Japan: Death by Work (2018) | ARTE.tv Documentary

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A Japanese friend of mine told me his company expected 6 hours of unpaid overtime a day and only one day off a month. INSANE !!!

I worked in Tokyo as an ESL teacher for 4 months. I was supposed to be there for a year but I'd had enough of that toxic work environment. -You're not paid for overtime hrs -people just hang around after work until the boss leaves, even if they're not doing anything. It's so bizarre and unhealthy. -The physical workspace isn't efficient. shared material, which means you're scrambling right before your class cause the other teacher JUST finished with the material you need for your class. -Hot summers with no A.C. They did this thing, where I worked, they'd have the air on but you could barely feel it. Teachers would be walking around sweating. And they would bring technicians in to "fix" it, but I think it was just for show. It was a very sneaky, toxic environment. Japan is one of my favorite places to visit. But I'd never want to live and work there again.

No wonder Isekai genre is extremely popular in Japan. People really want to escape the another fantasy world from unhealthy work conditions.

I thought that 9 to 5 job was killing me than I switched job and started the remote job at home the hours are less, I can have enough sleep and spend time with my family this change has improved my health and I am enjoying my life now. Health is wealth everyone keep it in mind, money comes and goes.

The gas lighting from NHK to not only knowingly have one of their employees overwork, but have the gall to say “she didn’t know how to manage her work load” is one of the most infuriating, unprofessional, completely stupid things to ever disgrace the broken heart of her mother. What a damn shame.

週5日ではなく週4日制度にしてほしい

What’s the point of going home, the company might as well provide bedrooms and shower rooms within the premises, they’ve no life after all 🙄

The situation is still horrible. I worked in Japan until mid of last year. Some colleges worked at least 10 hours per day and on top of that they had a commute of 3 hrs per day. One person was burned out and was gone for like 2 months. Additionally, it is not productive at all. One is tired all the time and because of that it’s hard to concentrate. It is totally normal to sleep at your desk (during working time). It’s just incredibly stupid. Edit: At my current job with less hours, my research has a better quality and I am not depressed as fuck all the time.

This is probably a big reason why the birth rate is so low and continuing to shrink. I know I wouldn’t want to bring a child into or under these conditions.

We are basically trying to abolish slavery again. Think about it.

Same situation here in south korea.

100 hrs overtime is too much for anyone, let alone a month. I previously worked for 34 yrs here in the US, and I never worked 100 hrs overtime in my entire working life. I"m not retired. They seriously need their heads examined.

I live and work in Japan, in IT. I am currently on a project for a major Japanese automaker, and the workload is crazy. Crazy expectations of everyone. It is not that we waste time at work/work inefficiently, it is that the amount of work expected to be done is way too much. And you constantly get judged and berated. I have never received praise, just harsh abuse. This is Japanese management.

Man, they need unions and workers rights. 😮

The amount of paperwork on those desks... you can tell the Japanese are not efficient or productive. Collectively they work really hard to keep this image of perfection but the cracks are there

I spent a bit of time in Japan. The people are kind and gracious and the culture can be quite beautiful. But underlying expectations are very strong and rigid at times. I can see how people really valued compliance and it seemed like many did not feel comfortable admitting to the idea of personal needs or freedoms.

In Japan there is a work culture that you are loyal to the company, never leave before the boss, and overtime is expected, otherwise you will be replaced. It is sad in this day and age that this continues. Equally sad a lot of people take their own life because of the pressures and stress they are placed under by these corporations. An employee has to show loyalty and show appreciation that they have a job, weakness is not tolerated.

The problem is humans were not even supposed to work like this like its not natural we are working harder in general than our ancestors did this is not normal at all noone should be working 40 hours a week let alone more than 40 hours a week

One of the absolute worst, if not the worst thing about Japan is the vile work 'culture'. Currently at my company, there are at least 3 people who are sick because of their oppressive workloads, with one just gone on extended leave due to the seriousness of their illness. As discussed in this film, the appalling 'power harassment' drives people to quit or have breakdowns. The vicious bullying that occurs at schools just carries on into working life. To make matters worse, as mentioned here too, the salaries are woeful. As much as I have sympathy for all those affected, it is so frustrating that people don't/can't/ won't just say "No". These days, companies are struggling to recruit, so in a sense, the employees have the upper hand. Yet they consider "gaman" (endurance/perserverance) as a virtue, so people stay silent, suffer...and then decide death is the only escape.