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Why so many choose to live and work in Japan–other than money (Part 2)

Yaaay team March 23, 2024
Bamboo forest with row of trees on sunny day 
Continued from 15. Why so many choose to live and work in Japan–other than money (Part 1)

Get trained as an expert from a long-term perspective

Compared to foreign companies, Japanese companies have a culture of human resource training with a long-term future in mind.
Although they may not be ready for immediate contributions, many companies hire new graduates with no working experience and focus on training them as an investment in their future or to foster executive candidates.
Even when companies hire mid-career workers as immediate assets, it is not uncommon for them to regularly hold in-house training programs to improve the skills of their employees. Also, many companies cover the cost of taking external courses or acquiring qualifications. Supporting Japanese language study for foreign employees is also common.
For those who are still new to the workforce, Japanese companies' generous training programs and "company-employee development" culture are very appealing.

Low risk of being laid off

Basically, Japanese companies offer long-term employment. This is one of the reasons why salaries in Japanese companies are relatively low. Many Japanese companies still use a salary structure in which wages are kept low when young, but increase steadily until the age of 50 or so.
Since wages are kept low in comparison to the duties and performance of the employee, and long-term employment is assumed, abrupt layoffs without any guarantees would be considered a breach of contract. When a company fires an employee for its own reasons, such as personnel reduction, it is common for the company to pay a high premium severance pay, which is a reason for the company to hesitate to reduce the number of employees.
Another factor that makes layoffs more difficult is the Japanese tendency to hesitate to make decisions on their own and to want to resolve everything peacefully.

- There is little worry about being suddenly fired for the convenience of the company when there is no problem with the employee himself/herself.
- The layoff process is more civilized than in foreign companies, and the feelings of the fired employee are taken into consideration.

Some foreigners working for Japanese companies feel more secure because of the above. Especially for those who have families to support, the low risk of sudden layoffs is a big advantage.

Sense of security and joy that cannot be converted into money

Those are the advantages of living and working in Japan, even if the salary is relatively low.
If you read both parts 1 and 2 of the column, you would understand that there is a sense of security and joy in working for a Japanese company that cannot be converted into money.

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