If excellent food, a healthy lifestyle and constant excitement are high on your list of priorities, you're in for a treat. As one of the world's leading economies, with a rich history and natural beauty spilling from every corner, Japan, which is suddenly experiencing a surge in popularity, has lots to offer. As a travel destination, the country is attracting a large number of international tourists who are amazed at its well-developed transportation system (including the Shinkansen bullet train) and its high level of safety and welcoming, hospitable nature.
One thing peculiar is mastering train etiquette, which could be challenging for foreigners visiting the country. Japanese trains as well as other public places, are known for their silence, reflecting a culture of respect for shared spaces and minimising noise that could disturb others. Passengers are not supposed to have loud conversations and phone calls (mobiles have to be kept on silent), and if they need to speak with their companions, they do so in a quiet, hushed tone. Travelling long distances to different cities within Japan like Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Mishima …in a quiet environment was a brilliant experience for this writer; however, for some Indians living in Japan, silence can be 'killing'.
As Kaushic Suresh from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, who came on a business visit to Tokyo two months back, says, "Here it is too quiet, we don't hear any sound, be it on the streets or metros. Silence kills. We Indians are not disciplined, but in a way, it is good; we have to get adapted." Not just foreigners, it's strange that some Japanese, too, find their country "too disciplined" as Koya, a middle-aged man who has been living in Mumbai's Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, says, "Japan can be too strict, which at times can be stressful. Here, in India, festivals and celebrations are very noisy, which you will never find in Japan, as maintaining harmony is part of our culture. But I don't mind a little bit of noise (he says with a twinkle in his eyes). It can be disturbing, but I feel free ...at times we have to be a little selfish and enjoy life (laughs)."
While the Indian community in Japan is substantial, it constitutes a very small fraction of the overall Japanese population. Many young Indians who shifted, or were transferred by their respective companies to this island in East Asia, belong to IT industry and they find living here "a great experience" except for a few hurdles especially the language and a bit reserved nature of the locals as compared to western countries and that probably comes in the way of forming strong bond and relationships at work place or outside.
"Japanese do not have roommates, they don't share flats, so most young people can only find affordable accommodation far out of the city, often commuting one-and-a-half hours to work. Since they live so far away, it is also hard to form relationships," observes Ankit Sinha, who spent over two years in Tokyo working for a multinational company. "Yes, we do maintain some distance," says Taiki Yamaguchi, who works as a manager and chef at Kuuraku, a Japanese restaurant in the western suburbs of Mumbai.
Sinha gives more insight into it as he explains the distinction between groups, which is a fundamental part of Japanese social custom and sociolinguistics and is even directly reflected in the Japanese language itself. "The Japanese have this concept of 'Uchi' (inside self) and 'soto' (outside self), so it is true they are just generally more reserved at work or in life outside of the home, but I wouldn't say this is the biggest blocker to meeting people. Language is probably just more of a blocker, even if you learn some basic Japanese like I did, it really takes a really long time to learn how to express yourself. I was 23-24 when I lived there and was fortunate enough to make a US salary and be able to live in a prime neighbourhood. From a dietary perspective, it was great as I eat everything and like trying out new cuisines. It was a cool experience where you learn a lot about the depth of their cuisine - in the west or anywhere else, Japanese food is just reduced to sushi or maybe some teriyaki grill/ramen, but there are so many regional cuisines just like we have in India."
Mallika Guda, a software engineer, moved to Japan from Hyderabad, India, just about two months back, "for good health and a good lifestyle". "Language is not a major barrier at work, but if you go to shops and restaurants, it is a big hurdle. But I am very happy here. My interest was always in Japan and not the US or the UK. People are good, nature is very close to you. Japan is open to welcoming new technology, so a career is good. Life is far better over here than what I know of silicon cities," says Guda, who has shifted from Shinagawa one of Japan's busiest neighbourhoods to Nishi Kasai, a blossoming Indian enclave also known as 'Little India', for an economical accommodation and also to be in the midst of Indian community.
"Yes, language can be a big issue, but Japanese people are very helpful and they never get offended if you don't know their language. If you show a little bit of effort and start communicating with just a few words in Japanese, then it is easier to navigate around, but if you start in English, then it can be hard to break the ice. If you learn a few phrases, they really appreciate it," says Shruti Malkan, an IT professional from Osaka. Sinha, who is more of an English speaker, feels Indians have an advantage in picking up the Japanese language as he says, "Gramatically, Hindi follows the subject-object-verb (SOV) structure in general sentence structure which is the same as Japanese – this is true for other Indian/Dravidian languages as well broadly. English is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). Indians who come to Japan are quicker to pick up this structure than English or Anglo language immigrants or expats. They then focus on learning vocabulary."
While the Japanese language can present a barrier, Japanese citizens are generally very helpful when it comes to assisting with finding addresses. Their initial reaction is that of surprise or even shock when you approach them, but many of them will make an effort to communicate, using gestures, maps, or other methods to help you find the correct address. Their strong sense of community and hospitality, combined with a culture of supporting others, often leads to people going above and beyond to help visitors. On many occasions, Japanese citizens accompanied this writer, and until the destination was found, they didn't leave her side without bothering about the time. "Once a Japanese colleague stayed with me for 90 minutes helping me make a customer call. Sometimes I wonder how someone can be so nice," says Suresh.
A common perception of Japan as a desirable place to live goes beyond monetary benefits like a high standard of living in areas like public transportation, healthcare, and infrastructure. Japan is known for its emphasis on a healthy, clean environment, low crime rates and a general sense of safety and order. Endorsing this, Vedant Nekan, a software engineer and a resident of Tokyo, says, "The Indian IT industry is pretty good, so I never had plans of working abroad. Since COVID-19, India saw a big boom in the IT industry, enabling us to make good money and a good career in our homeland and yet I am here in Japan for seven years. Coming to Japan is not about money; in fact, salaries here are 50 to 60 per cent less than in the West, money is not the motivation, but most Indians get connected with life in Japan. If you eat Japanese food and follow a Japanese lifestyle, probably health could be the reason to live in Japan. Here I don't fall sick but now when I go to India, I suffer from various ailments, mainly due to air pollution. It's the peace and mindfulness of people, their civic sense that attracts me to Japan. Japan suits my personality. My phone is often on mute. Most importantly, I don’t feel like a foreigner here. In India, even if I go from Maharashtra to the North or South of India, I may have to identify that I am from a different state, whereas, you don’t get that kind of vibe from people in Japan, they don't bother you."
"If you want to earn big money, you should not come to Japan because the currency value is less than India. But life is very smooth here, there is no bureaucracy, and everybody is treated equally. Also, I work in the very latest technology and therefore Japan suits me well," says telecom professional Shiva Balan, from Chennai and now a resident of Tokyo. Adds Malkan, "Everybody here is so disciplined. People stick to time and appointments. If I had to go back to India, I can't imagine re-adjusting to the culture there. Japan is also amazing because it is so safe. I can walk down for an ice cream at 2 am."
However, those working in certain Japanese companies are not too happy. "Living in Japan is not for the faint-hearted if you are working here," they say in unison. The Japanese workplace is notorious for being harsh, as the legacy work culture of many Japanese firms is known for being demanding, with long hours leading to stress and exhaustion. Albeit times are changing with work culture in modern companies --- especially in the tech industry, getting more nuanced. Yet many are hesitant to work in Japan because they have heard horror stories on timings, hierarchy, rituals and rigid procedures, among others. Historically, Japanese companies offered lifetime employment, fostering loyalty and job security. While this is becoming less common, it continues to be a significant aspect of the Japanese strong work ethic and dedication with employees often staying late at work. "You cannot be casual with most Japanese bosses; one has to go through proper channels. They are extremely formal, whereas, foreign companies follow less hierarchy at the workplace. People here are too involved in work. I know many Japanese who hate this formal structure, but they can’t disrespect their employers, while in India, this system would at least be questioned," says Nekan.
Times are changing, and Japan is becoming less extreme in its views towards working culture. But many expats still comment that working life is one of the biggest culture shocks that comes with living in Japan. Some of the Indians and other foreigners this writer met in Japan said that they would not consider working for a Japanese company. "Japanese communication style often involves indirectness and reading between the lines, requiring employees to be mindful of this when interacting with colleagues," says a techie requesting anonymity.
"Non-Japanese companies are flexible; they are more focused on work rather than on timing. There is more work-life balance, and you are happy even about starting on Mondays. A lot of people around me are Japanese, so I know about the social structure. At work, people are not very open in Japanese companies, and we don't meet outside, which is very normal in Japanese culture. In India, my best friends were from the same company, and we are still in touch," says Nakul Raj, a software developer in Tokyo.
Avijit Ghosh from Kolkata, who works for the Japan branch of an Indian company, says he always wanted to live in Japan because "since childhood I have heard a lot about this country that it is beautiful, good food, good culture ...more than 70 to 80 per cent of my co-workers are Japanese. But there is a lot of difference between the corporate culture in Japan versus India. The Japanese work culture is very methodical; they follow the process step by step. If there is new work, it would be very challenging for a Japanese worker unless there is a proper manual and method. But in India, even if there is no manual or procedure, we have the attitude to at least start that work. Initially, I struggled a lot, but gradually I got acquainted," says Ghosh.
"I had an opportunity to work in both a purely Japanese Company and now a Global Company. I would rather work in a Global Company where you can work independently and get things done. But in a Japanese Company, I have to depend upon the opinions of too many people. I can come and go to the office as per my timings, my bosses are concerned only about the work completion, whereas Japanese companies are too concerned about the timings you are keeping. I was given freedom to deliver my results by the Global Company, and they never asked the reasons for taking time off. But in the Japanese Company, I was supposed to give an explanation for my time off, and they will decide if it's legitimate or not," says Rahul Joshi, an IT professional living in Tokyo.
But not everybody is complaining. While Japanese work culture can be challenging, it also offers some benefits, such as a strong sense of community and a focus on long-term employment. "People here are very systematic and organised, they are hardworking, punctual and disciplined. Quality is what matters to Japanese bosses. Even if you deliver two to three tasks a day, it has to be 100 per cent accurate. What I personally like is colleagues helping each other while working, and that is something we learnt here. They are very straightforward, and we can't say 'Maybe we can do'. They don't like extending deadlines. If you are not able to do a task, you have to raise the flag so that they are aware, this might be difficult to do within that time period. You can’t commit and then delay. Transparency is important," says Krishnaveni. Her other two colleagues, Suma and Aloha, agree. The trio who work for Tech Mahindra, Hyderabad, are in Tokyo for a month-long assignment.
"The work culture is tough, but I would say it is fairly similar to India – you are expected to have a lot of face time with your boss, just sit around even if you don't have work and not leave before them. People do work late, but mostly it is just to be there than to actually get work done. There is a lot of day-to-day stress, but there is long-term tremendous job security. So, people do stress about work, but it is different from the stress of say, the US, where an American multinational company does another layoff round every year," sums up Sinha.
While there's no strict dress code, it's generally considered respectful to avoid bright or flashy colours, especially in formal settings, in Japan. You find pretty much everyone wearing low-key, minimalist suits like dark gray, black or deep blue. Bright colours and accessories are seen as unprofessional at work place.
"They only wear black, white or grey ... you don't find people dressed in other colour clothes and now I feel awkward to wear colourful clothes," laughs Nekan. "This is true. The colours that Indians wear seems absurd in the Japanese office place," says Sinha, further adding with a chuckle, "But to be honest, I never felt super weird wearing whatever I did because you look different enough it doesn’t really matter if you wear a pink shirt you stand out regardless."
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat)
