Name: Why Japanese Hate Working with Foreigners
Uploaded: 2025-08-07T18:22:11.000Z
Duration: 13 min 40 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

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This is why Japanese don't like working with foreigners So many foreigners misunderstand that Japanese work culture even some that have experienced it firsthand still don't get it There's more to it than just Japan is super strict or Japanese work long hours There's a lot of unwritten and hidden cultural rules that form the foundation of Japanese work culture and expectations Many foreigners who don't understand this end up hating their job in Japan or just as bad their co-workers hate working with them So in this video i'm gonna share with you what Japanese really think you shouldn't be doing at work And why they think this because i'll probably never tell it to your face See all things are common sense in Japan taught to them as kids basic cultural manners etiquette and work ethic And if they were to tell you some of these points, it would just be rude personally I've worked in Japan my entire professional career starting out in a smaller IT firm, but eventually working in a financial corporate environment So i've learned quite a bit about Japanese work culture over the years and i've also talked to many Japanese workers to understand What really pisses them off or at least annoys them when working with foreigners?

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But before I start I should say that although these points are based on typical Japanese work environments Not all Japanese people and companies are like this Some are more westernized while others believe it or not are even more strict if you're planning to work in Japan though It's a good start to not expect the same work culture as your home country Especially if you have an entitled mindset, I deserve this i'm not gonna do that If you're one of those it's gonna be a long day at work for you in Japan Anyway, i'll let you be the judge on what you agree with and disagree with and if you can work in Japan All right, let's get to work number one.

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Don't over promise and under deliver in Japan There's a beauty in being humble and to understate one's abilities which might be quite the opposite to many western tendencies This starts with a resume when foreigners overstate their skill level whether it be a technical skill for say software proficiency Or saying that they have business level Japanese when it's actually at a much lower level Thinking selfishly that this is what they need to do in order to get the job and when they get to work on the first Day, they're expected to read business level documents, but are unable to or if they can it's at an uncomfortably slow pace It's quite a letdown to the team who was expecting that their new teammate would be able to share their current workload But rather this person is now a liability to the team which may even foster co-worker distrust and resentment See Japanese are taught to be humble from a young age and generally have a distaste for self-centered co-workers It's normal for them to say less than they can actually do but in turn if they say they can do something It's expected that they'll be amazing at it So from the start, it's best not to lie to your Japanese teammates be humble and honest with your abilities Number two don't go home when that job isn't complete So typical salary jobs in Japan have set hours like nine to six with an hour lunch break So many foreigners think it's okay to leave just after 6 p.m Even though the job may not be finished yet more often than not the job in many companies is a team effort Which also has deadlines therefore when working in Japan It's no longer about me me me your actions directly impact the team and their ability to also go home see Japanese from an early age already know how to work Well as a team because one of their main focuses in their school system is shudan kodo collective action In contrast to many western schools who may focus more on individual accomplishments therefore as kids Japanese naturally master how to be considerate of others and to help one another out They wouldn't go home if the job isn't complete as it would create a burden on their co-workers Who'll have to cover their responsibilities as a deadline in Japan is an absolute something that can't be missed It's definitely not a rough time frame where most things need to be almost complete This is one of the reasons why in a Japanese workplace they have a commonly understood phrase Which stands for hokoku renraku and sodan which means report communicate and consult in other words There's an unwritten expectation of a continual communication loop with japanese team members and managers Which helps ensure that everyone knows how you're doing on your tasks if you have any issues And if other co-workers need to help you finish this even applies to little things like going home when japanese announced before they leave Osaki Please excuse me because i'm going home before you so if you're working in japan and don't know this already Some of your co-workers may already dislike working with you Oh and one more tip you're not gonna win any points with your team if you continue to ask them When do you think we're gonna finish number three don't submit work?

That's poorly done This one kind of connects to the previous point Especially if you're trying to go home at a certain time in general submitting subpar work is not gonna cut it in japan Sometimes even submitting average work is not gonna cut it depending on the job If it doesn't meet the task requirements It's likely gonna burden your other co-workers as they need to fix your poor work Which can likely delay the team schedule making the company look bad This is true whether you're submitting a report or even washing dishes at a sushi restaurant Everything must be done at high quality and on time japanese already Understand this without having to be told and in this case where an individual is performing poorly compared to their co-workers They will already have enough humility to recognize their shortcomings and work on their own time to improve their skills So that they don't continue to burden their teammates number four don't prioritize your personal life So this one may seem kind of harsh especially coming from a western perspective But in japan working with your team and keeping the team harmony is paramount If you haven't realized it by now in japan, the team is more important than the individual again This is something that japanese already know and may be a reason why japanese often don't use up all of their vacation days And why they bring back souvenir gifts to the office called omiyage when they return from a vacation to show appreciation to their team For taking over the responsibilities while they were gone In fact workers in japan only use up on average 58.3 percent of their paid vacation days Which helps to show their commitment to their team and company Let's say you had a dinner plan with friends or even family But a project your team is responsible for requires you to unexpectedly stay late for work in this situation Japanese know to prioritize work above their personal schedule However, if the person had communicated weeks in advance Horenzo with their team that they had something important scheduled such as a wedding rehearsal Their team would generally be understanding of their absence But let me try to break down the unwritten priorities for japanese workers in order The first priority is rare and important personal events such as your family's death wedding and medical issues Second is work and last your regular personal events again This is all common sense for japanese whether they're working at a restaurant or a corporate office And why it would be unpleasant for them to work with someone who is not following the same rules as a team Hey, so before we continue on i'm going to give a quick shout out to the sponsor of this video squarespace If you all don't already know squarespace is the number one way to build your online presence In fact, I use squarespace for my website to tokyo zebra Here's just some of the reasons why I love using squarespace so much now with fluid engine their next generation website design system It helps anyone unlock their creativity with reimagined drag and drop technology for desktop or mobile and start with the professional website templates But then customize it like I did for my website to fit your own needs check out my homepage It shows my latest video for both my channels if you want to sell products online physical digital or service products Squarespace has you covered sell custom merch squarespace has you covered want to accept online appointments?

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So there you go Go to squarespace.com today for your free trial and when you're ready to launch go to squarespace.com Forward slash paolo from tokyo and get 10 off your first domain or website number five don't ignore emails or messages communication communication communication This is another basic and unwritten japanese business manner that they all know You must respond to emails from your clients and managers promptly It's a show of respect as well as confirmation that you read their email For example, when you receive an email from a client or manager asking you to do something like check a document It's expected that you'll quickly reply to them usually in the same day and no later than 24 hours with a confirmation email Such as I was able to open the file or i'll check it and get back to you as soon as possible This also applies to text messages Although there are auto read receipts a japanese person knows to confirm each message with a reply text Otherwise leaving it without a reply would be a sign of disrespect number six Don't chat on your phone or go on social media while at work It's simple japanese also have the common understanding without having to be told not to use work hours to attend to personal matters Again, it goes back to being fair to your co-workers If no one on the team is doing it and you're doing it it disrupts the team morale Japanese would deem this selfish and entitled behavior and it would definitely annoy them In fact many japanese don't even carry their personal phone during work hours as they know They're not supposed to be looking at it Anyway, well, what about emergency calls a foreigner may say simple answer in japan emergency calls should go through the workplace Number seven don't leave a mess.

Not only the workplace but in everyday life It's to avoid inconveniencing others as japanese children are taught not to give trouble to others known as meiwaku o kakenai which leaving a mess does as it results in your co-workers having to clean up after you for example Something as simple as splashing water all over the bathroom sink or leaving brush hair in the bathroom Yes, there may be cleaning staff who come the next morning But that means co-workers will have to deal with that mess throughout the day So someone from the team will usually clean it up even though it wasn't them who made the mess In fact in some more traditional japanese companies employees clean their own office before they start and even when they finish No doubt leaving a mess is a quick and easy way to make enemies in the japanese workplace Number eight don't be late for meetings In fact, don't be late for anything whether it be for work or deadlines even if for only one minute It's just common sense in japan to respect other people's time It may not be a big thing in your home country But it is in japan see japanese kids are taught in school to be five minutes early for everything It's called gofun maekodo Basically, you're supposed to start exactly on time and not start preparing at the start time It's the difference between arriving to work on time and being ready to work at the start time Also japanese know that when meeting a client or going for a job interview It's typical japanese business manner to arrive early and wait at the front and notify them Just a minute before the time that they arrive not earlier not later simply put being late is Disrespectful and in some cases may lead to losing your client or even your job I'm getting bit too many mosquitoes here got to move to the next spot Okay, look I got all of these mosquito bites right here Anyways number nine don't order a different drink Let me explain especially for those who have a special diet in japan It's basic and unwritten manner to not inconvenience others So if you're in a situation for example Where you're attending a client meeting with three other co-workers and you're offered a coffee and all your co-workers graciously accept And even though you don't drink coffee It's best not to order something different like decaf coffee or sparkling water simply say no Thank you or accept it and put it aside ordering a separate drink would just inconvenience the person preparing the drinks forcing them to make A different one, but it may also embarrass your co-workers to be with someone who's inconsiderate to their host And the same thing goes for company lunches or dinners Japanese are masters at reading the room unless otherwise specified by the manager or boss Co-workers are probably going to order similar dishes and within the same price range They're definitely not ordering the most expensive item and they're not going to order dessert If no one else is and number 10 don't push the boundaries now This one brings us back full circle if you're working in japan Understand that it's not your home country and trying to push your co-workers to adopt a western work ethic and culture Maybe already pissing them off The easiest way around this is to simply look around the workplace and if no one else is doing it You should think twice before you do it yourself even asking for permission to do something out of the ordinary Already makes it seem like you think of yourself as above the group and something as simple as taking toilet breaks where there's no Actual written rule on how long or how many you can take during the day if you're taking more than the team Your co-workers are going to start to notice and they're gonna start feeling like you're taking advantage of the system Which means you're taking advantage of them and guaranteed They're not gonna like working with you and an interesting side point many japanese will even change their diet So as not to offend their co-workers, for example They won't even eat garlic the day before knowing that their co-workers will be sitting next to them for the entire next day It's this level of consideration and courtesy to others that's been ingrained in japanese people Which may be difficult for foreigners to understand.

So there you have it Let me know what you think of japanese work culture which points you agree with which ones you don't And if you yourself think you could work in japan Like always if you like this video help me out and hit that like button if you guys want to help support the channel Check out the merch as well as my paolo from tokyo hot sauce And if you guys want to see more videos like this or anything related to japan Hit that subscribe button and the bell button and i'll catch you guys In the next one