Intro to my column:
I’m Anna, a half Japanese, half American who grew up back and forth between the U.S. and Japan. I’ve lived a total of nine years in Tokyo, and the rest were mostly spent on the east coast of the States.
In this column, I will be uncovering the nooks and crannies of Japan’s social issues, vegan movement, and health/fitness culture.
I’ve always been quite active. I was a competitive gymnast for 12 years, then a cheerleader for a few years, and then switched to running at university. I’ve since run four marathons and a handful of half marathons. Exercise is my therapy!
I went vegan six years ago while I still lived in the States, and got the chance to experience being vegan in Japan for the past two years. Veganism is still very much in its infancy there, so it was rewarding to be a part of the vegan community in a place where awareness is still quite low-- it was like being a hippie in 1970s New York!
So if you’re curious about the vegan scene, social issues, or the health culture in Japan, I invite you to come along on my quest to dive deeper into these topics.
It’s widely known that Japan is one of the more challenging places for foreign people to find a job.
To help bring in more foreign workers, the Japanese government has introduced legislation in the past few years. One example is the 2018 immigration reform act. Its goal was to bring in 345,000 foreign workers within the next five years and included two types of visas. One for low-skilled foreign workers to stay for up to five years, and another for semi-skilled workers to stay for 10 years.
Yet, even with all the effort to bring in foreign talent to increase diversity and help combat the aging population, the Japanese workplace remains to be, well, Japanese.
Why is that?
To help answer this question, I turned to my former colleague Kana Hashimoto, Associate Director at RGF Professional Recruitment Japan, a bilingual recruitment firm in Tokyo.
Hashimoto, who has been working in recruitment for over 5 years, believes language is a barrier for both Japanese companies and foreigners hoping to work in Japan.
What could be the root source of this in the workplace? Well, one argument is education.
As English is the universal business language, learning it is essential to doing business globally.
Although Japanese children learn English from junior high school, until recently they only learned to read and write and could not speak well.
So by the time they start working, they feel there is little use in hiring English speakers since they cannot speak English proficiently themselves. In turn, “the expectation [of employees to have] Japanese language skills is higher” at most companies, explains Hashimoto.
There are certain programs, like the JET programme, that aim to improve speaking and listening skills. However, the emphasis is still placed on teaching reading and writing since most of the exams only cover these skills.
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In my previous experience as a recruiter, I’ve noticed that even international companies tend to have a domestic mindset and culture.
This is due, in part, to the fact that “Japan is a unique market, and it’s really hard for foreign companies to enter into it,” Hashimoto adds.
For example, if someone coming from the U.S. tries to start up an office in Japan, it will be difficult as they will not be familiar with the cultural norms or the language. Thus, it is best to bring in a native Japanese person as they will need to speak with Japanese customers and localize the product or service for the Japanese market. Then, as the company grows and hires more people, the culture and people end up being fully Japanese.
As difficult as it may be for Japanese companies to increase diversity, foreigners wishing to get a job in Japan can be proactive too.
The biggest thing one can do to improve their chances of getting hired is to learn the language, and perhaps more importantly, the culture. Although this is easier said than done, there are many online resources (such as Wanikani, podcasts, informational websites) to help with this. Interacting with Japanese people is also important, so getting involved in local Japanese communities could be a good start.
One can also learn the skills for jobs in high demand but do not require strong Japanese ability. This includes graphic design, UI/UX, programming, IT help desk work, or engineering jobs.
It’s also best to already be in Japan when applying for jobs, as companies are more inclined to interview a candidate if they are local. And many companies are willing to provide visa support once they hire a candidate.
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There are also several ways for employers to improve diversity and communication.
One of the biggest ways is to hire more foreigners at the top level. If there are more non-Japanese decision-makers and executives looking to hire people from various backgrounds, there is a higher likelihood that this will be carried out. Some companies, like Fjord (part of Accenture), have taken the approach of having two presidents— one Japanese, one not— to keep a diverse culture.
Rakuten also presents an effective way to increase diversity.
In 2010, they made English their official language. This meant that all meetings and communication would be done in English.
One of the main drivers behind this decision was to be able to hire the best talent from around the world. And it worked-- today, they have over 70 nationalities represented at their HQ in Tokyo. This makes up 20% of their total headcount.
Thus, there is a case to be made for making a more English-friendly workplace, as this can attract people from different backgrounds.
Hiring managers can also simply meet more people in the recruitment process.
In Hashimoto’s experience, many companies are “too focused on hiring the ideal person.”
They often have high expectations and a laundry list of requirements. However, sometimes it’s best to leave those at the door and find someone with the right skillset. And the only way to do that is to widen the net, meet more people, and hire based on experience rather than things like age, nationality, gender, or religion.
But what’s in it for the employees?
The biggest benefit of working in a diverse environment is that you can be yourself. When everyone comes from various backgrounds, it doesn’t matter if you stray from the so-called norm. You don’t have to be a soldier and conform to certain systems or processes, and instead work in a way that’s best for you.
Another benefit is the differing opinions. This results in a more creative environment and thus will help boost the profitability of the business.
As Japan’s population continues to age, its need to globalize increases as well. If Japan wants to grow, diversity needs to be a top priority. The bright spot is that policies in both the private and public sectors appear to be trending in the right direction.