> Younger Japanese are much less willing to work with the dedication their parents and grandparents had.
I have a few "salary man" friends in Japan, and they work really really hard. Like "hard to imagine anyone working harder".
However, if my experience working in (non-tech) companies in Tokyo has taught me anything, it's that people have to work so hard because of some startling inefficiencies (and some serious peer pressure) and a great resistance to integrating technology into the work flow (e.g. this is the first year I received internet in the office).
This sounds hard to believe as Japan has produced some amazing technological innovation, but there is a really strange mindset in the higher ups concerning digital conveniences, and they appear to be influencing protocol. For example, ATMs have working hours, and some are not available on weekends at all, and others have higher fees the later in the evening it is (and this is a cash dominate society).
Ah, a japanese friend of mine used to joke that it was little dwarves working in the ATM that gave out the money. The extra fee in the evening was just overtime pay :-)
That's not entirely untrue, as you can indeed ring a bell and someone comes from behind the ATM to help you. Why I was not allowed to withdraw money on Sunday even if I did not need help is beyond me and so every monay I stood in the queue before the ATMs of people who couldn't get their money on Sunday either.
Also, I pay 0,68€ with debit or credit card in Europe whereas I had to lug around coins and stuff in Japan. Very cash-centric.
I've noticed that even in the USA, it is much more common for smaller "Mom & Pop" shops and restaurants owned and operated by Asians (not just Japanese, but Chinese, Filipinos, etc) to be cash-only, or if they do accept debit/credit cards they have very high minimum purchase requirements.
I get the reasoning behind why they do this (to avoid the handling charge overhead), but I've always wondered why the decision to do so seems to be far more prevalent with some cultures than others and I've always wondered if it is really a net negative for them as there are quite a few places I would otherwise go to frequently but avoid (because I know that as someone who prefers not to carry around a lot of cash that paying will be a bit of a pain in the ass at those places). Presumably I'm not the only one who makes this choice regularly.
Comments
> Younger Japanese are much less willing to work with the dedication their parents and grandparents had.
I have a few "salary man" friends in Japan, and they work really really hard. Like "hard to imagine anyone working harder".
However, if my experience working in (non-tech) companies in Tokyo has taught me anything, it's that people have to work so hard because of some startling inefficiencies (and some serious peer pressure) and a great resistance to integrating technology into the work flow (e.g. this is the first year I received internet in the office).
This sounds hard to believe as Japan has produced some amazing technological innovation, but there is a really strange mindset in the higher ups concerning digital conveniences, and they appear to be influencing protocol. For example, ATMs have working hours, and some are not available on weekends at all, and others have higher fees the later in the evening it is (and this is a cash dominate society).
Ah, a japanese friend of mine used to joke that it was little dwarves working in the ATM that gave out the money. The extra fee in the evening was just overtime pay :-)
That's not entirely untrue, as you can indeed ring a bell and someone comes from behind the ATM to help you. Why I was not allowed to withdraw money on Sunday even if I did not need help is beyond me and so every monay I stood in the queue before the ATMs of people who couldn't get their money on Sunday either.
Also, I pay 0,68€ with debit or credit card in Europe whereas I had to lug around coins and stuff in Japan. Very cash-centric.
I've noticed that even in the USA, it is much more common for smaller "Mom & Pop" shops and restaurants owned and operated by Asians (not just Japanese, but Chinese, Filipinos, etc) to be cash-only, or if they do accept debit/credit cards they have very high minimum purchase requirements.
I get the reasoning behind why they do this (to avoid the handling charge overhead), but I've always wondered why the decision to do so seems to be far more prevalent with some cultures than others and I've always wondered if it is really a net negative for them as there are quite a few places I would otherwise go to frequently but avoid (because I know that as someone who prefers not to carry around a lot of cash that paying will be a bit of a pain in the ass at those places). Presumably I'm not the only one who makes this choice regularly.
I find that type of stuff fascinating. I wonder what they think of our movie pricing (cheaper during the day)?
In Japan, movie tickets are cheaper in the evening. (20:00 onwards iirc)