearance -If'7 ') -Y ;,a)!1·1Il 10 Business Card t.~'J 58
The Salaryman's Morning -If'7 ') -Y ;'(J)~ 16 Title IiWl~ 62 Commuting illiib 18 Appointments "Y;K1/J-.)l.:"t-- 66
Morning Gatherings 91JIL 22 "Business Talks" illiJ1i 68 Radio Calisthenics '7 ;;:>tl't'a! 23 r n-house Documents UI'i~l'~ 70
Lunchtime tHl'# 24 Business Trips iIIlll 71 Overtime t£!l'l 26 Conference ~l!I 72
Holiday Work f,HIlHib 27 Personal Seal 1'IJlf: 74 A Salaryman's Night Life -If'7I) -Y ;'(DiJi 28 Checks and Notes INIJ ~ t f'l[1 78
Settai !filli 80THE LIFE OF A SALARYMAN OL's Duties oL(I)fJ:'Ji 82 Job-hunting ~JIll 32 Spirit of Company Loyalty ~!HWI~~ 84
New Employee Education fIT)..U1'lfell 38 labor Union "i1(fUII-l} 86 Salary lilt, 40 Salaryman Types and Categories 't'7')-7:-0J'Y{7btl!1 88
Seniority System 'PJJ If.~J 42 THE LIFESTYlE OF SALARY MENCompany Qualifications Ul'ii't/l} 44
Middle Management '/,'lI!\!f-'!. 46 Company Dormitory un~ 96 Transfers liib 48 Company Trips UfUHf 98
Switching Jobs ••• 50 Sports Day jlj!!IJJ~ 100 Giving up the Salaryman Life !II.-lf5 51 86nenkai / Shinnenkai :i-$f~ t. '"~~ft 102
Ullo) 52 Club Activities -If-? )vii'i"-b 104Temporary Transfers 54 School Cliques ~1'1IlI 106Retirement "'1'
I JAI
•, c i t "Same Year Group" li;JJflJ~ 107
lnter-ccmpanv Marriage Hf'ltHlI 108 Working Couples MflJi! 109
A Salaryman's Wife +t'7'j -? ~iJ)1! 110 A Salaryman's Holidays +t'7'j -?~iJ)fI;EI 112
New Year's Day JEll 114 All Soul's Day If 116
"Golden Week" ::l-}VT~'J~ -7 118 OL Holidays OLiJ)fI;FJ 119
Mid.Year and Year-end Gift "'ie/:litfJ 120 Wedding and Funeral Ceremonies iIljIH~~ ,,122
Amusement 1 Pachinko 't7'j-?;;I7)OI!G"Ii:~./~124 Amusement 2 Mahjong 't7'j-?;;I7)!iiG"Zifill; 126
Amusement 3 Horse Racing 't7'j-?;;I7)!iiG,,3 iAJO 127 Amusement 4 Others 't7'j-?;;I7)'i!G,,4 fOJIiI! 128- • "'-G" 130'J and Anxieties 't7'j-vOJlVld'
A Salaryman s ovs +t- 'J-?~iJ)JU\1 132 Salaryman Blues 7. 34
W nt to Quit 't7'j-?;;~i'!'Jtl\lJIBI 1 Reasons Salarymen a 1l¥'il'J; 135
Methods of Alleviating Stress 7.~ ~7. ? ~~1Il11t 136 The Salaryman's Health +t7 j - ,,""t 138
if - I) -77 /0)~'P)i;.'-' Required Reading for Salarymen? ••• "" 140
S int +t7'J-?;/·'''''The Salaryman ptr,. 142 Middle Class <l'ik1liil
THE MANNERS OF SALARYMEN Honorific Language f,xlt;'f 146 Manners and Taboos ?-r-c-'Y'7- 148
Greetings Greetings on 'retemt Mats
On The Train Presents
Manners When Visiting How to sit in a Japanese-style room How to sit in a Western-style room
Japanese Table Manners Funeral Manners
BUSINESS RELATED PHRASES AND TERMINOLOGY
Ambiguous Business Vocabulary iJ5l\"'l\;(;:t'~1'-Ai<lJl 162 Common Business Terms 1-I';(,(t<Ji'J:t:·:;~AJl:IMt 166
Terms Related to the Human Body ilf.j;I;:",')n~t'A·AIIIJ~ 169 Business Seen in Proverbs ~l:nc"I;:Jl~t'~1'-A 175 A Salarvrnan's Gestures +t'7'j -? ~iJ)#l!l'j 176
Afterword Index
180 188
FEATURE PAGES
The Changing Employment Structure in Japan 37 Types of Salarymen Disliked in Japan 61 Business and Religion ..................•.... 129 The Recent Trend of Abbreviation and Changing Everything into Japanese 168
Expatriates Look at Salaryman Business in Japan 30 The AD Business and Salarymen 56 Ii> High·Technology Japanese Companies and Products .94 The Businessman vs. The Salaryman 144 Trials & Tribulations 160
A DAY OF A SALARYMAN i:t5!.J-'V':"0)-8
• What are the daily realities of the salarymen who supported Japan's Advanced economic growth.
How does their day begin and end?
if5'J-Y/OJ9\.. THE SALARYMAN'S APPEARANCE
" alaryrnan" is a word coined in Japan, used to refer to all "'hlle-collar workers who receive a salary. In a very real n , Jurymen are the driving force behind Japan's phenom-
en I p Slwar economic growth.
M.t,l '"m•. IqUIr&- ,,,nmld glOSIM
Short hair parted at the side ~ in the "seven-three" style.
O.rk rid necktIe WIth dlDgonalllrlpes.
o rk bau.,0_'_-._ I grty suil
8lKk lUther shoes
White cutter shirts
,,
In the coat pocket: Address/schedule book, wallet, name card case, commuter train pass, etc.
While a salaryman has no set uniform, there is a definite "unspoken code" which discourages the following dress.
A white suit with loud open-collar shirt is considered "illegal" dress for a satarvrnan. Black suits are worn only for weddings or funerals, and busi- nessmen decked out in yellow or red suits will have zero credi- bility.
The kimono is tradi- tional Japanese dress, but has no place in a salaryman's activities. Someone like this would probably scare all the customers away.
a Long hair and sun- glassesare rarely seen, and even mustaches are frowned upon.
Salarymen must refrain from following the latest hair styles Or fashion trends.
A Salaryman's Uniform
Some employees carry small zippered cases.
A Salaryman's Briefcase
Middle-ranked employees carry shoulder bags.
Many employees carry over-night- type bags which hold most anything
10 11
Many selarvrnen now carry attache cases.
I JAP
., A' cu in '0
• A tI n
• Ko;n (Mr. Average Blue Collar)
Even if they receive a monthly salary, blue-collar workers are generally not known as "salarymen" (white-collar workers), but rather as Min or plant workers. These workers don't set uniforms before entering the plant, and their lifestyles differ considerably from their while-collar counterparts.
• OL (Office Lady)
"OL" is a term coined in Japan referring to all ladies employed in office situations. OL are generally hired between the ages of 18 and 22 and leave the company five 10 len years later to marry. Veteran female employees who go on to management positions are distinguished from OL as "career women."
T-shirts are worn in the summer, thick sweaters and down vests in the winter.
(Helmets
Famous brand jacket
Famous brand blouse
Famous brand belt ...
Famous brand pants
c:With the exception ofextremely flamboyanthair styles, there areno particular ;~-;: restrictions.
White blouse
Name tag
Dark blue vest
Hands clasped in front when
greeting
Tag with name and section
~ Uniforms are
~ generally beige or gray.
Dark blue skirt 5 cm below kneesHowever,too much
jewels arediscouraged, '-~--"P asarefalseeyelashes and heavymakeup.
High heels ,..-J
Uniforms vary widely by the type and personality of the company. Some mass media and apparel firms have no set uniforms.
12
13
Famous brand shoes
There are no set dress standards, and OLs tend to choose popular fashions. However, wearing the same clothing two days in a row is taboo because it suggestsstaying OUtovernight.
- _ /" Boots-like safety shoes
..... to prevent pant
cuffs from catching
in machinery.
Middle-aged ki5in often wear golf slacks and polo Shirts. They will ch~nge to regular suits only after beJ~g.promoted to management POSitions.
Koin wear tags on their breast Pockets with their name and section.
Wallet and Purse fSaifu)
Small change is vital for making phone calls, riding trains and other needs. Many of these needsmay now be covered with special cards.
• A Salaryman's Survival Kit
! il : !
Alarm Clock Digital alarm clock! watches were popular, but now orthodox watches are the main trend.
BusinessCard (Meishi> In Japan, no one does business without a meisnt, (Seepage58.)
Personal Seal (Hankol The hanko is used in- stead of the signature to validate contracts. (Seepage74.)
Bank Cards In8 metropolisof the sizeof Tokyo, banks can be found on most of every street corner. There is little needto carry largeamounts of cash around.
Credit Cards Though cash remains to be the mainstream payment method credit cards have become qUjt~ popular.
Address/Schedule Book ITecho) A pocket-size pad for jotting down schedules, addresses,phone numbers and other vital data.
~ Pocket Calculators IOentakul Some are no larger than a credit card, powered by solar cells, and can store telephone numbers and other information.
Pocket Pager(Poketto Beru} Almost all salesmencarry pocket pagers.The beeping noise of these units can often be heard in trains, coffee shops, movie theaters or other public places.
OrangeCard Can be used at orange-colored Japan Railway ticket machine for convenient "cashless" ticket purchases.
Telephone Card Canbe used in green or gray phone booths.
14
J 15
I JAP
• J
A' cu in to
•~ ,I n
Raw eggr ~2\ ~ Toast ~ ~" Fried eggs '_J~0 '>1: Broiled fish1~ .,
Ri~ ~o soup Coffee
The Typical Salaryman's Breakfast
THE SALARYMAN'S MORNING • The Salary man
6:30 a.m. The typical urban salaryman lives in the suburbs. an average of one to two hours by train from his office. His day thus begins ex- tremely early in the morn ing.
7:00 a.m. He doesn't have time to waste and bolts his breakfast as he scans the newspaper.
6:45 a.m. He is generally half asleep as h shaves and brushes his teeth.
• Plant Worker rn ~
6:30 a.m. Plant workers normally live close to their factories, and can sleep later in the morning. 1:30 a.m.
The plant worker is still dreamin
8:00 a.m. Plant workers walk or bicycle to work.
17
16
7:15 a.m. When particularly pressed for time, he will devou r a slice of toast as he dashes out the door.
Q I1w rM8:30 a.m.
About the time the salary man reaches his office the plants are starting up. Plants usually begin work between 8:00 and 8:30 e.rn., head offices and trading companies between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.
,... ~iI~I1J!!!!.. .... Surviving Rush Hour Commuter Trains
COMMUTING Commuting is a very trying lime of the day for Japane salarymen. In Tokyo, nearly 10 million people head for th same general business district during the same hours each day Sometimes this creates a tremendous rush hour crush.
(
Ropes are stretched across the top of stairways to limit the number of passengers on the platform at anyone time.
u Keep your arms as high as possible, to avoid being mistaken for a molester!
Don't lose your tem- per if someone steps on your toes. You may tramp on his foot at the next lurch of the train.
Guard against pick- pockets by not carry- ing your wallet in your back pocket.
Oshiya t'roosners") are part-tim help who shove passengers int the packed train so the doors ca be closed.
, ,
By the time the typical satarvma Don't resist the swaying of the Becarefulwhen you put something Riders are bumped and swayed' arrives at work, he has atread train, just roll with the flow. This in the overheadrack. You may not packed trains for an hour oln expended a good portion of h' is the safest, most comfortable beableto reachit whenyouhaveto more.' ·d Ifl~~"-- ~e~n:e~'9~v:..::,,,:,e:rv:e~f~0:'~'~h:e~d:a~v~.__ ~_w.a_v.t_o-,,_e_. .:9.e'.0 _
19
Other Modes of Commuting • How to Pass the Train Time
The salaryman goes to great lengths to pass the time spent packed trains.
Comic books targeting junior high students.
The young salaryman uses a port- able cassette tape recorder to en. joy music while reading comic books.
oads are very congested during ommuting hours, making the bus mpracticat. Most salarymen ride a the nearest station by bicycle.---------1
How to Read a Newspaper on Packed Trains
.. Fold the newspaper lengthwise
Fold it again into 1/4 size ...1","'... .."
.. When finished reading, move to the tower block .... SWiftlV refold it to the opposite
side, and again fold it down to 1/4 size ....
Almost all plant workers com- mute by car. The plants are loca- ed in the suburbs, making it only bout a ten-minute ride.
Setervrnen driving cars to the office will sometimes only ad- vance about 300 meters in ten minutes.
21
In one corner ~~~~ of the lotisa ~~~ pile of stolen ~~ and discarded ~ bikes.
i
Special bicycle parking lots are provided to prevent the station area from being overrun.
I J.
Morning gatherings are conducted regularly by specific war groups daily or on specified dates. The group leader gives short speech, followed by announcements of that day's (0 week's) suggestions, decisions, objectives and other key are by those in charge.
Morning gatherings are conducted in different ways bv different indu tries. One of the most extreme approaches is found in the sales sector
Morning gatherings for salesmen reeembta taking the field for battle.
Big tradinq companies rarely hold mornmg gatherings, while ernoro- vees drink coffee or look over newspapers on their Own.
At department stores and retailers, customer service ners ate reviewed.
RADIO CALISTHENICS
Warming up calisthenics are performed for about 10 minutes along with music from the radio or by group chants. Most plant employees participate in this routine, Rajio taiso, before starting work.
MORNING GATHERINGS
Stand up straight and stretch.
Bend from right to left.
Swing arms from right to left.
Bend over forward to stretch.
23
Spread out arms and breathe deeply.
Naturally, plant work is rarely .rigorous eno~gh to truly require warming up. Like the morning assembly. the main goal is to boost worker spirit and morete for the day ahead.
Bend to the rear.
• Lunchtime Entertainment
LUNCH TIME A salaryman's lunch hour is from noon to how they spend it:
Salarymen talk about work. naturally.
~~t-
Most eat lunch at nearby restau- rants. There are large crowds at lunchtime.and POpularrestaurants sometimes require a 20-minutes wait.
Ta~higui soba (noodles eaten wh.lle standing) enjoySVastpopu- larity ~mong salarYmen. Located at tram Stations and on street corners, these COunter noodle shops offer qUick and che meals. ap
Salarymen sit and talk in coffee shops,or go for a short jog.
N.e~IYwed salarymen a/sa, bentD ("devoted lunch") from home.
At plants, some workers play catch or other light sports at near- by fields.
Some return to the office im- mediately after eating to resume work.
25
OVERTIME Almost all companies require overtime work (after 6:00 p.m. on a regular basis. Some employees put in as much as I hours of overtime a month, meaning they spend the majorit of their time at the company.
Q)
7:00p.m. During overtime, meals will often be catered from nearby restau- rants to eat at the office. Typical choices are ramen and other Chinese food, katsudon (pork cutlet on rlcel, tendon (shrimp tempura on ricel and other tenvs- mono (catered dishes>.
, :00 a.m. When a salaryman misses the final train home becersa of overtime duty, he has a choice of grabbing a cab or staying in a hotel. Some Chf~ose to pass the night on an o ttce sofa.
tJ?V
10:00 p.m. To keep from nodding off, work- ers will drink coffee or tea. If that doesn't work, some resort to pep- up tonics made from snake skin extract and other exotic ingredi· ents.
0) \J
1*8llillJ HOLIDA Y WORK
Like overtime, there are occasions when the Japanese business- man has no choice but to work on a holiday. Although the number of companies adapting to a five day work week has in- creased, there are stiJI salarymen who cannot devote their weekends to personal pursuits.
\ J I /,
8:00 a.m. Salarymen who work on holidays find themselves on the sametrain with young people or families off on weekend outings.
~\'
8:00p.m.
If the work load is particularly heavy, they end up staying at the office well into the evening hours.
12:00 e.m. The restaurants in business dis- tricts are closed on holidays, forcing many selarvmen to eat fast food.
C) ~ 11:00 p.m. There are also times when late- night work on holidays is deman- ded. By the time he gets home everyone has already turned in, and once again he fails to see his own family.
27
A SALARYMAN'S NIGHT LIFE I'd like to punchout that kechii .... Intense work schedules expose salaryrnen to considerable stress. To relieve this tension, many go out drinking at night.
o o D.
The words and a film showing images of the song add to the atmosphere.
Middle-aged salarymen are patti- cularly fond of such bars, and there are some who own kar8ok~
'11Ou;l=11 sets to polish their skills at home.
,\// <, \/1/
--
Snacks and bars are very popular with salarymen, who rarely drin k with anyone but their own col- leagues. Complaints or frustra- tions about superiors or subordi- nates dominate the conversations.
The songs most wide- ly sung in karaoke bars are enka, a popu- lar form of Japanese ballad.
P . b artlcularlY Popular are karaoke "snacks" or ars Karaok I • "(k '.. e IS an abbreviation for "empty
. ara) orchestra" (oke) and refers to crooning Into a m~crophone along with taped musical accompaniment.
Younger salarymen and OLs tend to prefer discos or French restau- rants.
Sometimes salarymen return home so tipsy they can't walk straight. To avoid being chas- tised by their wives, they carry home a snack or other small present as a peace offering.
How can I do this and work at a company?
0 o ,
Then again, some salarymen go right home from the office to catch up on their work, study computer programming, law or whatever.
29
EXPATRIATES LOOK AT SALARYMEN
III ,1,1 SS 1:-<J \1' \\i
What is business in Japan? If we compare it to business in other countries, we find differences everyone ponders over. Japanese business is successful today. so others wish to lind the formula to Japanese business and usc this same formula as some magic incantation.
YeL,what is business? People is the answer, lf business in Japan is successful, it is because of the Japanese people. the re- sult of Japanese civilization. The qualities and disadvantages of business are but a reflection of a country's social organiz.ation and its people.
Therefore, if we speak of the efficiency of Japanese busi- ness, we lind it is partly due to the over-staffing as compared to Western business. But, mainly, it is sustained by the devotion of the people working together to the group, to the company, 10 the J~panese society. They become the cogs of the company machinery or, the members of one big family, the enterprise.
These characteristics are at the antipodes of business, ~re~c.hMstyle,where lack of discipline and antagonisms between individuals as well as the conflict of interest between employee ~nd.c?mpa!1Y.are handicaps but are also the consequence of the mVlvldual~sllC. contentious spirit of the French that includes more c~allv~ly: In Japan, business problems are mainly due to the socl~1 principles o.f"no disturbance" and "team spirit" that l~a~ to h~t1econstructive communication and expression of in- dlvldualldeas, and e~entually to a lack of dynamics.
Muc~ could be said on the way a people's characteristics af- fec.tbusiness within a country. But the main point to be aware of IS how much a part of a country's culture business can be.
Virglnie Noel (France) Journalist
THE LIFE OF A SALARYMAN "'t5!J-v:J(1)-g;
• In Japan, the company comprises a large
portion of the salaryman's life. Their lives are condensed into the approximate 40 years from the time they
join a company until retirement.
J08 HUNTING
Afterwards a notice is sent out and an interview is held.
33
•• Over 70 percent of salarymen are college graduates. Th efforts to secure employment have become ritualistic, W· particular rules and customs followed. Almost all salary remain with the same company through retirement, mak" initial employment a crucial event with a major impact on rest of their lives.
White cutter shirt ----.:~~
~ Dark blue suit __ ...
: Sometimes the price____ tag is still attached to suit.
• Job-hunting Activities The job-hunting season is limited by a mutual pact between companies to prevent early recruitment from undermining fair employment activities. Nevertheless, the official starting date is not always honored.
Dark red necktie
The proper hairstyl the short. seven-th part "recruit cut."
Instead of a briefca an envelope ccnte ing explanatory me rials about the c penv visited.
There are days when visits to pro- spective companies are not per- mitted. Large numbers of stu- dents are dressed in the orthodox "recruit style" of clothing,
Black leather shoes
<. '- Pants pressed
"Recruit Style" College Students ~~e s~-ealled "recruit style" is considered the orthodox fashion ld see ers or new salarymen. Those dressed any other way will be C ~,1Reecred't~?~COnformists and will lose points in the scramble for j
rUI IS a company hl h " "oeoola j h W IC scecietizes In Information for yOU e In eearc of their fi Ijobs. The w rd " ." rrst emp oyer or those wishing to cha
a result. 0 recruIt has become widely used in this context
32
An outline of the company. as well as the Qualities and skills they are seeking from prospective employees, are presented during the explanatory meeting.
Next, a written exam is adminis- tered. An informal letter of accep- tance is finally issued.
Companies naturally want to hire the best candidates and u various methods to initiate contacts before the official gre light. This practice is known as aotagai (buying before t harvest), meaning to buy the rice while It is still green in t field.
Alumni representatives lake him out to dinner to sell him on their company.
Th.e interview stage exam, the ~ntt:n exam, and a board inter- view IS then held.
The company begins to keep watch to see that he doesn't sign-..::r:::~~:;::;;iIup with anyone else. Time after
PC'<:.. time he is treated to lavish meals.
The company offers further P suasion through university P Iessors.
34
Receives an acceptance ncri ~rom the company and s10 Iob-huntlnq.
35
There are some students who leave on an overseas trip after having decided on a company.
The company takes him off to a resort to hall any ideas of further job-hunting.
I'll make you happy.
Finds a gorgeous, intelligent girl- friend and begins to dream of the good life ahead.
Finding a job is a major step In life. ollege students be preparations for this process In their senior year, and th who over-enjoy during this ume may find il diffieull to accepted by a good eOillpany. Snme choose 10 repeat th senmr year to prepare for Ihe hiring leSIS the following year.
,'//,1/
Goes out drinking with his friends every night, paying little heed to the future.
Becomes absorbed in mOUntain climbing, swimming, tennis Or other sports.
The Changing Employl ." Structure , J p Along with the changes m Japan's industrial structure, there IS in- creasing growth in secondary and service industries. The service sector, for example, accounts for approximately 60 % of the total new workforce.
r<", « ;'Vhil
e almost all his classmates have
,:~~ed)Obs, he is sti/l searching fOf . S In newspapers and maga- ZInes. At this Point however there afe few if any aU;active "Obs leftover.
! "->-.., There is a steady '11ft In the academic background 01 ntow employees, a reflection of th" Increasing advance 10 high Khool and college. not to mention Inn demand for higher educated personnel to respond to IOday', rapid technological InnOV8110n-•
"Higher education. the lower birth.rete. greater leisure time and other 'aCIOrs have led 10 gra4llfr SOCial pan iCiP8tJon and will 10 WOrk among Japanese women Female employment has rOugh IV If/pled over the paSI 1\I'l1O~, In April 1986. legislation calling for equal emplovment oPPOtlun,. tv for men and women wes Paued In Japan.
37
NEW EMPLOYEE EDUCATION New employee education is designed to teach new wo basic knowledge about the company. as well as how to be as responsible adults, Some companies adopt extremely u education methods.
Sleep together. Eat together.
o
I
Study together.
Play together. Cooperation One POpular rnetn d . the training c t of teaching cooperation of salarYmen amp gasshuku)experience. Gro temples whe retreat to mountain lodges lives for' a set fpe tnev lead extremely discipli
erlad of time. 38 39
Kekkafuza style
poor-to-Door Sales Trainees make sales calls without prior appointments. Often" they call on 100 customers Without~~ ~r~aklng asinglesale! q
~~ In businesses which demand con- siderable customer contact, new employees are put through rigo- rous training in bowing and other types of greetings, speaking, tele- phone manners, smiling and other behavior techniques. Some com- panies bring in educational ex- perts, or consign this program to firms specializing in new employ- ee training.
Lock thumbs
Placeright leg over the left.
Spiritual Strength Zazen (Zen Buddhist meditation) is practiced to cultivate the spirit.
Physical Strength Jogging, judo, kanda or oth~r sports are usedto build the phvsl- cal strength demanded of salary- men.
OJT On-the-job training is widel~ ~sed, with trainees assigned dIffIcult but educational jobs.
• Bonus Bonuses are general! . .ber. Some com . y paid twice a year in J periods. Bonus pames pay bonuses at tl;e en une and Decem- represent a set peeSrc~~trarelfY based on indiv1d~~1theIr. fiscalage 0 the base salary _ me fit but
Normally b SALARY educalion~1 USIC salury (KI'I pany ussuresb.uckground, C-o~r)'~), IS determined by er 1110 . a sleody· SCCU(/vc SCvll18 10 Othe f' nse m salary , d ffVlce at the samer Inns, . an ew salarymen
Hank-and-file sarervmen
Executive satarvman
Bonuses are also . transfer In th paid by bank rule wa~ to pa~Pt~st,how~ver, the vel ope, with . ,e cash In an en- whether the :051
1 tlon assessed by
not. nve ope stood up or IThousand ¥)
300
250
200
150
100
A salaryman' b .
if\\ s onus IS engulfed by the following:
A'~,.,g~"a cl d ?. -.- - . Hom •e or car loans Childre' ~ ""0","_
Family trips durin summer and Ne 9 Year's holidays W
Och(jgen and oseibo (see p. 120)
50
o Ride out 2 oil en
41
'65 '70 '75 '80 Wife's clothes
SENIORITY SYSTEM Nenko-joretsu is a seniority system in which a salarym position rises in direct proportion to his age. This system survived largely on the strength of support from labor uni It is also considered an effective method to heighten comp loyalty and establish family-oriented management. Howe modern-minded managers arc now edging toward the m system so widely practiced in the United States and Europe.
While all satervrnen start equal. all cannot be promot, The company prepares a w range of vague titles for salarvm who have somehow drifted the "elite course."
Almost there ....
Almost there.
Ahh, still so far to go .
I'm going 10 the top!
o c.
The seniority system is rooted in More Japanese women have at- modern Japanese philosophy and tained management posts than Confucian beliefs, which equate ever before. These women easily importance with a person's age. In outwork run-of-mill men and traditional Japanese companies, are usually very good at what very few salarymen have subordl- they do. Sex discrimination(jj~ ~:;=:~":":"at " i 1~~~
The "elite course" refers to A i ~ steady promotion to executive status along the most direct route. Salarymen can qenera'lv judge their ultimate rank in the com- pany by the speed of their promo- tions. As a result, almost all reo atize how far up the ladder they can rise several years after being employed.
j Only salarymenwho hav.ecompiledbroad experience in vano~~ differ-ent areas will rise to POSitIonsoftrue importance. In short, no one skyrockets into a top management post overnight, no matter how tal- entedthey may be.
43
Computers are used throughout Japanese industry, and more middle and advanced-age managers are learning how to use them.
?• COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS
Most Japanese companies also have in-house qualification terns [Slumai Shikaku}, with proficiency tests offered fi computer skills, foreign language and other areas. Sueh qu fications are a definite advantage in ascending the corpora ladder, and salarymen study hard to improve themselves.
~ Mc.Nor4 ~ ~ 6:00 p.m.
~~
o Shock turns to panic after attend-ing a computer course and notunderstanding a word.Seeing how proficient young sub-ordinates are with computers canbe a real shock. §
off for a drink or twO naturally delays a satervmem return home. He may find his. way to the doorstep, but his funous wife has locked him our f
An "elite Salaryman" k 8;00 a.rn. to 8:00 mINor s from dies from g.OO p'" then Stu-
. p.rn , to 1:00 e.m.
Eventually, all confidence fades, followed by a nervous break- down.
Even hiring a personal computer tutor doesn't help.
- 45
• Elite Employee Education Middle managers at Japanese companies are noted for their diligence and dedication. There are companies which specialize in 'manager cultivation education.' Let's examine what type of programs they offer ....
~ ---=ep!:!.,:!!,; 11I=_'-- ...; MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
A c.rucial step in the career of a salaryman is the advance fr a hira (rank-and-file worker) to a management position. Low middle management is perhaps the least enviable stage in process, as such managers must endure complaints from bo above and below.
~
I must be the most miserable man on earth I
Unreasonable demands from superiors.
To test patience and endurance, sudden assignment to door-to- door sales along with new em- ployees.
~H Selfish requests from subordinates.
The cost of bringing up children.
To test the ability to deal with adversity. mountain su rvlvel pro- grams.
4746
To test mental and physical strength. standing under a water- fall or in the ocean at winter.
\ I I
Salarymen who have completed manager training courses return to the company in a new frame of mind.
EI/) • Tanshin-Funin (Solo Assignment) Solo assignment (tanshin-[unin) is a unique transfer format in which a salaryrnan is assigned to a branch office away from his family _ There are various reasons for living alone, one being the focus on children in Japanese family relations and the concern that a superior education will not be attained in the prefectures. Businessmen who refuse to go on solo assignment
======D=8m=ot=io=n===1O:~di searom, ,"'CO hopes of ";:' .,.:~ J~
TRANSFERS A salaryman employed by a company with many branches normally be tr f d . .(1:' ans erre several times as his career adv
enlk'inj. Where, and to what position he is assigned . pivo a career concern. '
Promotion--- \ I /,,\ - /--
Eiten (Promot" T A
. Ion ransfed ssrsnrnem to a h!
a branchln a m .19her.Positionin Sase (0 )ajo ....n emotion Transfer prOmotion C r City is a clear d
. a-workers Assignment to a small regia or tnates gath and sub- b h him before he de to congratulate . rene ,even in a higher positi assignment S I parts for his new IS considered a strong sign rally aurac'tect :~ymen are natu. sasen (demotion). In this ca A considerate husband tries to may be able t . a Superior Who o~ly a few truly close friends come home on weekends, with Less considerate husbands just status in theca Improve their own h~m off. In principle, however, most of his own pocket money send home the money, creating an
~ ;; o_m.:p.:a.:n:y:.. ...:c~.~a~n:g~e~o~f:a:s:s;~g~n:m~e:n~'~i~s~c~ used to pay the transportation atmosphere which increasinglysldered a promotion. costs. resembles divorce. 48 ------------------
49
SWITCHING JOSS In Japan, switching jobs requires a high degree of cornrni on the part of the individual. Since almost all companies Japan assume .the employee will remain there throughout entire career, It IS extremely difficult to switch from one ell pany to another.
Scouted by a head- hunter, he joins a new company. \\
~is abilities land him In an executive post at the new company too. e- •
However, he ends being ignored at new company too.
There are still f . being vaulte~ . ew Instances of position throug~n:~ ~nl executive hunting firms who he e p of head- Iv in the Us rc Operate wide-
.. and Europe.
Close human ties develop in Je nese companies with selarvn' entering from 'other cornpeni often shunned as "outsiders. This is particularly true of so one from a competing corpor group.
50
GIVING UP THE SALARYMAN LIFE A datsusara is someone who quits the company to set up his own business. Most salary men dream of becoming a datsusara sometime during their career, but with success stories few and far between, only a handful ever make the move.
Two Types of Datsusara ,,,,, ,
~-~../:,,,,,,
The Ambitious Datsusara This type gives up being a salary' man to launch his own company. He gathers together people whose abilities have gone unrecognized by their companies and moves to pioneer new business. This type often underestimates the role of the big company in his success to date and falls when he attempts to strike out solely on the strength of his own reputation.
The "Retired" Datsusara This tvce wasn't cut out for the salarvman life from the start and leaves to run a coffee shop or pen- shon (small resort lodgel to farm or adopt some other lifestyle he has always dreamed of. Naturally, this is rarely an easy road :ither.
51
tIlioJ
TEMPORARY TRANSFERS
Temporary transfers (sllllkko) occur for the purposes loaning out an employee to work in an enterprise associat with his piace of employment.
Those temporary transfers who come from the mid level positions in the company are often able to return to higher level posts in their main company after they have scored a considerable num- ber of solid achievements and gained sufficient experience in the transfer assignments.
Many employees who are familiar with various kinds of practical merchandise information from their day to day dealings with customers are often sent out on transfer assignments. These kinds of knowl- edge gathered in department stores, boutiques and other shops dealing with the latest trends and fashions serve as the basis for the temporary transfers to the manu- facturers that supply these various companies.
<, \ / / /'
Since there is an obvious differ in the scale of operations between subsidiary company and the m firm, those temporary transfers come from the ranks of basic m agement are accorded a degree treatment in the subsidiary cc pany usually reserved only for in a higher level position.
There are also many casesof older transfer employees who, having previously retired from the com- pany, are completely absorbed into the subsidiary company as full members.
Many competent employees of a smaller size enterprise who possessspecial technical abilities often come into a large scale company through a transfer posi- tion. Once they are successful, they may stay with the new venture in the position of a scout for other valuable sources of technical ability.
52 53
RETIREMENT Most salaryrnen retire between the age of SS and 6S, havinj worked at the same company for some two-thirds of the lives. This marks retirement a major, often traumatic evenr.f short, they must come to grips with the unknown experlenc of "not going to the office."
:~.,~)!J/ .......................l
Ideally, a salary man witl be warm- ly congratulated by his subord'. nal,es a.t this time, and proceeds t~ r:1lre .Into leisure, surrounded by his Children and grandchildren.
After retirement, many people take up different types of work to give their life new meaning in their golden years.
Those previously unable to follow personal pursuits now have the time to immerse themselves in a wide range of hobbies such as painting, call igraphy, dancing, etc.
He retires from his company al the mandatory age and is re employed at a smaller firm. While the salary is lower, he b stirnu lated by the entirely nee work environment.
54
There are others who are more than happy to have another op- POrtunity to study in an informal C?mmunity college type of lear- ning environment. Some will even set out to write their autobiogra- phy or memoirs.
The number of retirees who want to stay in good health by keeping on the move has reached new heights with many involved in softball, croquet, orienteering and other popular sports.
Recently, large numbers of elder- ly couples have taken to traveling on long, leisurely trips to various locations.
- 55
EXPATRIATES LOOK AT SALARYMEN
1111' \/J HI SI 'I'SS ANDS\1\[{nll N
The advertising business in Japan is prosperous and. the large companies can expect a 10% growing rate for the ccmmg years. This is an area where the internationalization of business can be best seen. Japan manufacturers sell their products all over ,the world and to sell they need the support of sales and pramoo.on materials. In this way, the large Japanese advertising agencies come to be a cross road for the whole world. For this reason, this business and the men involved in it show a less pronounced Japanese stereotype. They are more open minded and cosrno- poliran, Nevertheless, when we come to talk about the structure of the companies itself, the relationships between its me~~rs and the way of dealing and securing a client, the advertising conglomerates don't differ much from the rest of the Japanese corporations. A Western manager would probably change many a~pects of th~ir vertical structure and organization and follow a ~Ifrerent business approach but this would be in many senses, like Willingto change the v~ry same fact that they are Japanese. ~~any case, the high technology developments are coming o~e Wter the ~ther, a~d Japan and the Japanese are changing the~r ay o.rdoing busmess, their attitude towards the world and then
own lifestyles. And they are changing fast.
Daniel Monteverde (Argentina) Copy writer
THE WORK OF A SALARYMAN -t:t5'J-v~0)f±.
•What is Japanese-style business? Let's look at this mysterious, yct. in one sense
successful, system of business.
- • How to Use The Business Card
NAME CARD OR BUSINESS CARD I'm Sabur6 Tanaka, pleased to meet you,
Sabur6 Tanaka
A salaryman's business card (Meis"i) contains his company name, address and telephone number. and his own name II official title. Business cards are an extremely irnportant ta because they testify to the owner's identity. Someone withill a card will be dismissed as a business entity no matter boo capable they may be.
A company's reputa. !ion will often be Judged by its address Companies located i~ major office districts in the center of Tokvo, where land Prices are sky high tend to be highly eval: ualed, while those In t~e sUburbs, residen_ tta! areas Or entertain_ ment districts are not looked UPOn so faVor_ ably.
The title on thenlflll card is the single mOll important factor_ judging a salaryman~ business worth.
The card is received with a bow, with time taken to read. th: ~om-
name title and Individualpany, "d name, A business card .IS conn • ered an extension of Its ?wner, and should be treated With re- spect. -"~'--'v-~
The salaryman in a relatively ~ow- er position will present his bUSiness card first. Proper proto~ol re- quires that he states only hls com- pany and his own last name and not his title.
• )( • "... E!l :"...
t "
'" . '"t " :=
••,- " l........-I.~:-., •••·•I,
One standard of reo liability is whether a company OWns it ~wn bUilding o~ simply rents office space,
Two phone numb~ one for the maln switchboard and till other for the salary' man's own desk, vdI create an impressiOll of a large company.
After memorizing the person.'s name, place the business card In the meishi case. When many people are present, the cards may be placed face up on the table. but this is not really recommen- ded.
when these steps hav~ been Only 'II both parties be completed WI, business talks. seated and begin- 59
• How to Treat the Business Card
r: \11
To b~nd or damage the business card In front of its owne . direct insult. r IS a
r Most businesscards are bl k the reverse side off.' an On. ,ring con- venient space tor jottin d memos. But this isalsota~ Own
00.
60
n Iii
The owner's name and title should be memorized. Aetrie~i~ the card to reconfirm the o.....ner's nameis extremely poor etiquette
When the card collection becomes ~nmanageable.it should beplaced In a bolder. This is far easierthall making an address file and o~r the yearsthe personal h'istory of a ~alar~rT1ancan be gleaned from & oak Into his namecard file.
Namecardshave such high credi- bility that crooks can sometimes commit fraud using someone else'scard. To guard against this, when handing out cards, police officials or high-ranking bureau. crats often write the name of the personit wasgiven \0 and date on the back.
00c
Meishi can also act ee 8 lubal,tuto 10 one's actual physical presence. If. person one vlsltl IInot In, one will leave their m6ish, ., 8 sublhtul,on and leave.
Types of Salarymen Disliked in Japan A poll surveying types one would not like to work wIth had "people who break promises" at the top of the list. The Japanese place a high value on verbal promises. Those who do nOI keep the" woro soon find themselves with few, .f any, business contacts
Those who don'tn~~pa~blS .~
Thosewho break promises
Those with bad '" drinking habits
Those who talk too much
61----------- JI.~ TITLE t Tonshimariyaku (Director)
~ ~
OnIY upon becoming a ton- -- shlmaflyaku a salaryman wIll
~
~ truly become part of the com- - paov's top management This post
I /1 I IS drvlded Into two classes H,rs- .-"--'--,-"'-'----' torisnimerivsku (normal orrec-
ted, and Jomu-rorlshimarlysku (executive director) or semmu- torishimariyaku (managing director}.
Japanese companies contain many different posts. The distri- bution of authority varies from company to company, makin! it very difficult to tell how much power a salaryman hal simply by looking at his name card [Katagaki}
Kacho-hosa (Assistant Section Manager)
The post directly beneath section manager.
Kakaricho (Chief Clerk) The most common post tor a sa!aryman around the age of 30 ~Ith author~ty Over a small sec~ tlon; The tnl~ of kakaricho in one slate 205 IS a sign of an elite salarvrnan, but for someOne OVer 40 it could indicate removal from the elite COurse.
Hira (Rank.and_File) Hira refers to the lOwest rank of setervman, who has no title On his name card. Most are in their 20 and although some have titl:~ such as shunin (Chief) all are ranked fundamentally the same.
Buchf (Department Manager) A salaryman Is generally consid- ered among the elite If he be- comes a bucho. However, there are some bucho who have no sub- ordinates.
Jicha (Assistant Department Manager) The post directly beneath depart- ment manager. Only about one of 10 salarymen will ever reach this level.
Kacho (Section Managed From kakaricho to kacho is known as middle·management, and represents the most deman- ding ground far salarymen. The future executives of most com. panles become kacho in their 30s.
62 - 63
Kaieho (Chairman) .......... ""- An honorary position appointed to a retired president. Although not involved in actual day to day affairs of the business,his author- ity is equal to that of the presi- dent since he is involved in key decision making matters.
Sodan·yaku (Advisor) Japanese companies have a cus- tom of looking after their execu- tives for the rest of their lives. Sodan-yaku is an honorary post for retired kaicho or main share_ holders, although, as with the kaich8, there are somecompanies in wh ich sodan-yaku possess ex- tensive businessauthority.
Koman (Counselorl Fundamentally the sameassOdan- yaku, an honorary POStgenerally reservedfor retired directors.
Kojocno (Plant Manager) The man in charge of a single plant, corresponding to a bucho in anormalcompany.
-<.1. "r.:-, ~ "- ~
.
Normally, a S:;:~:e(~;esi~~::l ~~;- I through the posts of director and vice-president, The president is nominally the top man in the company.
~ ~MIKansayaku (Auditor)An executive in charge ?f ec- r---
counttnq. In many compan-esthis post is equal to the rank of direc_ tor.
Hombucho (Headquarters Manager) The Position of headquarters chief defines the role of one in ~hargeof severaldepartments or 10 Certaincasesthe central figure of .authority for an organization. This POsition found in Some of thelargercompaniesis established at the executive level or just one step belowit.-64
Shitenchd (Branch Manager) The manager of a bank branch or other ctfice. Managers of l<Jrg~1 branches correspond to tsucno, while those of smaller brnncnes are closer to jicho.
Shitsucho (Office Chief) The leader of comparatively a work unit smaller. A post equal to that of a normal section chIef, although a "president's office chief" may possess considerable authority.
65
I[
I
I [
APPOINTMENT N~~urally 1 an appointment is needed to meet for business ta s. Salarymen normally make their appointments by phone.
~ello, I'd like to speakto XX In the management division.
When calling, it is critical f th . {Oaskor e person In charge. At J nese companies, vague in ~~a- are often cut off at th QU,lrles b d' e SWitch_ oat. making it important
know the name and POsition to the person you need to contact. of
Sudden calls without an a . ment are known as "t P~omt_ eigyo" (jump-in sales) ~~~komi successful only arOund 10 are of the time. percent
66
One method is to send an inquiry by mail, and then phone up to check out the results. This is often used for making appoint- ments at government offices.
-
• The Most Effective Methods A purchasing supervisor at a large company receivesdozens of phone calls daily and most are not accepted. To meet such a supervisor, it is necessaryto devise an effective plan of attack.
Salesmen from overseas compa- nies can improve their chances of meeting the man in charge if they carry a letter of introduction from an embassy or government body.
Another method is to receive an introduction from someone in the company. This is particularly effective if the introducer ranks abovethe supervisor.
Trading company
I
To interest a Japanesecompany in importing, the bestapproach is to work through a trading com- pany. An experienced manager from such a firm will handle all the necessaryarrangements.
Some salesmen resort to using private connections to get an appointment. Parents and other relatives are all fair game, and at times elementary school teachers or other persons will be pressed for introductions.
67
II f "8U I
• Henne SINESS TALKS" e and Taternae (Real I
I ~~;fJed~ference between ho nt:ntion and Principle)
I
I verseas sale 1111< and t I ~ iat one says andsm~n, This refers to ~hel~a~can genuinely
I eceive the othe w iat one thinks It e , erence between
proceed with t r party, and mo' IS not an attempt to understood, he understanding ~~ business talks (SIIOdon)
I ~ -'I~d a' f3 I I ::,~. sorneona's f" •panes ..0 '
the';' rr rs vital to ke rea! inten- ves." It snoutdb doe, not meen everv wO'dand ep track of an assu"nce th ~ understood as
I G gesture. you are s . at I do hear what
V" ~ more. ay,ng" and nothing
~ Tetemee Hann'
u~~ A smile can ~ The Jof d . I contain a [" . acenese . be ac::~te~~~ ,'"OUldn~~h:,,,n,, ::~~,0: thei, ha;;::~~d~"ct expres- ~
;;_.::.=~=ac:e:.:::va~l~u~e.:.::w:ay~" en 0 conve .' Sing various. of ce. will CUlti~ It. Only experi· 68 th" pmcess, ate und"standing
• Nemawashi (Laying the G roundwork)
Very rarely will a b .sian I usmess talk result .f I'dmportant matters will lead man on-the-spot de I lila ecision N to more lal~ d I this length ' emawashi refers to the m I " c.1\ IIt~ the normally c:nd~lrOtcedss before the actual e~l:od of complctrn
c e m the foil ' "nc» IJIk IIowing manner I
r The mana (with decls~~r talk, wllh tho wh . n-maklOqf 0 will attend h I1UlhOlllvl erence and 81 I e ltnnl con approval. g ns their unoUiel,1
i
First, an un f .. with the ~a~lclal rneettnq is held present th aqer In charge nemawa~h. e Issue and ~ . to~ I. request
An official ~akes place bUSiness talk armal!y ,with th thep matte deciding e Compan_ r. to study th~
The conI present erence is held In h' offering off with tho..
t IS ICtal reached way. the d ·lPProv.1 through h much soo 8Clllon IS
t e nOrmal ner thprOCess an
69
Jr-----...~~~=::~:.l!.~ _ , IN-HOUSE DOCUMENTS Communication through documents which clearly state their message and can be easily stored is a crucial consideration wi,thin Japanese companies. A common example is the ringi (circulation) system, in which a proposal is passed up the con pany ranks, receiving stamps of approval from each person in- volved. Typical examples of in-house documents include:
Shimatalsho (Written account) Apology and explanation of the cir- cumstances when a work rule has been violated.
Shintai-(Jkagai (Informal resigna- tion) Submitted (to his superior) by a salaryman who has caused a major loss to the company, to assllr;'le personal responsibil ltv for the In' cident.
(;~ , ",.J~.? (Plans & Proposals J New job plans, proposals and ot.her ideas are nOrmally sub- mitted to superiors in writing Manx companies also proVid~ cre~tlve. proposal systems, in :-vhlCh Ideas may be depOsit d m boxes. e
ShutchO hokokusho (Business trip report) A; report detailing customer calls, tlm~ spent, and areas discussed during a bUsiness trip,
BUSINESS T Business trips [Shutcho} are very common In Japan an 1 re especially frequent between Tokyo and () .lk.1 Ill' n I \1 two economic centers. In the ncar future u sc 01 11('\\ 1 I business exchanges is expected to reduce the \0111111(' I I necessary travel.
J
"Round-trip"trips between Tokvo and Osaka by the Shinkansen bul- let train (three hours each way) in the same day are far from unusual,
- ~~I~rYmen are expected to bring I e;r CO-workers SOuvenirs (usual- y ocal delicacies) from at least ::.e OUtof three trips.
"Cap5ul" notnr rl,r 1 crw cecv. providIng "ClIQtlJllt'"f" ,I.. ping spece at a low prlc
"Business ho\(~I'" In Ittr fI' 'I , cater to salalymen on o~n'O' I bUsiness triPS, ottennq " "nl()l. room which m"V Inchu:k hf~4" fast the next mOlnlnQ
I
II
CONFERENCE
lings are predetermined. Seatingarrangements for mee. h- (the chairman) sit first, and the.n ere- lt is common to have th~ GIC
h 0 . the higher positions sItting fITSt.
ceed according to rank, with t ose In
He is G ichii, th,~e~C:::h~a~i'::m:.:a:"::.- --,.----+---Because of the emphasis on group decisions, Japanese compa· nies hold lots of conferences (Kaigi). Two conferences a day. or over 10 per week, is not at all rare. There would be no problem if these conferences were efficient, but in many cases the result is major time losses.
@CD@®@ ® a a a o 0L-
In their 205,salarymen work hard to study the conference content and strive to articulate their own views.
Selarvrnen who are too busyor swamped with their own work become distracted during mile' lings, pondering other busines;
p'Oblem/.
oo o .. .")
\,,-
( rdoor A "C" shape arrangement
B ~ /
Nearing their 50s, managers m: doze off in the midst of heal discussions,
Middle managers sit back and pretend to ta ke not ences which do no es. at confer· cern the· , t directly con-
tr OWnduties.
A well-known Japane d be conducted standin use .~a~ager, believes that "conferences shout be more efficient to a';O'dP. H.,s P?lnt is that such meetings need to
I wasting time. - @)
The round table arrangement
73 72
® o o o o o
®CD@@@) ® ® 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000
The table arrangement (with large numbers of people)
CD o ® @) L- __ -.....J
The table arrangement (with small numbers of people).
CD o ® @
eo. PERSONAL SEAL
Instead of signatures, Japanese use personal seals (stampsi engraved with their name. This is also calJed using a hanko. Contracts are invalid without such seals, and to live and work in Japan it is vital to understand the use of the inkan.
Three major types of inkan are generally used: Maruin, kakuin and ginki5in.
Maruin (round seal)
~he seal of the company represents. live, usually round in shape and about 18mm in diameter. The maruin is used to formalize con- tracts.
74
Kakuin (square seal] The seal with the company's name used for various reasons although possessing little binding legal authority. Contracts sealed with the kakuin but not the m~fV· in are sometimes declared Invalid
-
parties include the following: Other stamps widely used at com
Shinten ("Confidential") Relatively important docur:nen~s are put in an envelop, which IS inscribed with the name of the intended recipient and stamped "Conflcentia'." Narurettv. onl~ the person designated ISsuppose to open It.
II Maruhi ("Secret") This seal means the d~ument must not be taken outside t~e office or copied without special permission.
Bcin ("Thumbprint") When one is not carrying the per- sonal seal, the thumbprint of the right hand may be used. But strictly speaking, it is not accep- ted in business matters.
b I"Ready-Made Seal")Sammon an The inkan must be specially ~ade to serve their purpose as the stqna- ture. Sammonban are cheap, massproduced inkan .for use on documents of limited Importance.
75
page 2
• Special Uses for Inkan --
-- ~II"''''-,_"".
"' =-t' ""'" .....
stub check
Wariin (tally seal) Affixing a seal over the edges of two or more copies of the same document, to verify that they are identical.
revenue _
\
-6:=-9.. 'n.,
Keshiin (cancellation seal) Special tax revenue stamps must be attached to contracts, receipts, or other documents eXCeeding set values. The keshiin is affiXed to these stamps to prevent their recycled use.
page 1
- - Keiin (joint seal) f Affixing a seal over the edges~o all pages in a single document, verify the sequence.
• • .-i(!:;f• r.f~• • • .'J no• • *. fff.A.• • •• •• •• •• Teiseiin (correction seal)
. d deletedAffixed to the revised an . hare sections of contracts whlc revi- Corrected, to verify t~a.t .t~e later sions were not added llficit Y on.
76
Sutein '(contingency seal) An extra seal added to sanction further revision ahead of the tl.me. This can be quite convenient because the inkan need not be affixed again even if mistakes are found or revisions made. How- ever, it can also open the door to illicit use and is only recom- mended when the recipient of the sealed contract can be futty trusted.
Mekuraban ("blindman's seal") Automatically stamping docu- ments without reading them, it's a method widely used by workers Who must process huge amounts of relatively unimportant dOCuments.
---
"romem ("the end" "_II Affixed at lhl' ('nd of a c Inll to ventv the concluuon AI llhl"!' seal which can provHil. lhl' Oll~)()1 turutv for ilhca Il'f!
Sain (signaturel Manv Japanese believe lhat no contract is valid WIthOUt an mlt.n However, the slgna1U1e " .lto an acceptable means of clOSIOQ an agreement. In fact, Simp IV lh. inkan With no name m.y ~ declared lOvalid at ttm'!1 II should also be rernem~ed 1he1 the inksn may be aftnutd OW1 either a sIgnature or • 1yP«j name.-
77
r
L --:.:IJ~\w::.~~c=.~=_~:l::' ~J , CHECKS AND NOTES ,
• Tegata (Notel I A re mkusoku-tegatu (promi",sIHy flute.,) .uu <1h\ii~~~:(~ill;of exchange). while the ronnel t\l'l'" 11111 I I
mono There are eight points that should be run when rnrl\'ln' a tegata.Checks and notes are widely used in Japanese business as wellHowever, use patterns differ from those in the West, making
knowledge of a few basic points important.
• Kogitte (Checks) There are eight areas to examine when receiving a check. Ifall are not in order, it will be impossible to cash the check.
r-r-r-!s the payment amount clearly recorded' ,....--Does it contain the name of the payee (or Pi)V~" COIflIl.2flY) ......-Doesit say "promissory note?" [DO"' it contain the date and otece 01 "sue'
r-- Is the payment amount clearly recorded? r-r-r- Does it contain the name of the payer (bank name)? r-t- Does it contain the payment place (address of the bank) IDoes it contain the date of payment?
T Ollll IJ' ".q) ,. ~.....-... .... •~.lf.......',.....
I:OOtlfi l!'!lnlll
.o¥500.000* .. itA ••• : .......... !"..,~"..." .... ,,'
• .,. ".lI. 5.)1. IIlIf.i£:/o2>/ G~ I·-
... .IU!!.lLCll4 ,I. Jf'iJI&' •.,t. _"........... <lu "l'>
\ L Does it Contain the location of issue? ~ Does ~tconta~n the signature or registered seal of the p
Does It contain the date of issue?
~Oi!. "00"'1-0050.' 303 .8190$
L. Does it contain the signature or registered seal 01 the payer' -D' .
oes:, conta,ln the place and address of payment? Does It contatn the sentence "The above amount will be pa.d to you Ora designated party in exchange for this note' ?
aver?
Does the check bear the sentence; "Please pay the holder the above amount in exchange for this check"?
Sembiki-kogitte ("crossed checks") containing two hori- Zontal lines on the upper right are paid through the payee's bank account, guarding against loss or theft.
Notes which have been received may be substituted in place of cas~ payments by affixing one's regISteredseal on the back. This is ,:,own as uragaki (endorsement).
Cashmq In such 8 note :U a b.anlt before the date 01 matunty , known as waf/bile, ("dIscount ing"). An amount COrreSflOndu'IQ to the Interest thrOUgh maturllv Will be deducted
To. aVoid amount tampering, the Wr11te.n value must contain the yen sign (¥) on the left and an a.sterick (..) or star (oA-) on th right. e
78
19
RECEPTION In principle, business transactions are between compere, although the actual decisions are made by the individualsj charge. This leads naturally 10 entertainment of those m pivotal positions, to strengthen relations and curry favorin receiving contracts.
Pill The most common form of settai Jj IS the ~se of "clubs" Glnza, st.1t fI: Tokyo s most exclUSive entertain_ ment district, Contains dozens of ~ lu)(uno~s clubs. Most CUstomers The hostesses at these c1ubl who drmk at these establishments familiarize themselves _With are known as shayozoku ("the requter executive and shayol~ku expense-account crOWd") salesman customers and tad~ because they are there on corn- their services to a customell cenv money. specific work and temperament.
~ . Another leadingserr " Cost of pIa' a/ IS golf, The COursesis e:~~;m~~J~~ahnese9~lf a rOUndat a f y ran.making holiday an effe~~~~sCOurseo~ a pressinga client. meansof tm-
, - fMahjong is also widely used: CUstomer entertainment. .Soof games often require the skill "losing gracefully" to one's~~ nent. If the client losesbIg '" will naturally become frustrated while if wins big he may ~(1111 tired of playing. A happymedlllfll isadVisable.
80
Salesmen must first learn the hobbies and tastes of the mana- gers they approach. When com- peting with companies on the same basic footing, this knowl- edge will contribute to more effective entertainment measures.
Company A learns that the men- ager likes to go out drinking and takes him to a leading "night club."
~~
~-A However, the manager awards the contract to Company C, where his brother is employed.
... - Company B learns that the man. agerlikesto golf andtreats him to a roundon afamous links.
81
"OLs perform many other roles within lhe 01 nee it
OL'S DUTIES
Whereas OL were once involved primarily in serving tea and making copies, the times are changing. With the passage of equal opportunity legislation in Japan, the number of women in pursuit of specialized jobs (and not general office work) IS on the rise. There are more female managers than ever before, and this trend is certainly expected to continue.
I \ I {
~
o> ( 'O~ ~
. , Newly hired female employees are put in charge of serving tea and coffee (ochakumi). How- ever. with more and more com- panies installing automatic coffee makers, there is less and less need for such ochakumi.
t-f!~~~ Copy-making (kopT-tori) is another job once assigned solely to Ol. ~ut the advance in office automatIOn has enabled anyone to make large volumes of copies in a flash. !'osa result, this monotonous chore IS nc longer assigned exclusively to OL
Many women d~selves to professional careers. To them, maintaining harmony betwe.en home and office can be a major burden.
Ol are fond of gossipping in the kitchen area. These exchanges of- ten reveal extremely accurate views of the work attitudes of co-workers and relations with superiors. provid- ing an important source of in-house information.
yo
OL can also t much about each new recruits flUid human ~0'"':'l to generate fundamentals rl~ettons and other accomplished ~:nl becoming an
..., aryman.
ElCp8nenced Ol .'" II up a v"'IO" lmlla 1,1 medlat.lv .nd k,now ~., nOt to W'V~ Ill,' ,..".. "tne can learn much .bo., I " Irom obwrvlnV \ ,d "- acuon
-
SPIRIT OF COMPANY LOYALTY
One of the key secrets behind the strength of big Japanese companies is employee loyal ty. These companies take good care of their people, and the belief in repaying this support with firm loyalty is deep-rooted.
Shakun (Corporate Articles) The shakun is much like a constttu- tion. The details differ by company, although most concern mental or s~jrjtual attitude. At some cornpa- rues, employees recite the shakun during the morning gatherings
(chore;) IA' .~ A
Shaka (Company Song) The shaka is the company anthem. It is sung at New Year's Parties lshinnenkail or other company events.
~ I
ShashtJ (Employee Badge) The shasho is a badge th t I Worn on .," ape and Corresponds to a
m1ltary squad ID this bad Patch. Wearing b J • ge enforces a sense of e onglng to the company.
• Shanai Gyoji (Company Events) Official in-house events used to help orchestrate employees include the nyusha-shiki (hiring ceremony) and shinnenkBi (New Year's party).
~
~~~~'t:Iy8~?M~r'r-,)'\ ,...-r---;---:,,-> ( r\ Nyiisha-shiki (Hiring Ceremony) A gathering held each April to welcome all new employees hired from the new fiscal year. The president urges all recruits to be- come effective employees and re- sponsible members of society, with everyone then singing the company song.
Shinnenkai (New Year's Party) A gathering held on the first day of work after New Year's to pray for renewed prosperity. The presi- dent gives a speech, everyone sings the company song, and a toast is held after the traditional banzai cheer.
As his company loyalty is streng- thened, the salaryman comes to regard the company as his father, his lover, his child, even his god. Such a salaryman will devote body and soul for the company's sake.
85
LABOR UNION With the family-oriented nature of Japanese companies,labor unions cooperate with the management in protecting overall company inter- ests, avoiding large-scale strikes in mOSI cases (Shuflfo). However, because the wage scale for the new fiscal year is determined in April, spring will often bring transportation and other strikes. The collective bargaining process adopted during this season is known as shunto, Iitereally, the "spring offensive,"
\ \ ', ........
Labor union and management representatlvas meet to discuss wage 'ncreeses. This is a familiar scene In Japan each spring,
"'~'~ May 1 is the "May Day" festival for workers. Employees from nationwide industrial unions gath- er to express political slogansand eng'age in other activities. In recent years, however, a picnic mood hascome to dominate these gatherings.
86
Driving to work will drag on late into the afternoon.
Although transit strikes have diminished considera.bly in recent years, wheneverthey occur, employees commutin~ long distancesto the corn- pany resort to all sorts of methods to make It to work. _ "
~ '110N ]111 jf.y,..{~ ~_~/ 5 r- ""0",", ,'r-e-~.:;,Wi£~C1'" ....-::--';;r::::::,;:~_
~;:~~;"~,",~~~,C'....~,.f:::.;'~.$.~"""";;' ......-»< !."''''''~<:lo-;''';''''' ::;..."~,..4.i:"'..;;....., ....:J.............. )~,...,.j ....rv"1 """,,,,,~ ,... ... r .....~"l n" Ilo""'" ~ '~?"'''''''''?.~''''~~ r~ rp..,.. ?,..... .........- ~ s...-;"";.."':.(';:0':....'"' ":-,"',,'){'.t:;'A~~;;-....,-..n ~ ~_...:::::::~ ....__ "'r-d.'h ro./,.('''''''''''';;,....,.. ........"...,,....''',... ~ Commuters converge on the / limited number of train stations in service, creating massive con- fusion.
Exasperated,many walk along the tracks toward the city center.
During strikes, since local hotels are SOon booked up, some wor- kers must spend the night in the office.
Some pack their suits into ruck sacksand bicycle to work.
87
(
SALARYMAN TYPES AND CATEGORIES
I Hank-and-Pile Type The unmarried rank-and-fife salaryman enjoys the most easy- going lifestyle. He has no respon- sibilities either at work or at home and wears a relaxed, easv- going expression.
Executive Type Brimming with confidence from ~inning out in the salaryman sur- vival game, he puts on a little roll around the middle, and his cheeks swell out. He is also a little thin on toP. and wears a soft, relaxed exoresstcn.
Middle-Management Type This is the most demanding per- iod in a salaryman's career - at work, at home, and flnanciallv. He wears a harried expression and has no time to worry about fashion or other non-essential concerns.
• Generational differences in ,:,alarym
Below are a list of the ncga t 1\ C' .1 pe generation .
, I
10 (1) The 60's "The burnout Syn-
drome" Moetsuki ShbkOgun It is an illness seen in the middle aged salarymen who, having de. voted themselves entirely to their work, Supported Japan's growing economy. ~pon reaching the Kscho level, they Immediately burnout,
~. (3) The 40's "The In.be~
Years" 0 . een ankal·no·sedli
Born dUring th bab the a e vboom years bet~e~~ nOt~eeaught in the middl~ generation and o~er established Student years t e young. Their cats, though th were spent as rad-. Concerned Wiey now.are SOmething Whi~h their families, ~eavy criticism ~~~.ey are receiving
• Classification by External Appearance
Far more applicable than blood typing. But, be careful! There are plenty of exceptions!
, Researcher Type This type delivers the impression of being quiet, serious, even rus- tic. He is good at his job but much less skillful at sociali' Zing. Many in this category come from scientific or engineering backgrounds.
(2) The 60', "Th. Walt!
WlthOUI to my h ., • at thlt" 1"""10,,, t thelf wod, onl... T • lhp batt I 1... 11"" f which lhf'';' ""'11 , ....... avallabl~ 10 a(.h-.v. lhe
141 T.,. 20'. "Tho N
• Three Types of Managers Company managers are often compared to famous Japanese warlords. There are three major examples used.
The Tokugawa leyasu Type Tokugawa is the great general who founded the Edo shogunate, a gov- ernment which stayed in power for over two and a hetf centuries. He was a man who waited patient- ly for the right chance. An old comic haiku expresses this type in the following verse. The silent bush warbler. Let us wait Until it sings.
Shoot it downl
The Toyotomi Hideyoshi Type Tovotornt was a brilliant ruler who brought a new political svs- te~ to Japan. He believed strong- ly. In hIs Own abilities and dealt Wlt~ .all challenges in a firm and POSitive manner. The silent bush warbler I'll try to make her sing'.
The Oda Nobunaga Type Oda was a superb military strategist who brought peace to Japan in the age of warring states. His strategy was to get to his enemies before they could get to him. The silent bush warbler. Let us shoot it down Before it can sing.
• The omce L. "au b I these represent theOffice layouts differ by company, u
most typical patterns.
91
• Recognizing the Highest Ranked
His business card will generally be presented by a subordinate. Sometimes he will not even carry a card.
••
He drinks his tea first,
He speaks last.
He sits the farthest to the rear.
He speaks the least.
No one minds if he nods off. Climbing stairs the ranked walks last:
highest
93
• Recognizing Rank by Car Manners
More recently, he rides where it is easiest to get in and out.
If the owner's wife is along, she sits in the passenger's seat.
The highest ranked used to sit deepest in the back seat.
~hen the owner is driving, the hlg~est ranked sits in the passen- ger s seat.
Coming down, he walks first.
EXPATRIATES LOOK AT SALARYMEN
HIGH-TECHNOLOGY JAPANESE COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS
There are some interesting contrasts between high- technology businesses in Japan and, for example, those in the United States. One that immediately comes to mind is the difference in the rates at which new products appear all the market. The domestic Japanese market for consumer electronics products like stereos, t.elev.1- sions, personal computers, video players and the like 1S even more ferociously competitive than the export market, as a result, new models, with new features and (often minor) variations on old ones, appear on. th~ market at a truly dizzying pace, many of them d~stUle to survive for only a matter of weeks or mon~h.s If sales don't measure up in comparison to the competition.
Another particularly noticeable difference has to do with job mobility. The supposedly traditional Japan~se pattern of "lifetime employment" has been disappear~ng steadily during the postwar period; only about one third of Japanese workers today can expect to spend most of their working lives working for a single company. BU.1 t~e rate at which highly-trained engineers and techru- Clans change Jobs in Silicon Valley, often once ev~ry 2 to 3 years, would seem almost inconceivable to their Iapa- n~se cou,:terparts. Even though the mobility of such highly skilled professionals in Japan is higher than for other types of workers they change jobs far less fre- quently than their American counterparts.
William Raike (U.S.A) Editor
THE LIFESTYLE OF SALARYMEN it51) -VI;.Io)~f,!i
•For the salarymen, even their private life is centered around and dominated by the company. Let's take a look at their family life, amusements.
joys and worries.
.'~
COMPANY DORMITORY Most large Japanese companies maintain residences for their employees [Shainryo} . Sometimes, single houses or sections of apartment complexes will be rented, while dormitories de· signed to hold over 100 employees and family members are very common.
Some dormitories are equipped with tennis courts, gymnasiums. and other recreational facilities.
Many have play- grounds for the chll- dren. A satervman and his family who live in such a dorm may come to rely upon the company for almost every as- pect of their, daUy lives.~
G
Company do . . singles dormsrml·~fr~esare divided into singles and family types. The
d WI ave a cafeteria where breakfast and dinner can beserve at extremely low Prices.
Family life at a company dOf,:,i,torv has many courtesies and Cl,lttoms whichdiffer from normal condtttons.
\1,. .....
~~
'~ .::~ ~ It is commonfor wives to act in ac- Japanese setervmen dream of cordence with their husband's rank owning their own homes. and et the officewhether it be bragging nothing could be wOrse then or acting with excessive humility. spending one's whole life in • Wifelyjealousydirected toward the company dorm MOit salarymon spouceof an elite employee some- hope to purchase a home around time results in domestic quarrels. the age of 40 and Itrive with Beingsalarymenis not alwayseasyl their wlves to put aside every yen
possible.
.. II •
-, \ I \ I
Within the dorm, wives of higher ranked employees assume the leadership,often forming "circle" g~oups. Refusing to join such Circleswill damage the husband's c~ancesof promotion, and many Wivesparticipate grudgingly.-
Family trips for dormitory rest- dents are very common. Step by step, a satarvman learns to con. sider his own free time in terms of the company.
97
\ \COMPANY TRIPS Company trips are often held for the employees of a certain department or section. Family members rarely join suchexcur- sions, and because the trip is meant to strengthen group soli- darity, refusing to participate is frowned upon.
The destinations are usually hot springs or other tourist spots. Many Younger salarymen now choose to pass up these company excursions.
Nights .uc r to'......cJ 'Ot' d n".. parties A IlIf~ fOom.\ ..;,t~J t for e.ltlrl\j And dfln" ,ng .... t many employ unvv,lulQ Ih. kBkushlgr'/ (hidden I l.nll 'or singing, comedy. ric
The days are dominated by gall, tennis, hiking and other invlgo- ratmg sports.
\\11\\//,\(/ \/
" ~~ \\n~rJ . n 0.r;~,"" " ~ ...,,1vfil f)
In A 'Ifor pru, co,:,pany groups gather D' ~anaml (flower viewing) r~nklng parties are held in park~
(~ker th~ cherry blossoms IVbu~a),wlth singing and general- unti~lslterous activity often lasting ties areate .at night. These par- hel a~ Illlportant event which _ Pillar the arrival of spring_
~o~p~ny trips are based on group activities .artlclpants ~sser:nble at the station at a set tlm~. t~en tide In the same train car to the destination. Oftentimes a b 'II b the transportation. us WI e rented for
Lodges and o1he, COfnQ4tn oW~ed resons are often uMd .:, Out,lngs, These fKilitie, .,-. evetlebte for individual Ute by ptcvees and their famUi" em-
Wives and children bring box lunchesand compete as well. The result isenhancedunity extending to employeefamilies aswell.
SPORTS DAY In October, most companies hold large-scale undokai with as many as 1,000 or more employees and their families partici- pating in friendly sports competition. Much like company trips, the sports day is considered a method of boosting ern- ployee unity and morale.
Each cheering section is clearly marked by its own uniform and flag.
Top managers view the competition from special seats.
Female .ml1l(lV_' " cheerinq lP.(:ll0n, Ct... It. youngei' and prill"'." ,. to put on II gooct ,h ... , pare f.vorablv w.th , .. tions
The most popular rv III
Tsunahiki Uua-ot-warj
~ "11 Kibasen W b
~ ,::gg:v~.:a:::C:::k:,,:he~bandgrabbmgl
~he compan~ is divided by plant, branch, or department, with different sec- tions competIng against each other. With the honor of their section at stake, everyone goes all out to win.
101
, 'hop'ng thaI their kaku'hl(J"All salarymen practice for such occasions, I will pleaseand impress their superiors.
BONENKAI/ SHINNENKAI In December and January, each company section holds two major parties, December brings bonenkai ("forget-the-year parties" held to close out the old year), followed in January by shinnenkai ("New Year's parties" held to ring in the new year), Both are key events which are attended by all employ- ees. d
The highest ranke member sits in the seat of honor, fur- thest back in the
~~iiJ~~~~;g~:g;,~room and facing tor-ward.eQOcl9;f0 eu
The front area is used for the stage and pre: sentations of kakusht· gei.
02
The most orthodox kakushigei is karaoke (singing along with taped music). However, just singing well is not enough, clever choreogra- phy and other touches are needed to make a truly memorable im- pression.
W~ile.the parties are informal in PrLncIP~e•. excessive drunkenness and picking fights with one's supenor can result in minus POInts when work resumes the next morning.
Some employees use traditional dancing or musical instruments to put on a good show
Books are published to guide those who lack confidence in their party talents.
liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii•••••••• __ '03
CLUS ACTIVITIES Companies offer many different clubs. Circle activities take place at company facilities, and (he company helps pay the bill. In this way, employees come to spend much of their privatetime at the company as well.
CI,:,bs are both CUltural and Sports cnented, Cultural types offer cor:n~uter lessons and other training which will be of practical use On the job. The most Sports circle is baseball. Popular
Salarymen who belong to several such circles come to regard the company as the genuine focus of their lifestyle.
4
Salarymen in their 205 usually belong to a sports circle and try hard to impress female co-workers or iobsire superiors.
•
0. )/ ~
Salarymen in their 405 take com PUler p' . cl . rogrammlng Or other kasses In the efforts to attain newc~~~~~~r:~~d skills. They are gaps ISCOuraged by the .::unge~:~~~~Ye;~.emselves and
Satarvmen In theu 30\ t tTl r ried Dnd stan femiliPl. ami ttl •• , busv work Khedul", &lIow "n'r time tor circle BCtivitlfl
Salarymen in their 50, turn co haIku, bonsai or other 1f8ld,tional art~. Many have begun to ~nM their Own human IImlt.tion, .nd u.se these pursuits to fill the tfnp nness they feel with ''9'Ird 10 everyday life
105
SCHOOL CLIQUES
Some companies are dominated by managers who are gradu- ates from the same university. At such firms, only those from specific schools can expect to gain meaningful promotions. At companies with several different gakubatsu, there is often intense competition to produce top managers from one's own alma mater. Leadinggakubatsu
schools include Tokyo University IAkamonl, Waseda University (Toman)
and Keio-gl}uku University (Miral.
Tokyo Univ.
Jl I
~"".~Q Keio-gijuku Unlv. ~
Yukichi Fukuzawa founder of Keio-gijuku Univ.
~omp~ny ~akubatsu are normally quite exclusive, and parents feCITthat 1 their ~hil~ren do not attend the "right" university they will never suc?~d In tlte. The result has been fierce entrance examination corn- ~etl~on :0 en~er the "best" schools although there is a more recent ren to aver Individual ability over a'cademic background.
Waseda Univ.
ShigenobuOkuma, founder of WasedaUnlv-
106
"SAME YEAR OUP"
The dokikai is a group of employees \\ IHI cntc tcd III I11pal in the same year, regardless of what sccuon tll(,\ hel, n t Members hold parties and go nn trip'" to~t:lh(,T \l,llh II 11 activities serving to strengthen solidarity (Ill .1 k\ 1 p,oH t from the actual company crganizat ion
T~e dokikai is a custom ithon' , WI gtn~ m the old Japanese mttt-
terv hi hs .' m,w IC those entering the ervrce I~ the same year became ~OthOdtriends and helped each ... erout.
-
While membors I(lel clo.", to I •• In tho group, thev .'" al.o " ....,,1. " the competition 10 KhlPVfl Co .. quenttv. while there II Cflf1elnly to cperetlcn. there is allO no _hOt' _ of attempts to tllP up a n",al _ pff f1. to climb the corpOr.'. ladd,",
The dOklkll, abo oroan.,. " soorts davs. veer', ..rwj and ~ear" parties. end oth" g,ath; lOgs apan from (he C()n"I organization One, sul1 " ca:n" ther 1011of • salarym.,,' h I ur and free lime, ' 0
'07
INTER-COMPANY MARRIAGE WORKING C Shanai Kekkon refers to marriage between a couple who both work at the same company and is a very popular pattern in Japan. The large number of such marriages is a reflection of the nature of life within Japanese companies.
Recently there has been a rise in the number of hnuscholJ. with working couples. Both husband and wile at tend 10 Joh\ held outside of the home.
Most female employees marrY within three or five years after entering the company. upon which they resign. This is kno~n as koshikake (a seat, or stepplM stone). The company is like a temporary seat for these women, who leave to be replaced. by others. who will also be goneInS few years.
Because of their work and com- pany-related events, the young salary men have little private time to speak of.
A female em pi son of Oyee marrying the aSSured o~na executive will be referred to as ;osy future. This is ing onto a ,.,.m,.ndOkoshilclimb. . we e p" .r.e., marrying' anqutn -
Into money).
If they have no children some-- times they are called "OINKS" {Double Income No Kidsl.
,11/ There are al Couples wh ~o many working ltv of d . 0 s are the responsibil.
Olng the bcuaework
The majority of female employees
enter the company between the ageof
18to20upon graduation from high school or junior college,
Their schedules also permit little
private time, Whon there ete .m,,11 ch.ld'" .... IhflO working couple ,,1"0 neve Ih,. lu. of taking tholl childron 10 Ih" nllr. ery school as well •• In,vlnll Ih" comceov eertv enough to pI(' lh",rn up.
Smce the organU:8t!on 01 J.~ nese socrew st,1I hes n01 chan9'!'d mcreasmgly Ihe burden of ~I ~hlldren's problems end m.'tHY~:;,o mg neighborhood relit Ions h , fallen on the working Wife
109
A SALARYMAN'S WIFE When there are no children, or the children are grown andout on their own, the lifestyle of a salary man's wife is extremely monotonous, She will encounter many dangers and ternpta ttons as a result.
6:30 a.rn. The wife fix her breakfast.
begins to husband
\
Midnight The tired hubby arrives torna and she lays out his bedding
/ During the day, she sits frozen before the _' • TV. -/
Wthhenthere are no children in the home the wife's work consists of esetwOb"h • d
spends mucha~~\c o~es. Between these jobs, she has little to do an er ttrne alone, inside the home. __
110
Shewill take many approaches to break the monotony
\ \
One of the most common sotu- nons is to join housewives With the samedilemma for shopping or for gab sessions over tea.
~~et~fth~wife's duties is to shut- sch lebklds back and forth to
00 Y car Or on fool.
I
OutgoIng wIVet ulav '"unIt ,) If or other OC11Vf!"poll, 50 h I. haVlor WdSrorfllv IV'," uel to I Jll • few years eqc
When the husband 'I rar.lv a' home. the WIfe and Chlldr.n t.... off to amusement parks or rna.., together.
111
n pattern might be: Figuringeight days off per month, a comma
-1'M q g ""'.. .~A SALARYMAN'S HOLIDAYS
While Japanese salarymen are indeed hard workers, they naturally do have holidays. Nevertheless, they often findit very difficult to use this free time for private pursuits.
--a
Work Holidays are often considered one phase of work. An extremely common example is golf with company superiors or clients.
ff.----<:?'I:~ ,,\\ Home Because salarymen have lit:le chance for daily contact with their families. they often feel compelled to go to amuseme~l parks or the zoo on holidays.:hl,~ is known as "family service (kazoku sabisu) in Japan.
Recuperation Exhausted by their work, man~ satervmen use holidays to cal~h up on sleep. Such holidaysWl~1 consist largely of napping,televl' ston and meals.
112
)\
The first Sunday: Exhausted from golf, sleep all day.
The third Saturday; Day trip with co- workers.
The secondSaturd!Y: Report to the ,:om- panv for hofldav work.
The third Sunday: Company baseball tournament.
The fourth ~undaY: Entertain chent during a round of golf.
The fourth Saturday: Attend a co_workers wedding. 113
, The first Saturday of themonth: Play golf with super-
Iv ~ The secondSunday: Take family to the local zoo.
I / /"
/1/ /
o 0
-
,
Although satarvmen go to great pains to make it home to the country- side, they often lind it impossible to relax and enjoy there.
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Commuter train Deep lines form in airport termi- s are empty. nels.
The standard com ber 28 to Jan oanv New Year's .percent of uary 5. depend in 0 vacation runs from around Decem- their home s:~arym~n living i;grne~~e calendar for that year. About 80 tures. wns, lamming all mod er Tokyo form a huge exodUStoes of transportation to the prefec-
up for
A salaryman enjoys tI .year _ summer . t tree major vacation seasons during IRe April to early M:lO er, and th; "Go~den We~k" periodinlat1 important event y. ~ew Year s (Shogatsu) IS the single mo~ home towns to . In. ~pan, and most people return to IheR
ring It m.
~1 1 \
/' I
The Shinkansen Bullet Train is p~cked to over 300 percent capa-
CItYi((I(((rr/;:~n_ \\(~
Otoshidama The children of relatives and friends expect to receive otosni: dama (New Year's money) of 500 t? 3,000 yen from every adult in Sight. Sometimes 20 or more kids will ~how up during the week, creating a real drain on a salary- man's already flimsy budget.
HatsumOdel Hatsuhinode Shogatsu is the first day of the new year, and immediately after midnight, many Japanese travel to shrines for harsumode ("first worship") or stay up all night to pay reverence to the rising sun ("hatsuhinode") in the morning. New Year's resolutions are popu- lar although easily forgotten.
Nenshimawari Nenshimawari (New Year's calls) is the custom of donning full traditional dress and calling on company superiors or other per- sons to whom one is indebted. By the time ten or more of these calls are performed, Sh09atsu may be nearly over.
The salary man becomes exhauS- ted toward the end of this vaca- tion and slee,?s all day lon~. Without this bit of rest, he WIll find it tough to weather the pack- ed conditions on the way home.
- 115
With the focus on Bon, company summer vacations last for a week to ten days.Some people choose pleasure trips instead of the grueling trip
home.ALL SOUL'S DAY Bon falls on July 15 .August 15 in the mo:ccordt"g to Japan's old calendar,andon home towns a ern ca endar. People again return to ther at home for ll;e ;o~elspe~tl to their family graves, and thenW'"
sot ieir diseased ancestors to arrive.
j f I Water;, 'p';nkled on the 9""~ stone. Fresh cut flowersareceelJ fully placed, and incensestick!(jJJ are lit. i?
~l~( o~f~
Graves are e ~~ the home oi ~erallY located near family (fathe e male head of the Salaryman m~;t grandfather, etc.I crowds to get h~here?y fight the do Ior shogatsu. me, Just as they
"'~' ,~'.,. '~\ ' / \ I I / \ \ _. . 0h&' .,, a.
'. I ,\ ;-.;- ,
At night the tam! .!, ... relatives to eat lty gathers with &> 0' "::)- ~trengthen their band drink and ~.~ ~~~Q C or future health O~dS and hopes oJ ~
an prosperity. <i-
116
OL (office ladies) who commute to work from home have much more time and money on their hands. and many enjoy overseas tnos once or twice a year.
Young salarymen scrimp andsave to be able to marry the QL of their dreams. Sometakenosummerva- cations at all, stay in their do
r . m
rooms or apartments, and subSist on instant ramen.
Q o
• p
Q o
Middle-aged satarvrner' take their families on trips. UnfortUnately, th~ tourist spots are jammed. at thIS time of year, transforming the pleasure trip intO an exhauS- ting struggle.
Naturally, somesalarymen choose to work right through the summer vecet ion season.
- 117
:::1-III7':/?-(-? "GOLDEN WEEK"
OL0>1*8 OL HOLIDAYS
Four national holidays are concentrated in the period from lateApril10 e.arly ~~y. Add,iog in Saturdays, Sundays and four of paid vacation time, It IS P?ssible to take off for a week or more. This period is known as 'Gold W k" °. en ce m Japan and ranks as the thirdmOil popular vacation season after Shogatsu and Bon.
OLsnormally commute from their parent's home, eat a nome- made lunch or a cheap meal at the employee's cafet~ria.l and have their way paid by superiors when they go out dnnkmg at night In other words they are able to bank most of thOlTpay-. , . edto checks, allowing them to take elegant vacations compar salarymen.
Vacationers flock to local tourist spots during Golden Week. In jhe Tokyo area, Tokyo D;sneyla~d and Ueno Zoo are two of theb~' gest draws.
If@ ~~
@®The ° ~ (A . national holidays are the Greenery daY
dt:~:1 29), Constitution Day (May 3) and Ch~· fa t~Day (May 5). Salary men who don't put I~ batw trne off in advance may end up at wr1 nate:e~ hOli~ays. (May 4 also was recently desit Japanese natlon~1 holiday to encourage rtIO
rt
to vecanon and retex.l -
They wear leading fashion brands and dine on high Quality French cuisine.
They are more than willing to use every day of paid vacation time to take off on trips.
They enjoY golf. ten~is. and other who,ch cost bIg money tosports
play in Japan.
ployees always pay for Male, e'rurther swelling QL bankmea 5, accounts.
119
, I
IG-IFT CENTER I ..$
akin oil and other lo.ng·l.asting popular presents include soy sauce, co eti etc The result IS plies of food products, tablewar~, towels, soap'~1 ~11b~ put to practical use. the same basic items, which cannot pasSI Y
MID- YEAR AND YEAR-END PRESENTS Twice a year, Japanese send presents to person they feel indebted10. In July it is the chiigen ("midyear present") and in December itisthe seibo (t'year-end present"). Department store sales peak duringIhese two periods.
Some satarvrnen must send 10 several dozen persons, while re- ceiving few if any presents of their own. This shopping may eat up haff of their bonus
e 0 \ Executives commonly receive gifts from over 1~ or more persons and are forced to turn an entire room into a gift storehouse.
For those who have received a large number of presents, writing "Thank You" cards turns out to be quite a considerable chore.
Some presents are neighbors, others zaars.
given to the sold at be-
- . receiving large
Executlvest hUgen (midyear pres- amounts 0 r track of who gave sntS) oftsn ose them what.
121
l e d d •
WEDDING AND FUNERAL CEREMONIES Kankon Sosai means wedding and funeral ceremonies. The salaryman's world is rooted in human relations, and attending co-workers marriages or funerals is considered mandatory, These ceremonies are expensive and provide another drain on the salaryman's budget.
Both have been drin- king, and only the color of their neckties tells them apart.
V !
Carrying a large bundle of presents.
Traditional dress for weddings' b.lackformal suit and white ne~k~ tl~d~larymen returning from a w l~g can be easily recognized by th IS attire and by th I bundle of presents (h"k"d e arge they carry. f f emano)
Dress for funerals is the same black formal suit worn at wet!· dings but a black necktie. This IS very convenient, and it is possib~ to attend both a wedding a funeral on the same day by simply changing ties,
'ned by the The cash gift is determl b 'de or
, ith the fl relationshIP w, families but is groom or theIr 10000 and usually between ' 50,000 yen, Tai (sea bream)
Cake Selcihan (red rice)
Dishes guests dl ceremonV,
At a wed Ing lose in value to receive presentS d to be received, the cash e)(pecte hilcidemono. These are known ~: practiced at No such custom f the consider- funerals beca~se ~urden on the able econo~IC bereaved familY·
Persons attending weddingS or funerals bring cash gifts. The money is placed in a noshibulc~ro (8 special formal envelopelbeanng the character for "congratu'a~ tions"(weddingsl or "prayer (funerals).;C------- Go_betWeen
( Groom Bride (husband) e e~4j........O-- Go_betWeen
'-- ---'1 (wifel
-D'·0-.0-1;uo~~~~: 0 :: o~ . 0:: ~~~workers ~
o DD 00 0 f.t "J1~ coo 0 " Relatives I ry <;I 0 0 0 0°,....- key member of a ~a a b- O0
0 When a . asses on, hIS su - o 0 00 Parents and man'S family, P, with the funeral
I ' t s asSIS . '\I
o 0 0 ~ siblings ordlna e, ns A supenor WI Relatives preparatlO . d the funeral of a The rnajoritv of wedding guehs~~ alwaYS att~~an with telegramS
k or at mpany , es of con- are usually ICo~~~; ~~s the bride ~~ntaining ~~:.::g the president company re all . r will often dolence sent , and groom. A s~peno( fficial qo- other executives. act as the nakodo a or between) for the couple.- 12322
AMUSEMENT J PACHINKO Pachinko is a game of chance indigenous to Japan. "PachiliM parlors" are found in the vicinity of almost any train station around the country, and the game is one of the favorite recres tions of salarymen.
"Lucky Seven"
A combination of the pachinko and slot machine concept for en. hanced gambling excitement. When all three digits stop on seven, the gate opens up and about 5,000 yen worth of balls flood out.
About one-third of a
esemble small The prize corne;fs ring items ran- supermarkets~ 0 ~~es stationery ging from bClg:~e to 'fruits, vega- Items and 00 • r tables and underwee .
Today almost all pachinko mr chines are electric, with the ball flipped up automatically by tu; niog a knob. The 100 yen. wor of bails will be exhausted m onlv 10 seconds or so, meaning that a considerable investment may be required to find a machine that pays off.
,~~ 1:J A salarvrna n intending to rela;e~ a pachinko parlor for ab ak minutes during his lunch r~b- will sometimes become S~at he sorbed in the metal hal.ls t ocket squanders away all hls:e latemoney. He may even. e reporting back to the offlc . 125
To Play: 100 yen is paid for a couple dozen steel balls, which are poured .mto ~ chosen machine. The balls are flipped up to the top of the vertical Pinball-like machine, and some fall into holes to win extra balls. Accumulated balls can be traded in for various prizes at a specIalCOunter.
hich have fallen. balls VII . Picking up is conSidered un- to the floormention cheap! luckY, not to
124
v a d
L e d d,
2 •• AMUSEMENT 2 MAHJONG
Mahjong ranks with pacltinko as a game highly popularw~ salaryrnen. Four players sit at a table and strive to comb~ l08tiles containing three suits of numbers and 28 tileswi1i kanji characters into set patterns.
[~l·OO Manzu
O~[!] Haku Hat Csu hun Ton Nan Sha Pei All start with 13 'I and one set of I ".des, t~en ~raw and discard to build tour sets of tlH~
we I entlcal tiles.
~ ~
Pinzu
~~~~
[~IH.:II8fP 186 SOlU
Points are a. warded accord' against the law, these PQintl;g to the difficulty of the sets. AJthou.f\ payoffs made at the end. are normally computed into money,W1t11-126
AMUSEMENT 3 HORSE RACING . in Ja an - horse racing,
There are four types of legal gambl~g I t ~ycle racing. Horse bicycle racing, speedboat racing an rnc O( nrite pastime for racing is the most popular and ranks as a av many salarymcn.
Threetypical type track visitors
'~- I shirt, gol'
The po a d silver slackS arasses tvpe- rimmed g men lean Most salary toward this look.
The jeans, sneaker d sweatshirt tYpe.
~ style often adopted by poor college stu- dents who want .spen- ding money or SImply enjOY the sport.
~~<
The baseball cap and sunglasses rvpe. This is a popular style for professional gamblers Or horse racing freaks. 127
e
L e d d e
AMUSEMENT 4 OTHERS
In Japan, where parks and fields are scarce .the amusements of salarymen are often confined to the indoors. They have no time for travel and have recently been consumed by the craze for "FAMI·CONS".
111 FAMI·CON Fami-con is a computer game soft- ware for home CRT use. Adults as well as children, have become obcessed with these games.
128
(2) Baseball Even though it is called "balf" ball" we are referring to agalTl of "catch" played on rooftOJll and back allevs in park-scar<f Japan. Regardless of the conci rtons, Salarymen love baseball.
(3) Disco Disco is popular with the young satarvmen. Pathos surroun~s t~ site of the salarvmen dancing I their suits and ties.
Business and Religion
. . . Buddhism, but it is very Japan's religions are Shinto ,and . Iluencs busmess pr.ac- rare for these religions to directly to ed or constrUction tices. Yet, when. new offices are
d o~~no when the admini
starts, religious rituals are ob:e.rve ~rie~t'atiOn persone1 ~nd strator happens to have a religIouS . ed by the ordlOa-
. . be determlOeven company policies may tions of the gods.
This is a purification ritual prav- ing for the prosperity of the com- oaov or business during the ches are for good opening of a new office. The green bran ki neko" cat beck-
luck, the "msn:n~ money and the ens customers. colored in when a darums's eye ~/ All are seen in the wish is grante. ·e industries.
~ offices of serv'c
j ~ _ ._K,mid,na-isoften - The alter pIece 'dent's office. The
found in the ~re~~ays bow to it be-
() ~
residents ~III ~hjS is an individu- - fore departing. help one spiritually
I I, ! .ritual to \\\., 4 alistlC their work.
• reeve on.~ ...
;.
s v te d a.
C se d d se
129
A SALARYMAN'S JOYS AND ANXIETIES
Unlike many reports, Japanese saJarymen are not happy·g, lucky economic warriors crazy about every aspect of then work. They are normal human beings, with normal joys MQ anxieties.
Promotion and success with in the company are a salaryman's grea- test joys.
Clo~ing a b':lsiness. deal or com- pleting a project brings distinction.
Tasting the sadness of life upona demotion transfer (see page 48).
The bonus - a favorite of any salariedworker.
When work doesn't go well. streSl builds up.
. Receiving the Commendation - " "ingenuitY "president's award, he year," or prize," "salesman of t II an acca- other honors is natura Y sian tor JOY.
5 is nice, but the Receiving a bon~s seems to get other guy alwa more.
hard he tries, No matter h~~go as they should. things just don
... 131
j-
•
r-
y
• d
L
• d d
•
SALARYMAN SLUES Middle-aged salarymen must juggle many problems, originatUlj both at work and at home. Here we examine a few typic-al examples,
Bullying
T~e ~e~s has been tilled lately with mcidents of children being physically and mentally bullied by classmates. Many suicides have resulted.
Physical punishment Some teachers resort to physical means to discipline students, which sometimes become violent.
Delinquency Juvenile delinquency has also st~uc~ Japan, with some children skippinq school, joining motor-erele gangs,. drinking, sniffing 9 ue, and causing other trouble.
Education Children's eoucan ..
Ion ISa crtticat concern in Japan.
Refusing to go to School Some ch lldren become neuraD: and refuse to attend school.
...
Wife's Unfaithfulness After the kids, a salaryma.n's greatest worry is usually his wI!e. When there is little husband-wIfe communication the chances of the wife cheati~g on the side are muttiotted.
~ ~ i~J'0
: ~ :;;.
Taking Care of the Parents sort to h eldestIt is normal for t e s until the
take care of his paren\ow senile end. If the old folks ghUge drain
. nbea tmeOr sickly, rhis ca his wife's uro on his savings and
e @l f 'thfulness
H·s own Un al tth aI en carryon WI . Some salarym he company, a Slt~: young OL at t "office love. arion knOwn a~ enough money Few have banked the divorce and to possibly aff~iS behavior could alimony that t to great lengthS to
d to and gOlea ffair secret. keep the a
L1.J
, ,
H me Loano "t of salarymen take The maJ~~l ~O year loans when out 30 hase a home. The pay- they purc hen like a ball and ment5 are 0 I
, in their daily tuestv e .chaIn I
and strength. 133
0, i- y,
o
i-
y
o d a,
L e d d e
METHODS Of ALLEVIATING STRESS fronted with stress on a
Salarymen work hard and are con . tion methods coJ11~ daily basis. The following are stress a~~v~usiness magazine. piled from a survey by a leadmg Japan
'\' I 1/, ::: '"'
REASONS SALARYMAN WANT TO QUIT Japanes.e sal~ryrnen .a~e extremely diligent workers. Howee, most WIll think of givmg up their lifestyle at least once durin1 ~el~ freer. A survey by the Prime Minister's Office reve~erl t e 0 OWIng reasons for this desire to throw in the towel.
1. Notenoughpay Salary is found to be insufficient to cover children's schooling make the home loan payments' and handle other financial de: mands.
3. No freedom Constant cestertn f . to do things dif 9 rom svperrc-serenuv
2. Can't put knowledge to WOlk An engineer, for example, iindr himself spending his entire dai working a pocket calculator.
m V
134
4. Long working hours Physical exhaustion from dii after day of overtime.
•
2. Sports en work out their 1. Grin and bear it YOung salaryrn tne tennis court or The Japanese are often said to b
d ' ,_u_triltions. on d ",h·,I. middle-
less than sk·,"fu' at recreation an ,~ onbaseball dlan1 enjoY golfing. other means of personal enjoY- aged salaryn1en meot. The same is true of streSs, with many setervmeo choosing to simply hang on and endure.
- 3. Reading hods is to One of the handiest n1~t book or lose oneself in a comiC mystery novel.
n up to a confidant 4, .OP:ble to talk about problems BeIng ustllllorthy superiors, col- ~~ag~~S,or friends is very impor-
tant.
L 50 d d se
. methods . . h the follov,/Ing
h ir health Wit Salarymenattempt to improve t e
THE SALARYMAN'S HEALTH
In their 205 and 305, salacymen work to the limits of the' physical stamina, often relieving the stress with alcohol.When they suddenly begin to run out of steam in their 405, theyal last become concerned with their health.
Headache from hangover
Stomach ulcer - an occupational hazard for salarymen.
Stiff shoulders from I ~ toO much desk work
Weak liver from ..- heavy drinking
Humid Japanese ___ summers often
It'" cause athlete's foot to act up.
Those who fool arou nd too much may catch gonorrhea or other venereal diseases.
-r:he m~st common salarymen ailment IS the nervous stomach ulcer. Because of the frequency of such ulcers, most companies view them on the same level as the common cold.
136
.---- Hemorrhoids from long hours of sitting
SaJarymen suffer from lack of sleep and hangovers, rarely exer' else, eat irregularly, have a poor nutritional balance, and are us~al' Iy chain smokers. In short, it 15a miracle they are alive at all. -
Peppermint-flavored ---=.....""_ pipes are used by those trying to give up smoking.
Anti·smoking Most salarymen try to stop smoking but rarely last for mOfe than several days. As a resu t. imitation cigarettes, chewing gu~, special candy and other anti- smoking aids sell welt in Japan.
Oriental Medicine ence. . a resurg Japan is expenen~lng f oriental in the populantY 0 en plae~ medicine. Many salaryrn rno"l-
. .. puncture. r their faith 10 acu nd otbe bustton. massages a
Jogging America, jOggin.; lnfluence:t ~: in Japan. T~:~~~r has caug bt however, Wt emis-me dou, exhauS j~gging in t~e ~~:~YIthat good for sions of To Y the health .
's cancer oreven ta- 'I layrflan ublicized. Many
~an have been Pd' cines are sold tlVeS f herb me I kinds 0stores. in drug
Eastern approaches.
-
137
00 an, ing
of te,
runi- mv.
N re
idi-
RS "Y m- rite nd na.
EL es' .d nd es'
.nelude the following. Booksor magazines preferred by salarymen I-t;t51)-~::;(1)~ ~.:-.. •
REQUIRED READING FOR SALARYMAN
Because salarymen don't have much time for serious reading, they devise unique techniques.
A By far, the most common is rea- dIng on the train, which has led to the overwhelming popularity of pocket-size books.
S.ome buy books they have no ~tme to read and end up gather- 109 dust on their desks.
The Japanese are avid readers. Many books target salarymen, presenting new knowledge and skills geared to help them succeed in life and work.
i
Others carry their books tnto the bathroom.
138
Weekly Magazine Pictorials Thin magazines specializing in photos and short comments on I\;e latest hot news and scandal. These magazines sell around 2.5 million copies per week.
History do>Hen stU • Middle-aged managers a farnous history to learn h.OWa a corn' generals from cent~rtes angd fiefs. manded their arrnteS are ec- Sometimes, the I~sson: baseball, plied to the coachtng 0 'zed intO with subordinates organ I winning teams.-
M gazinesSalaryman a alarymen, these Targeting YOU~g.~now to succeed magazineS exp at and sell about
mpanyat the co . s per week. one million cOple
an Novels Salarym numerous, these novels Extremely laryman lifestY'e as adopt the dsa Some tell of hig~- backgroun m'anagement success In powered n'·'s althOugh those . cOmp8' . dbig. delve tnto the hIghS an
which f middle managers are the rcws a most popular.
-
I ,00 pan, ;tin9
of rvle , uni- ,my.
N ture
ldi-
RS asy m· rite nd na.
EL es. .d nd...
THE SALARYMAN SPIRIT Magazines dealing exclusively with the secrets of salaryman life and success are unique to Japan. Typical know-how presented in these publications includes ....
To suceed at work, a salaryman has to be able to adapt mentally, physically and spiritually. Spiritual adaptation is directly dependent on the ability to get along with fellow workers and other persons. To master the aft of skillful human relations, it is useful to notice what kind of persons attract others.
+a Persons who are good at listening
Persons who never verbalize their complaints or insult others
Persons who always manage to look on the bright side of life
8e liked by your boss! A satervman's fate rides on. the impression he leaves on his dIrect superiors Proper treatment,
. d other seasonal presents .an to service to superiors IS a must get ahead.~LLe ~~~
Collect In-House Informationl . t big corn-
The human relations a I attain- canles are complex. Ear ~nel in- rnent of reliable per~o ymsn in formation can put a sa.~ornan.
POSltl .an advantageous. et on good effective method IS to g. a's secre- terms with an execttlVthe latest terv and milk her or news.-
be SUccesS- lors have to
Your Super Iul! '11 get a salaryrna~ Flattering W.I ,uperior is a mad0b-
'f hiS he SU nowhere' Becoming t . r is giwazOkU. f an elite supe~li~n ordinate ° futUre promo . important for
to Playl I{nOw HoW laryman has to be A successful sat work and play. skillful bo.th a and other games, Go
lf mahjOng e important for , pie sr He
for exam I tertainment. customer :~oid dating women should also companY, stickIng from the ~amelS or those with no
rofesSl0na to P he company. tieS to t
-
of ltv!e.runi- :>my_
141
)N ture
tldt-
=RS easy om- rite and na.
EL ese oed and ".
• Prerequisites for a Middle-Class Lifestyle Japaneseconsider themselves middle class under the following condi-
tions.MIDDLE CLASS When asked if they a e .cent of Japanese r upper, middle and lower class,90per· percent of this to;e) y ml~dle class [Churyu}, while someJO This uniformity fa regar themselves as upper middle cl" characteristic Of)O ,Income 3.nd lifestyle level is a dominatin~
apanese society.
Most. Japanese prefer to sit on the fl even lf h 00'.. I t ere is a sofa In the room.
Owning their own home. Un- fortunately, the exorbitant land p~i~esin Tokyo and other large citiesforce salarymen to settle for apartments or rental homes, while Owning a four door sedan. most retreat to the distant sub- urbs.
«oteteu (quilt-covered leg warmer used during the winter)
alcoveornaments
\ Zabuton, or floor cushions
•t video recorder stereo '<,
Th player television set
e typical . room, bedror:::;:dle-Classhome Cons" .' and toilet), Hom stUdy,.children's r IStSof five room blocks - the1iYil' mally used to en e P~rtles are rare forn and bathroom (including ttath
tertaln guestsOr oth n Japan, with the living roon net 2 er VISitors.
Owning a complete set of golf' clubs.
,.., ~ Take a trip once every six monthS
or so.
Their children attend private pre- paratory schOO!S{juk,! l ~o tr~in for college, senrcr or Junior hIgh school entrance exams.
Eat out with the family at least once a month.
N gh nd
of ,yle, unl- my.
N ure
ldl-
RS "y m- rite and na.
EL ese ced and ese
-
No matter how many similarities they appear to have, the Japanese salaryman is completely different from the American businessman.
It is true that on the surface they appear identical but my experience in a Japanese company convinced me otherwise. Probably the most basic difference lies in attitudes towards work. In Japan, the average work- ing man centers his life around work. Overtime is not uncommon and most afterhours friendships start at the workplace. Personal life is secondary at best.
Americans, on the other hand, value their personal lives at least as much as their jobs. There are, of course, workaholics in every country, and different professions have different demands, but Americans usually stick to a straight 9 to 5 schedule. . The fact that the salaryrnan spends more time work- 109 does not necessarily mean that he works more than his American counterpart, however. The seniority system and job security in Japan provide little incentive to work efficiently and overtime is often nothing more than a front for the benefit of superiors.
Rampant sexual discrimination and a host of other problems led to my decision to work freelance but the Issue of personal time was to me, the one thing J could not adapt to.
We work to live, not live to work.
EXPATRIATES LOOK AT SALARYMEN
THE BUSINESSMAN VS. THE SALARYMAN
Martha Chaiklin (U.S.A) Translator
00 en, ing
THE MANNERS OF SALARVMEN "!t:;!J-~;:J0)~'T-
• . unique manners. Japan's business world .has Itsll°,£nwhiChdeveloped It has its own conventIOns, a Dultureand history. from close ties with Japanese c
of Ie, ni- y.
re
idl-
Good morning! HONORIFIC LANGUAGE
• Howto Use Keigo
The existence of an honorific level of speech makes Japanese an extremely complex language. Keigo consists of sonkeira (terms of respect) and kenjogo (terms of condescension), WI" several levels in each category. Skillful use at this levelIS difficult even for the Japanese. Greetings When Calling Upon Saying Goodbye Someone
f I
Familiar: (With a slight wave) "vea'' ("How va' doing?"),
'(~
. ~M\ Pohte: (BOWing slightly) "Kon- nichiwa" ("GOOd afternoon" or "Good day"l,
((~ <,: - ti ~ .
Ke.igo: (BOWing deeply) "Oiama s~lmasu" ("Please excuse intru- sion").
A ~A' , Familiar; (With a slightwavel "Jya-mi" ("Be seeing you").
I{~
(fL~ Polite: (Bowing slightly)" "Sayonara" ("Good bye l.
146
Keigo: (Bowing deepl~l .' "Shitsurei itashimashlts" ( Irn Sorry to have disturbed you").-
~
'( k· hould beAs a general rule, elgo s is
used when the other pers?n the older If that person speaks ,In"ble
. : . is oerrruss!familiar language, It. 1 " fuse to drop to the "polite orn;~son of keigo to a younger p , however, can sound sarcastlC,
Please give us your business. --=-
tso addre~s Subcontractors a rl'lPanies rn clients from big. c~nd sponsor- keigo. Company S.I~portant thfa~ ship are more I resident 0 position, anded~h~~ize eOr12P~p~ small or m IU the kacho will often ad?re,:;i90.
~~ ( ddresS those
secltoa I· Keigo is also u 'ions. For sa ary in higher p~Slt ion is company
n the cnter osition takes me , Furthermore, P making It post. ver age, Id recedence 0 a 30 year 0
p ',sible for neger) toperm! . n me Id h- (seetlO 40 veer 0«sc 0 " to a
"spea~ C!.°~~ief clerk). kakarJcho
bout a drinkHoVIIa tonight?
" , arties are convinced
When both P I in position, they theY ar.e ei~athe beginning and use k8190" elite" language from droP to d~ime on. If they get on the seccn may drop down to the well, they familiar language.
big company In
AN ugh end
100 pan,
It;:: !VIe, iuni-
C ure
tldl-
RS esv om- rite end ena.
147
v-r-c97- MANNERS AND TABOOS
Japanese culture is filled with ritual, and specific words ani gestures often have deep meaning. As a result, complicated behavioral standards tend to dominate wedding and funem ceremonies. Salarymen must follow many manners and taboo! in daily life.
Office colleagues or subordinates are greeted while walking with a wave of the hand and "Ossu;' "Yaa" or other greetings.
Ohayo sozeimesu
• Greetings
Those slightly higher in rank (kakaricho, kacho, etc.) are ~rso greeted on the move with asllghl bow of the head.
Those much higher in raRk (bucho, etc.I are greeted after stopping with a slight bow. BOW' ing too deeply in such chance meetings can look foolish.
.. n . ht sealed pOSltlO .
the formal upng e Greetlnqs on Tatami Mat~ On lawmi, one should bow 10
. 5 are Truly formal tetemi greetlng the Performed bv stretching ,
20 30 cenn-upper body forward - the meters, placing the hands on mat about one fist apart.
reetings, touch For abbrevia~e~h~ mat on either the fingers t slightlY forward. side, and bow
. tsc unbecoming to touch the It ISa h mat or curl one's back
. lift the. face:~ head to t ~ It is impolite to ffed .i,~ngio=n~_W:h~i1:.:eb:o:w~,"~g:. :: keep the h~ndsu~~greetings. pockets dUrlng s 149
AN gh
and
'00 apan, <sting
of .tvte. Inuni- ornv.
N ture
tidi-
EL nese ced and nese
of other• On The Train The worst possible experience on a rush hour train is 10 bf accused of being a masher. With no way to move, the victim must endure the insulting stares of other passengers, untilht can slip orr the train at the next station.
When the packed conditions make it impossible not to touch a woman, make sure it is with the back of the hand, Touching with the palm leeves little grounds for excuse,
It is very POOr manners to open uP, a newspaper on a crowded train,
• Presents _, 'bo there are plenty In addition to chugen and sel 'de'red necessary,
. I . h ifts are canst situations 111 W lie g: ~i
A The safest possible posture isto cling to a strap with one hand and read a book or newspaper with the other,
Most trains have "Silver Seats' for the elderly and handicapped, While it is not absolutely tabOO for others to use these sean dUring rush hour, it demonstrateS a clear lack of propriety,
. le that aThere is an unwritten ru , t salarvrn an on a business trtp mu~
. I' ' s for ntsbring back locaJ specie me , , h ompany ISCO-workers. Since ~ e c 'Iy this
considered one big f;m~er' brln- practice resembles a at kids. ging home qoodles for the
er take a . J visits, nev flower
For hospua Since th~ will be potted flo,,:,er, {f1ezuku),lt nded will not wither sign of exte interpre~ed .asn
a
...
AN ugh and
1 3 , : It =1 \:t ~
f resents for those The custom 0 P aJso extends to at the c0':lpaniaken on private private triPS time. (!)
~ II
of stYle, nuni- omv.
N tture
ERS easy om- rite and ena.
V lentine'S Day, Japane~e On a lve chocolates to their wo~e.n n~s At the company, ecv fie ",', often expected thathowever, I IS " . Dung OL give their superiors 9,~n
~hoko("dutY·boundchocolates 1.
'5'
VEL nese nced and nese
• Manne rs When V' , ,\SIting
When ViS'~' - senior I I~~ someone i come o~osltlon, the h
n a mo~e
will the t to greet the vi ~st will the vi , n open the d error and more l~~o.r enter first. oor t? let is consid~lord person to :=O°t
rcln . g
are rude. er first
The shoes sho Idtogether at thU then be placed trance, pointln e edge of the en- men arrang ~ outward. Salary' superiors th e the shoes of a~y
ey are with.
00 not sit dicushion F' Irectlv on the floor then ~ovelrst ,sit on the right cushion. Gr quietlv toward the off the Cush~tlngs are performed
Ion.
- .How to Sit in a Japan~~e·style Room • JAPAN
ncrousn yle and n.
Toka·na-ma
PAN of 100 )f Japan, I"costlng
In newer bLlildings, the tokonom~ and entrance maY flank e
ac .
other. If SO, the seat of honor IS located as far from the entra~ce as ossib1e, offering a go,?d view
p den or the room Itself. of the gar
Ins of life5tYle, )mmuni- eonornv.
111 a form I Jthe tok a apanese-style room. hall' onoma (an alcove with a
"
g',ng scroll and other decora- Ions fac h111 a e~ t e entrance. Persons tOkonS~~en?r position sit by the 811d a l~ the seat of honor, ent suoordtneres sit near the
ranee. ~::'---::-I PONculture
• How to S' 'It In a Western-stYle Room
uotldl-
TERS d easy e com- o write
and omena.
putting your feet up on a desk in f Japanese company is definitely
In a Western,styl' coo,", ,he :~: ~ol a",pta bl ' behavior,
IS the seat of Inonor and st I __------------J chairs the lower seats. -rne gU
e
natural IV sits on rne sofa.
AVEL panese rienced e and panese
I
• Japanese Table Manners Table manners for Japanese cuisme are complicated andfew people really understand the official methods. An understn ding of basic etiquette is sufficient to avoid embarrassmenton most occasions.
How to Pick up Hashi (Chopsticks)
Pick them up in the Cradle them with the right hand. left hand. Adjust the right hand
grasp to eat.
<g Oueing meers W.hen there is no hash/ok; (chop- stick sta~dl fer WOoden hashi, use the paper COntainer 35 the rest.
After meals
Tsukibashi h P food with the C 0 -Skewering
sticks
DJ • c;:!7 InlJgui . over the
.., Eating while leantnq Saguribashi comrYlon d~i=S"_,;p~la~l;e'::li::k;e.:e~d:::o:::g:..;;lI;;n;.u;.).::-
hugh a fl10rse .Digging t rc a tasty' 155 of food to locate
M· t kes• Avoid the Following IS a
Zuborabashi Holding the chopsticks bowl in the same hand.
and
-
(I(
vosebashi Moving a sticks.
. h the choP- bcw! wit
APAN rough
e and
AN )f ,00 Japan. resting
s of Hestv!e, nrnunt- momv.
PON ulture
uctidi-
fft: ~® Mayoibashi the table vv.ith
. 9 over pondering Hoverl~ poised, chopstiCkS what to eat.
, TERS , d easy e com- write and
mena.
AVEL panese ienced e and panese
• Eating Japanese Food Mastering hashi (chopsticks) will allow you to enjoy Japanee food with no major trouble, However, learning a few basic manners will help deepen your understanding of Japanese culture, and good etiquette will create a favorable impression on those around you,
x 0
ee When a bowl contains a lid, re- move it and place it upside down on the table. When the bowl is on an ozen (tray for Japanese cui- sine}. place the lid alongside the tray,
When finished, replace the l!d on the bowl, in its original posrncn, not upside down.
Tsukemono, or Chawan-mushi, or Pickled vegetables Steamed custardif~~(f<;'-: Rice@e~Q
I . ~ Misoshiru, or f several dishes are lined up Miso soup remove the lids to the left or righ~ as space allows.
• How to Eat SushI Normal customer <,
Rich man \
@ ~ r---tt' ..-Gr'I1iQl d to eatingI' .. - .. eccstcrt" to
After one ISa 15 newcomers hi restauran, it at the
at sus re eager to s wide a shOP a -der from a counter to. a iust to savor the verfetv of I.te~s J But in this c~se,
'specialties. f re out Just ~~~~~aIlY hard t~ :~~ first time, ~ow much .t? ~agood idea to go Therefore, It s b'tU~ of the restau-'til a ha I along Wi a fair deal. rant to get __
o Sushi is one of the most popular Japanese foods. It is usually eaten
'f au havewith chopsticks,. but' Y ble to trouble it is quite accepta by pick up the individual pIeces hand.
o How to Eat Soba (Noodles)
~ d is soba
Another favorite roc acceptable (noodles). The m~~t (COld bI.JC~; way to eat zaru-~o to gras~ sm~e wheat noodles) IS dieS With t portions of the ;~~iIY suck ~~e: chopsticks and outh. HOWJapa_ up into the, ~uding t~e art. few people, Inc this specle1 nese, ever master
est saba shops ar.e AlthOUgh m lear distinction IS similar, a ~n high-clasS and drawn betw tablishments. popular-class es s at the high-class While cust.o~~rt on savoring their shOps ~re :~e popular-class shoos saba, 10nqe around reading cormc they 10Uports newspapers or other eocks. s. pUblicatIOns,
157
APAN orough ~Ie and
r 'AN of 100 f Japan,r s of ifestVle, jmmuni- .onornv.
PON culture
uotidi-
TERS d eesv e com- o write
and omena.
AVEL apanese rienced ne and apanese
• Funeral Manners While wedding manners are not very complicated, not know. ing how to act at funerals can be uncomfortable. Japanes funerals are conducted in either Buddhist or Shinto style.
Buddhist Style
Buddhist funerals feature shoko, a ceremony in which incense is offered to the soul of the departed.
\ I
I e
Hand-clapping is a taboo.
-,
First, bow slightly.
A pinch of POwdered incense is touche~ to the forehead and then PI,',ce.dIn the incenseburner asan a enng.
Holding juzu, a string of rosary' like beads, the hands areclasped and the eyesclosed for prayer.
Then the hands are againclasped araund the juzu and another prayer offered.
ShintoStyle
In aShinto-style funeral, an offer- ingof sakaki leaves is placed at thealtar. rtf
Ives the leaves. The mourner recel
~ d outward,h is pointe
The brancd90 degrees.d then turne d the forehea .They aretouche to rtf
t~fl:!'- turn the I rand
Change hands, then until it is 9 ra branch 180 degrees bow- pointed toward oneself. ~
ki leaves on the saka I gO-degree perform a
"
A final so-eecree bow.
- Clap twice quietly. 159
APAN orough lie and t.
'AN ,f 100 f Japan.
re't;ng
1S of ifestYl~. mmunl- anomy-
PQN culture
uotidi-
TERS d easy a com- write and
amana.
AVEL panese rtenced e and oanese
EXPATRIATES LOOK AT SALARYMEN OPENING OE JAPANESE MARKET
Usually, under the pretense of opening Japan's doors to im- ports, Japanese companies ask the Government to revise their standards to fit the products they buy from foreign countries or produce abroad. After that, it is anounced that, for the goodof foreign exporters, some standards have been revised. Then,if you have a foreign-made product, you think that, finally, you will be able to sell your goods in Japan, instead of having them bought by the Japanese in your own country. where they use and abuse the export incentives your country offers.
However. you'll be probably wrong, besides never being sur.e whether your goods will pass through customs or not, as there IS always one more regulation. Therefore, in order to avoid such trouble, you have to get some firm information from the organs concerned which usually are established in big buildings in cent- ral Tokyo. At first, you ask the receptionist on what Iloor you can obtain the information needed. After laughing a bit because you are a foreigner, she tell you to go to the 7th floor, room 707, for instance. You go up, enter a room full of files, and beyond them there are some Japanese reading or talking on the phone. One by one, they all look at you, and finally the lowest-ranked one comes to train his English on you. After a while, someone tells you to go to the II th floor, and there you hear that you could get the information you need on the4th floor of the annex building. By the end you have entertained some 69 people. I~ you don't understand the Japanese language, that is st.iIlall fight because you think that all of them just tried to be nice to you, although incompetent. Let's say that you find some Japanese official in Kobe that tells you there should be no trouble t~ import your product. After that, at the time your goods arnve to Japan, you find out that that person has been transferred to a distant place. His substitute is a completely new thing,. and deals with your case depending on how he spent last night, And, he can always find a stone to put in your way. If y~u do~'t have an influential Japanese on your side, because bribery IS not accepted in Japan you have to send your goods back home. '
BUSINESS RELAT~LOGY PHRASES A~~T~::~~JflIlClfim I::V:l\.;;l.lfiil •• t:::.,*,;;l.I~
• . I businessber of specW . terms most There are a nurn those baSIC
1 • introduce d terms in Japan, et fS ncoulltere.
o ten e
ens of nfestv!e. ommuni- lConomy.
APON culture
quondt-
CTERS nd easy he com- to write ge and omena.
AMBIGUOUS BUSI Aftll Japanese people h NESS VOCABULARY or no, Here are ave a ten dane to .the Situation some words wfth mav01~ saying a distinct yeeanmgs th at change willi
Hai Hei is one ofnon-Japanes the hardest words means "I e to grasp It for normally see," while a's ,,;en:raIl
Y
ment, a PI~~edto emPhaSi:S~ it is sometht 98to carry th gree* ingly f~.~.g,andsoforth r~Ughon tenti~nlolfn~~o.~onfirmthe r~:~~d- peeredmisund~rstcand'invite un~~:
an tnqs.
I'm counting on for this jab,YOU
lie While hai mean" " ...means a s s yes, ne usually
imple "no" under cart' . ,although can also m:~nnclr~umstances iie pl,cat,ng thon9~com
~
~pr;.J'~ It IS consider d .upon recet e polite to sayiie though th I~lng a present, eve~
e Item will be accepted,
You are a good worker.
Domo Thisisap'·" re IX used in f thank you" "I' ront of bye," "ho""; are m SO,~ry.' "good expressions D_ yOU and other into an ext omo has developed
• X remely .WhiCh,even wh versatile word signify any of en used alone, can In this sens t~es~ expressions. handiest wor~ .It IS the single language. In the Japanese
Offeringgratitude. a light expression of
Sumirnasen One ~f t~e most widely used ex' presslons In Japanese. It is widely thought to mean "I'm sorry," and can alsc:>be used to offer a light expression of gratitude.
Ah, sumimasen
It is also useful in restaurants or coffee shOPS to get the attention of a waiter or waitress.
Domo surrllmasen
The. corn~!n~tion of "Oomo- slJmlmasen IS the most popular way to express stronger apolog or thanks. y
PAN
I roughand
N f 100 Japan,
fe'tin g
I of estvte, rrnurti- nomv.
'ON Iture
(:J <:: ~ QY ~d6mo ,e ,'~ ~
6~2;- ~ __ '::!.~~~j'~U~"~tbeh~~e~n~p~"~i~se~d~.~e:,:en~jf~t:",:Y'.be used in pl"a of bothkon~,ch"ey deserveit. wa l"h,lIo" 0' "good daYI 0'~ sayonara ("goOdbye").
otldl-
EAS easy com- write and ena.
VEL nese nced and nese
Zensho-shimasu, Kento-shimasu, and Mata renraku 'him'" are ambiguous expressions used to reply to a business request.
They each have a between-the-llin~e~s~n~,~e~an~i~n~g:t~ha;t:i:S:di:ff:,,:en:II:::====, -------lfrom the literal one. 1
A··-~ 4- .- . n
~~~
B Yoroshiku
This is an expression often used when requesttnq assistance or co. operation. It is generally utilized ?s,a ceremonial nuance, meaning I m Counting on you" Or "Please
lend me YOur strength."
AI Zensho-Shimasu Literally. means "I will ,~oIllV best to meet your wishes.. H: ever, it can also be used In or context of "I may try hard._ maybe I won't"; or, "I'll trV,lf I feel like it" This leaves little
. eo'"room far complaint if samthen says zensho-shimasu and does nothing.
164 -
~
~':I
e C} ShirnasuRenraku " meansMatS t yOU later, Bl "we'll contac as kentO-shimasu
uch the safTlebe used to in~le~tKentCiShimasU . d ifTlPOli~e rn d thUS can the sense IS I I J . is consldere KeMO- an "In that case, Of I feel like n apan. ,~t "directlY. "We -oo. in contact I en to say no. the nuance our maY get ally no lie has be shimasu camee to ~tudY .Y. to ." and netur \l tsever made., v ,I, f 0 phone ca e tsneed some tulle 0 negatl rold i n ostt've nuanc
1"but is fairlY fist Qui n?, A much more pt 9 "I'll contact propose h than a bout It, provided ,bY saYln
k " or "Please
nature, Rat .er"I'1i think.a 0 diffi- withIn a wee, the feeling IS "Again, It ~~rthBr yoU It so please leave"sin if oc _~,:o~n~":c~t~m::e:.-_-----::: cult to come esu1to 165 developmentS r
JAPAN crouah le and n.
AN of ,00 f Japan, erestlna
TlS of ttestvte. mmunj· anomy,
uotidi-
EAS easy corn- write and ena.
VEL anese need and
enese
COMMON BUSINESS TERMS
Shitauke & Magouk.
Arubaito & Pato Both terms refer to part-time jobs. Arubaito is from the German "arbeit". "Beito" is also used as an abbreviated form. Generally, both terms refer to student's part-time jobs.
Shokutaku & Shukko
"Shira" means under, whle Nuke" means to receive. It refers to work done under a prime con- tractor the sub-contractor. "Mago" means grandchild, and HMagouke" refers to sub-sub- contractors. The existence of sub- contractors and sub-sub-contrec- tors is a special characteristic of Japanese industry. The ue mendous growth in Japanese industry is said to stem from these sub-contractors bearing most of the economic risks,
"Shokuteku" refers to non-regu· ter employees, while the act of going to work at anothe~ com~ ny for a specific Job IS call "Shukko".
The 3 systems of part-time jobS, the sub-contracting, and non-refI" lar employment are keyS ttl Japanese enterprises ability to cope with fluctuations in tile market.
166 -
KotSLl ~ otsU~vJ8S
ing of k aning The original mea~ ed intO ",e_ and bone. It has ev,,0u"'condi~ion~It ap- "the essence, dOthIngs "nallY • k" fhovJtO -He I .knac a sionS as _ of busI- pears in expre~e -kofSU ",ething has grasped t • is not SO,i·,.~.~b~U_' -:; ness. ~ u KofSU h theorl studied thro~;)(perienC8' 167 learned throUg
~
""'". -. -. -- - - "" .
~
Hidari-uchiwa ) d "Hidari" means lett {hand tt a;as "ucniwe" is a fan. In J~pa~~\dS a the meaning of one W.Oin other fan in their left hand;, doesn't words. it is someone ~ ~asy life. work hard and lives t d worKinQ It refers to very goO conditions.
. h & On-she Hel-s a Id the use of
. ssINOr, In the buslne e necessary. honorific terms aa:y is called t.he O '5 own camp 'companiesne hile other s Hei-shs, W h or "i-shB. are called On's 8
Ishin-Denshil1 ......describing th,e zen tern! , one s
It is a of expresslngdirectly, rocesS "noth!:r .
P u nrs to f words. Using th.Dh~ut the use a d of contracts fs~in-densh(nngin~~~~nessis saibd t?
duct' of USj- in can "Japanese way be the ness."
JAPAN horough vte and n.
1 ~~N100 f Japan, teresting
Ins of Hfestvle, :>mmun;- ~onomy.
PON culture
uotidi-
TERS d easy com- write
end mena.
AVEL panese
liencede andrne ..
Haburi "He" means" . while "bur;" ... a bird's wings" It has co IS to swing." ' . me to refet,ge and ccputa . r to social pres-
voi" (good h b r1t!'. "Haburi 98 business is go.a Uri) means that pering. ing well and is pros-
,
Tanto Chokunyu Th I'e lterat translation i " enters directly" I s a sword direct and s ". t refers to being one thinks. aying exactly what
__ ~~~I!:::.~3!:jJ:.;:!.:.?t.>i>l:5I~"IftM TERMS RELATED TO THE HUMAN BODY
The Japanese language has a large number of terms relating to the human body As an example, "Te"(hands), or -u;: (body) are used as metaphors to express a variety of mea- nmgs, A tradtllOnal way of thinking exists, stemming from the apprenticeship system in which work is seen as being learned not through theories, but through one's hands and bodies.
The Recent Trend ofInto Japanese Abbreviating and ChIt an9m9 Everything
IS often thethe Japane case that when fa .easier to pc'e language they ar:etgbnb words are adapted into office com onounce. For exam Ie a ~~vlated, making Ihem boom of puter. These abb p.' an Oju-kon" refers 10 an
sorts. Here are a few srevlatled words have created a p amp es:
aso-kon· . A personal com It IS said th puter. kon" (f at the personala ne amllV computer) u:omputer, along with the"faml·
wera. ing game software has created
Maza-kon: ~h~othercomplex. . number of Iin ree sa arymen .ant years. with this complex has increased
A word
O
processor.
A& FA.' Off Ice autom . trends ar .anon and fdously e gOtng to chan aJctory automation. eotb. ge apanese business tremeR"
Wii-puro:
168
Of all the bod v related terms, the hood terms are the rna" nume<a
us , the maio
rltV of them being bu"ne
SS related ex-
pressions.In Japane,", "TO" can mean "hand", "arm", ,nd "palm".
(1) Te 0 sorn ero
Its meaning is to start work on 8
project.
~~) Te 0 yOgoSIJ " To oirtv one's \land. - Ived in
Its meaning is to gel 11'1"0 "dir tv" work.
(21 ,.. ni amatU"An amount so great it won't stay on one'S palm" is the direct translation. It is used to indicate that one is in a situation beyond one's controL
169
NJAPAN I thorough rtyle and man.
APAN of 100
of Japan, nteresting
ons of ttfestvte :ommunj~ sconomv.
r APON culture
uotldi-
TERS d easy com- write and
mena. I ,,"VEL enese ~nced • and enese
I
(4) Te 0 utsu d "Put one's hands together an
~I~:~sed when reaching. esreemeot in business talk or negotiation,
~o (5) Til a nuku
Tenuki "Pull out one's hands" . It means to skimp ~n sOmethln,9 one has to do (to skImp on one s work),
(8) Te a hirogeru "To extend one's arms wide open," It means to expand one's business to increase one's equipment and provisions.
~, (51 TEi a mawasu ~
's hands. "To extend ~ne, using a varietv It is used to Indlc~tevjse B counter- of measures to e plan.
~~
(7) Te a hiku 's hands," . "To pull back one . sornethira It means to stop dO:i~hdraw from In other words, to a project.
. , Kitanai ttl(91 Yoi te, WarUl te, h d" and d" "bad an
~good han" ' ctivelv. Th,ev "dirty hand, res~e d an infenOf mean a good ":'~t ~ ~ethod, method, and a VICIOU _
I to buSinessd essentlat or leg d ISa war
•
Astu - faa moneVanIt often means•
:Jrt)t~, .,\~
{11 Oashi merchants Even today, money. word to mean
h! h;pparu" , (3) As I a e's leg, acne s "To pull sO'!'~~~ere ......ith eorn It means to In succese promotions or
JAPAN orough Ie and
'AN of 100 f Japan,rest;n,
use this
. pedh' gB deru h'dden slip(2) As I that was I "The foot eel out." to go in the r ' It means
.s of fesrvte, 'nmuni- momv.
PON ulture
otidl-
A Ii sshi 0 toru'n the air and(4) 9 he leg I .. "To take t ne to fall over~one for cause SOrTlt~Oreproach scm It meanS h tongue, as1ipoft e
ERS easy com- write
and ena.
. hi ni tsukanai .. 5) Ashl gs c, eon the ground. _ ~one's feet don ~~~ealistic or soma It means ~ot t~ soberminded, one who IS no
VEL enese nced and nese
171
• (6) Ashi g8 hayai "To run fast" It has come to mean that product sales are good. It can also mean that food iseasi- ly spoiled.
It means "self". "body", and "mind". Along with these three meanings, it also has an extremely deep meaning. This word is one of the more difficult for westerners to understand.
(1) Mi ga katamaru "One's 'self' becomes fixed." ::zme?,"s. for one's Position to stetn- e". Ml 0 katameru" means to getmarried.
(2) Mj ga hairu Mj 0 ireru •
"To put one's heart into it: It means to give it one's best shot and try his hardest.
(3) Mi nj tsuku If" "Something attached to onese It means knowledge or techniques that have been mastered.
-
~~L,(WQ&{l.: O;;'rf'c c-~ .: .'vtI'\Jl.' <0 ., ~. . M" 0 kezuru,
51 Mi 0 kudaku, I ( Mi 0 kc ni ~uru I meanings are In order, the l.t:~: body, (2l to (1) tD crush D,nbcdv. and (3) to
~a;~edD;~,~n~~dYl) int: cfoD~~:~~ The meaning IS ( ainful, and (3l
12l very P utmDst, hard. to wor k very
(4) Mi 0 tateru .. "To stand one's body uPci neeIt means to succeed or a va .
II Literally stomach,or "mind". "heart"it'S closer to
but in this case
(1) Hara 0 w?,ru oe's mind, saying "opening up 0 what one thinks.
(2) Hara ~~:~k /"Iear~~~;de their Literally, herners Wh'nd sweet- Refers, t~e~~ions be I
real In word~~'_-------------------~; sounding
173.---
.JAPAN orough le and
AN f 100 Japan, resting
Is of festvte. -nmuru- momv.
ON utture
otidi-
ERS easy com- write and ene.
VEL nese meed and nese
I'
(3) Haragei "Performlnq from the heart." The a.bllity to tailor strategy and tao- ttcs to particular situations and t~iu.mph in business talks or nego- tiations largely on the strength of one's personal ltv.
•Literally, one's waist or hips.The "koent" is at the center of one's body. The termisused of relating to the martial arts. ~21 Koshi 9a kUdakeru t> A broken waist." In the process of ettem . plete SOrneth' . ptlng to Com- h' mg. It means that he as faIled to complete the project.
174
(4) Hara ni ichimotsu aru "Having something in one's heart" In other words. harboring an ulterior motive.
(1) Koshi ga hikui "A low waist," It means modesty or humility.
BUSINESS SEEN IN PROVERBS
Tsuruno hitokoe The literal meaning is "a voice of a crane." d It refers to a word of com man from one's lord. A single wor~ from the company president },S often "the voice of a crane What he says becomes law.
Ishi no ue nimo sannen . hat if one
The literal meaning IS t lt will SItS on a rock for 3 years. :hat if heat up. It has the nuanc8res, one One is patient and. persevesame as will succeed. It IS the " "Perseverance brings succesS'
~J No aru taka wa tsume 0 kakusu , 'on is that The literal tr?~s ~~Ieirclaws. II smart hawks h! ening as the say- has the same m~~n deep". ing "still waters
\ \ \ ~., 'kara ochlru
SarU mO kl . rs that even mere! meaning t'rees. It has
The I fall from 5 "Even monkeYS meaning ad" and
same -8$0os. the someum have their Homer he best "Even t failures."
JAPON a culture
N JAPAN thorough tVie and an,
lPAN I of 100 of Japan. nterestms
ons of lifestY'e,
communi- economy.
Quotidi-
CTERS nd easy he com- to write g8 and nomena.
RAVEL apanese !erienced line and japanese
175
A SALARYMAN'S GESTURES Japanese words can have various meanings. In companies which do not permit extensive individual authority, salarymen will often intentionally use ambiguous expressions during business talks. To grasp someone's real intentions, it is thus important to observe specific gestures and all other SOU fees of data,
Saying kore (this) and forming the OK sign with the thumb and index finger means "money talk,"
Waving one's hand before one's own face is an extremely strong refusal.
Pressing the index finger to one's lips means "we can't discuss that here,"
Folding the arms and closing the eyes is a sign for, "Be quiet, I'm thinking it over!"
.Warai (The Smile) n different things. TheJapanese srrule can mean rna Y0
0° • ~oo. No
~
Positive Smile Japanese smile when they like or agree with someone.
QO·
Smileof Denial "I, 'II srl11
Sometimes Japanese WI pond when they don't ~a.nt to ~~~e as to a question. ThIs IS}he saying "no comment.
~c:l00.
V Smile of ApolOgy or being for- Smiling in nopes given.
176 -
Negative smile. I after a state- . . medIateY . I 0"Smil,ng 1m. I light den,a
ment can signa a
io(W" D QO.III
~
StoiC smile upset With some 'I' wnan b! torA srTll ~. d and una e.
, aUiIU e express this on~ S s reasons, to 'J8rlou in wordS.
PAN rough
e and
, of restYle, rmunj• fnornv-
PON otture
otidi·
ERS easy com- write
and mena.
Smile of Confirmation .. learn what the other
smIling lO .. ,honks of your Opinion.person I
177
A Word About Japanese Management and the "Salary man"
The economic surge of postwar Japan, notabiy the achieve- ments of the companies behind this growth, continues to star- tie the world. Japan's GNP is now No.2 in the free worid, while its overseas assets rank at top global levels. As a result, Japan is now the target of more criticism and envy than ever before. Trade friction with the West, for example, at press time was reaching yet a new peak. Japan, meanwhile, has yet to mobilize a policy capabie of rapid improvements in the trade imbalance.
On its darker side, this situation has led to harsh criticism of Japanese workers as "economic animals" or "workaholics." On a brighter note, many Western scholars are voicing keen interest i.n the Japanese style of management.
Why IS a nation both criticized and praised for what it has achieved? Is Japanese economic competence in fact the result of Japanese-style management? Do foreign impressions of the Japanese "company" accurately reflect the true state of affairs? !o answer these and other questions, it is vital to delve closely into the daily lives of the workers and managers grouped under the broad category of "salaryman." This book does just that, and seeks to communicate the feelings, systems and specific
-to keep r ., who continue
activities of the "econotllIC WOlff1 Japanesebusiness on the move.
• ,i ts ove rs~as en I" supenor to f ointing
Is "Japanese·style manag~~ terners were fO:~ ~ne~t:' the counterparts? UnO} recently I ,. "lifethl1C enW Y ysterTlS as
.. ' ity system. " nd other s out that the senlon . mechanism a This interpreta- "bottom-up decision-making eSC company" aid to the
k in the Japan ten lion P I'giltinherent wea nesses 1 . f 0111close 3t puters, I tion has generally resulted f. appliances, cOI~elds. These
f rgilt eleclrtC owth" d try recent prowess o. \ d other high-~r f heavY in us " automobiles. servlce an k f the decltne °1 heavY electriC sectors have risen in the dW~lUen~psin the st~~ich grew on the brought on by deman d other fields li machinery, constructiOn an ternS, ,Japan's start Il1l strength of these tr~ditiOnalh~~ever: reg~~1~1~~in World W~e~s:
There is no conJecLUrecies followtng conomic super~ocrises progress in the fo.u~ de~a ranks of the.elpact of two.
01 rowth
rising quickly to Jom t ~eealt with lh~:~tain economiC g Japan has successf~lIy managing to n , " is no easy and global stagnation,! through?U,t;oriental nlUgl{j ited States, at the five percent leve ret of thlS1y t!lose in the I ~racteristiCS,
Uncovering thelse~ parti.CU~rpan'S cultura d '1.1~g~nce of her
task Western scho ar wers In a tegy the I I so far as to h· I d for ailS t sua 'I ave goneave seare 'te gell1en. Some 1 Japanese-style nla~~cjul fuCtD1S, people and other lj
,or
TERS d easy e com- write
e and mena.
JAPAN orough Ie and n.
AN of ,00 f Japan, eresting
ns of ifestV1e, ,mmuni- rcnornv-
1B~
paN culture
uotidl-
-
AVEL panese ienced e and panese
call the situation the defeat of the rationalized management approacn taught in American business schools. While none of these theories are totally off the mark, the Japanese them- selves find some fairly humorous. This is because the Japanese have been the world's most eager students of western-style management and have put these methods to active use in their own industrial pursuit.
Closer examination of the Japanese company reveals that it is nearly impossible to identify any fixed approach which can be neatly summarized as "Japanese management."
More plausible is the concept that "excellent companies have no national boundaries." From a different perspective, this means that "Honda," "Mitsubishi" and other corporate groups can hardly be said to share totally identical cultural characteristics simply because they are both Japanese in nationality.
Nevertheless, a total view of Japanese corporate society does reveal a certain consistent trend. Most Japanese will have at least a general (if not sometimes vague) understanding of this trend.
Ask any Japanese what has supported their nation's post- war economic prosperity, and the most likely reply will be, "the salaryman." The so-called "salaryrnan" is clearly the key word in unraveling the factors behind this unprecedented 40 year economic rise.
The core of Japan's economy does not consist of the sophisticated strategies of special "excellent companies," nor
-, <;. 1~~/ .
183
JAPAN orough le and
PAN of 100 f Japan, eresting
ns of ttestvte. mmuni- anomy.
PON culture
uotidi-
TERS d easy e com- o write e and omena.
AVEL apanese rienced ne and apanese
The large Japanese company is a societywithin a society, governed by a strong sense of family solidarity. The president IS the father, and the employees are the children. Primecon- tractors, SUbcontractors, sub-subcontractors, sub-sub-subcon- tractors and other companies are also included in the extended family ranks, even if they do not enjoy capital affiliation.This IS a s?ci~ty in which honor and loyalty carry far greaterweight and significance than any signed contract.
Viewed from the rational Western view of business,the Japanese approach might seem to be filled with waste and strain. However, a closer look reveals no shortage of positive elements within this family-like organization, which operates largely on the basis of tacit understanding and trust.
Let's take a typical example. An American newlyhiredby a Japanese company is ordered by his superior to servecoffee. The American refuses. "There is nothing in my labor contract about serving coffee," he insists. "If such chores are alsoto be part of my job, I expect to be paid extra for them."
In Japan, an order from a superior is considered the com- mand from one's father, whether any mention of specificcon- ditions is made in a labor contract or not. It is important to understand, however, that a superior will often make up for unreasonable orders by treating his subordinates to a few drinks after work, many times paid for out of his own pocket money.
184
One more example: Mr. A from a subcontractor is visiting the materials department of the prime contra~tor's plant for business talks. The negotiations are suddenly interrupted. as the entire company halts work to participate in the 3:00 p.rn. radio calisthenics. Looking around, Mr. A sees that other out- side visitors are taking part in the exercises, and he joins in, too. There are many examples like this, in which the policies and activities of the client (prime contractor) penetrate down through employees of subcontractors as well.
What many non-Japanese find particularly difficult to grasp is that these examples do not stem from careful1y stipulated standards. Rather, they are part of a silently understood and spontaneously accepted code. Simply stated, Japanese corn- panies have successfully incorporated the remnants of the binding traditions and rules of communal village society into modern management methods. Even so, this deep-rooted cor- porate society is gradually being pushed toward change, ero- ded by remarkable shifts in the industrial structure from the mid.1980s, and the influence of the increasing number of young Japanese reared in Japan's highly Westernized postwar c~lture. Today the generation gap is one of Japan's most pres- sing social problems and is touched upon in this volume where It is relevant to the main theme.
•
185
a
This book zeroes in on the true face of the "salaryrnan,' offering the reader fare access to the inner workings of Japa- nese corporate society, Because of space and stylistic consider- ations, we have avoided any technical analysis or evaluation of the Japanese management approach. Rather, the emphasis is on characterization of the typical "salaryrnan lifestyle," with parody used in many cases,
Some readers will claim that all salarymen do not fit the pattern presented in this book. We would respond that our objective was not to stereotype, but to increase generaJ under- ~ta~dm~ of the overall "salaryman" concept, whiJe providing 111S1ght 111tO the world of Japanese business. We also believe a need exists to explode the popular myth that all salarymen are happy business warriors, dedicated first and foremost to for- warding the interests of Japan, Incorporated.
• In preparing "SALARYMAN" IN JAPAN we held dis.
cussions wi~h a broad range of salaryrnen, ranging from major man~factunng concerns and trading houses, to small and medium scale companies. These encounters left us with a strong .con~iction that the "salaryman society" is a realm possessmg Its own special rules and ethics much like the world~ of ~olitical or student life in Japan. 'There are many cases In whIch the thoughts and actions of salaryman are roo- ted more strongly in the traditions and conventions of their
tl 'In (he tenets of general human hchJVHH Incompany lan. I \ • view of the diverse realm of persons who cOI11~nsc 111\ c~~ ment of society, from employees of huge compames 10 those of tiny cottage industry operations. lrom (he technocrat 10 the door-to-door salesman. this is an extremely unique phenome non. I I h
There are any number of theories which exp am \Y 1)' sue J diverse range of people can be grouped together under the common "salaryrnan spiru" heading. Perhaps the old standby - "oriental magic" may have sorne thmg to do With It after all, We do nothing more than present the facts and leave the ultimate verdict on this and other questions to you. the reader
Finally we wish to extend our smcere gratitude to the many "salarymen" who so generously shared their tunc and thought with the members of our starr. Without their candor and cooperation, this book would never have made II to pre«
181
INDEX
Ageashi 0 lond. If.lE t: t.Q 171 Aisai bento ~.#~ 24 Aotagai .EEJf\,,\ 34 Arubaito"P)v/{{ 1- .••••.••••••••.•• 166 Ashiga chi ni tsukanal .lEt.l"'it!ll::"JtJ't..:I.\ 171 Ashigaderu.lEtJ(!±l9 171 Ashi ga hayai .IE tJ>'!f.l. \ .....•....... 172 A'hiohippandEBllli>.; 171
llil Bento #~ 25 Boin mfp 75 Bon1t................. . 116 Bonenkai ;E;~~ 102 Bonus;ff-TA. 41 Buche gg:lil: 63 Business hotell::::J* A *7- Iv 71
Capsulehotel1J:1-h)V'*TIL- 71 Chawan-mushi ~iiitl,., ., 156 Ch5,ei.m 84 ChO'yii'!>il!:illl 142 Circle if-")L, .." 97,104
Dankai-no·sedai lilI:ttQ)titf~ 89 Daruma t.=. ~:t 129 Datsusara ~ if 5 .. 51 Dentaku.... . 14 Disco 7"-'..,. A::J . ... 128 DOkikai ~JtIl~ ... 107
DOmo l'.?t 163 Eiten ,*E . 48 Elite course I I) - I'-::J-A 42 Enka 51ttt ...28
Gakubatsu ~JlI.. Gasshuku ..g.ijj' ... Ginkdin ifli'TEfJ Golden Week :f-}vT/7--(-7 ...
........... 106 ... 38
............... 74
....... 118
Haburi ~~i) . ...168 Hait;t:\,.' 68,162 Haiku lj~1i) 90. 105 HanamiiE;L. ...99 Hanko 'Iller. .... 14 Hara ni ichimolsu am 111:-'1111; >.;......... Han 0 waru II ~IlJ>'; Hara-guroi 1Jl~\" \ . Haragei Jllii . Hashi ...... Hatsuhinode -m B Q)l±J HalsumOOc tnl& Hei-sha~U . Hidari-uchiwa ;;£fII~ . Hikidemono sll±l4t .. Hira 1::5 . Hira-torishimariyaku 'l'llI!ltr.- . Hombuch6 *~~ Honne *-ff. Hose Racing n~..
..... 174 ..173 . 173
... 174 154
.... liS .. 115 .. 167 167
... 122 ... 46,62
.63 ..... 65
68 .. 127
........... 162 ................. 74
........... 155
lie~\~\X lnkan fPlIi . Inugui *jn.\ .... Ishi no ue nimo sanncn EOl.tI:t'O'!' 175 Ishin-denshin .t:_N)f~ll.' . 167 Jicho ~~~ ... 63 Jcmu-torishimariyaku tl-lilll!lilr.- ....... JUdoit,. Juku I:... IuzuhJ1
.63 ..... 39
............ 143 ................. 158
Kachd ill., 63 Kachd-hosa lliJHilil.! 62 kaicho ~~ 64 Kaigi ~AI 72 Kasarichd 1~~ 62 Kakuin 1fl ED. .. 74 Kakushigci '/)1 ( L,ii 99 Kamidana ~ifiJI 129 Kanji il'-F I26 Kankon Sosai Ja~"~ J 22 Kansayaku iiJ:~ 64 Karaoke 7.J5::t?'- 28.103 Katagaki"'.! 62 Kawase-Iegata J.\l,V"¥-m 79 Kazoku-sabisu jj'~i;t- r:~ 112 ~~:fnO~~ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::..1 ~ Kekkafuza li\iJlli9i~ 39 ~endo ill,. 39 KenjOgo!IIl8!! 146 enlo shimasu :tiM L, :tT 165
Keshiin jj!jEII K;·,ha.U:::::"I ~~
Kunene _. • II Koglll~ ,Jlt]J.!f- ..•... . 7M KoinIJ 12 KOJOChoIliA 6S Komon Ul'll1........ 60S Konnictnwa .: A. ,: ~ tJ .. loib Kopl·lon::J~-~.' ttl Koshr gn 11lkUl.t1Gl:\,' . 17J Kcshr ga kudakcru !II11» 11~ .. ....... 174 Ko,h"akt .1JI... 1011 Kotsu :J':J.............. 167 Kyuryo IaH " 40
Mago-uke 1>Ii1.'1 Mabjong lQ,iIi ..... Mancki-nckc ~ n !a ... Maruhi ? JL-M5 . Maruin AED . Mala rcnmku shrmasu ~ t.:1I~ L.:Io T .. . . . 1M Mllyoibashl' \,'. . Ij5 Mci'hi :g'll ........ ..... 14.5K Mc'umb.,n ."1..... 77 Mi ga ham).'" A>.; 172 Mi ga kmall1llnJ • "'IiI:Io ~ 172 Mi ni tsuku .1: f~< 172 Mi 0 lI'I:nJ. f:A n6... ... 172 Mi 0 ke7unJ .. f: ")6 . •.• 17' Mio~omsuru.t t:.T-6 •.• I7' M,okudaku.tf:it< 17' MlolmcnJ.tf:~'6 ... 17' MIS(Hhiru ..... ~t..... 156 MOClSuki·shkOlun flU ~ @/itlU' ..... Morelsu-shaln ~-v·",JU •. NakOdo f<l>A.......... Nemawashl ~(§J l,
1M ..... 12h
129 n
• "" 74
9 9
12.' 69
189
Nenkd Jorersu ~IiJJJJlj 42 Nenshimawari ~~[EJ I) 115 Nimono;("4$J 156 Noh aru taka wa tsurre 0 kakusu ~E"'~lIl:1JJ\H", 175 Noshibukuro (J) l,.\"I$: 123 Nyiisha-shiki AUit 85
Oashi hN.>L, 171 Ocha-kumi hjJ~h 82 Ochilgen .B1:flj[; 41, 120 Oda Nobunaga lil!EE1U 90 Ojama shimasu ;,G,,>Io">Io, I46 O.L. 13. 82 On-sha UPH 167 Orange Card :tv:"':/7J- F IS Oseibo ;,lli 41, 120 Oshiya!'l'"al 18 Otoshidama .B~.3i 115 Ozen .By.... .. 156
Pachinko H 7- :,..:::J .. .... 124 Palo H- ,.. .. 166 Pokelo Beru *'Jr ") ,.."""')1.- 14
Rajio Taiso"5 :/:ti*tt Ramen 5-JI,:"' .. Recruit Style ~?)I.--,...~~~)I.- ··· 32 Ritsuan-sho Jt~. ..70
.......... 23 ...... 26
Saguribashi til) 155 Saifu It:ffi' 15 Sain if « :,.. 77 Sakaki III . 159 Sakura ~ 99 Salaryman if5 I)-7:'" 10 Sammonban .=oX'/J! ...... .. 75 Saru mo ki kara ochiru II t>*IJ' 6Ii~~ Sasen :!iii . Sayonara ~ J:. ?~~ Sekihan .. iii .. Sembiki-kogiue 1$51~'MiJ'I' .. Semmu-lorishimariyaku .flJJII(Itr..... .. 63 Senai 11m . 80 Seven-three style -t.=o"lt .. 10 Shacho H~ . .. 64 Shainryo HIl II"'..... .. 96 Shaka HI): 84 Shakun Hilll............. 84 Shanai Kekkon Ul*lli~~ 108 Shanai-gyoji Hp;jfi'lJ... .. 85 Shasho H.¥ 84 Shayo-zoku H,f§~ . .. 80 Shimalsusho ~*... ...70 Shin-jinrui JirAD . 89 Shinkansen Jirffi: 114 Shinnenkai lIiif.~ 85, 102 Shintai-ukagai )iif!1~ ...70 Shinten Um. ..... 75 Shinlo ~1I . 159 Shita-uke TiA'tt 166 ShitenchO 1::Jd ~ .... 65 ShitsuchO ~~ . ...65 Shitsurei itashimashita ~~L~" >10 "tc 146 ShOdan illitL.. .. 68
...... 175 .... 48
....... 146 .... 123
.. 78
Shogatsu iE ~ I 14 Shako ~~ . . 158 Shokutaku 11ft.. .. 166 Shukkd IlJIoi 52, 166 Shunin.±:1! . 62 Shunff ~H _ 86 Shutchb I±HI 7\ Shutcho hokokusho llJ5ilIH.. . 70 Silver Seat :"')1.-/\-:"'- t- ISO Soba{lt 157 Sodan-yaku .ffiG:~ . 64 Sonkeigo.~g 146 Stressx "v~ 135 Sumimasen T h ~ itIt. 16.1 Sushi ~~ .. 157 Sutein tiEP 77
Tachigui soba n::il,. \-t It 24 Tai~ 123 Tamanokoshi 3!(J)!JJ: 108 Tanshin-funin *:tt1ff 49 Tanto Chokunyii .nil)" 168 Tatemae 11M 68 Teniamaru.f.I;:'*G.. 169 Tiohiku'l'BI< 170 Te a hirogeru ~!It:(f ~ 170 Teomawasu.f.fl§)"t 170 Ti 0 nUku 'I' fiJi < 170 Teasomeru ¥f~~~ 169 Te 0 U\su.f. !:H-::> 170 Tloyogosu ~~;lj, , 169 iecho.f. 14
T:fs~ti~n~~~~i ..· - ., .. 79 Telephone Ca~ . . 76
7-v7::t:.-n_ t: Tenkin till..::::::::::: ~
Ten-ya mono li!. Tenukl 'fUt Toblkoml-c1no lIltfi2.ht , , , , ,.66 Tokuaawft leyasutllIl 90 Ton1C' u .lI'.""en ......... 77 Tonshlmanyaku 5.. & 6' Toyorcrm Hldcymh, ac;\11 TsuAcmono il11J T!iU~ltl.1'~hl~ • Tsurun hl1o"ot DO)-)11 ....,...,.... ...•••••••,_. 175
26 110
90 "."..,..I~,I~'
Undok.i iI 1l;, 1 Urag.k, , ,.,79 W.nhoki 1151"" .., , _ ••, ,_ ••,79 Wariln "en 16
Ya. '<"IJ ........ "" ........ " ...... " .. , 146 Yllkusoku-tc.all tl JU ....... 79 Yoroshiku l:., L. < , " " 164 Yoscb3Sh' ~it1l ." ,.,.", ",. 1$5
Zorn-sooo ~ ~ of lJ " ",..., 1$7 Zo,en Jill ....,..." ".., ",..,. 39 Ztnsho hima. u.JIll":f' , ".,..",164 Zuborabashi 1'11" 11 ,....... 1$'
191
D For Your Travelife VolumeS• "SALARYMAN" IN JAPAN An insightful and thorough analysis of the lifestyle and psyche of the salary man.
Volume 9 • WHO'S WHO OF JAPAN Biographic sketches of 100 historical personages of Japan, with a number of interesting anecdotes.
Volume 10 • TOOAY'S JAPAN. of Concise explanauo~s Japanese geography. hfestYl~. transportation, commum- cations, politics and economy.
French Version
Volume 11 REGARD SUR LE JAPON
~ne introduction de la culture japonaise.
Volume 12 • VIE AU JAPON .' .
. id de la vie quctidl-Petit ~l e enne au Japan.
Volume 13 • JAPANESECHARACTE~~
. b k is a fun and e V This t~~e8rn about the CO~- way rs used to wnte plex characte go and h Japanese langua :e~ted cultural phenomena.
Volume 14 SE INN & TRAVEL
• JAPANE, guide to Japanese A tr~vel.er s as experienced hospitality. I cuisine and through adre~l?naal Japanese the tr men rvokan .
ILLUSTRATED
"SALARYMAN" IN JAPAN ,nlIH~ IT 1986'<-12FJ108 i:l( ~J81\\i 1997'<- 9FJ 18
(Sep. 1, 1997 8th edition) Ii lI; .A. m,,'ll5\' ~ IT .A. 'i3EBJ'fiE ~ITi'liJTB EiJ l!~ pJT JTBEiJl!~
~ ~ lIZ) 11l'ii!li l1'!fi . 1Iijf; JTBllil\\i!ll:llI!!li\ lIiill;1\fIB
~~~.1Iijf;m~lIiijf;~ ~~~~ 1l11it·IIUn]'-JI> I-:;Y;ZV-V3Y -r :; ;Z I- mTiEi3 "MT'f 1':" JI( 7S'li! IJI ~ Dick Belcher .~.I1)':::it)l:1t JTB l:I:ll(iA!i~1:?:'- $/ - ft 03-3477~9588 'F15O J!'Jl{§i1*1§l&lIzi,§"1-1D-8 it!§ITHt::Jl>7/i .*.11)P>l3I1)sfl!ll,'&httli JTB l:I:lX&=:!lJaJ kIiUlt\$ ft 03-3477-9573 'F 150 J!:~ait!§l&1I~W1-10-8 i!'t*IfH t::Jl>7!'i' ·rt:~I1).t;IlIII,'"8"httl;j. JTB I±lJ:li"'./ij 1l;i!;1l5803-3477-9531
•• IfUi•. tt~©J TB 1997 Printed in Japan 974312 712103
ISBN4-S33-Q066S_S
