Do you know about “Shachiku”? Are Japanese people workholics?

How much do you know about Japanese company workers? Do Japanese people work too much? Absolutely! Must you listen to your customers? Definitely! In Japan the word “Shachiku” means wage slave.

A Shachiku is a wage worker within a company who is treated as livestock. Sha means employee, Chiku means livestock. While some Japanese people recognize that they are treated as farm animals, they accept this reality and work hard. As a permanent member of staff, you must absolutely obey your boss’ orders. Even when you are forced to work overtime, work without holidays and attend events outside business hours. Sometimes bosses ask their employees to socialise with them outside of work hours and they feel obliged to do so. We call such companies “Black Kigyou (company)”, meaning that it is a bad company from the perspective of the employees.

Unlike in Western cultures, Japan tends to think that collective behaviour is very important as it is strongly related to Japan’s economic development. In many respects, it is advantageous for the group to work collectively. For example, after delegating different roles to people, all members work on their individual task. This means that the team can progress very efficiently, as they are ensuring that they are all working towards the same goal. By working collectively and having different points of view from the different employees, any possible business risks can also be reduced.

Collective action requires an instructor, which is a boss for many office workers. In Japan employees are often ranked on their longevity within the company and newcomers must always obey their boss, regardless of ability. This hierarchical structure isn’t good for your average employee as many Japanese people become exhausted and eventually some people become depressed.

Why don’t the employees just quit? This is because people that work for one company for a long time are respected. If you change jobs over and over again, future employers may judge you to be inpatient and it could be difficult to find a job at another company. A lot of people are afraid of this happening, so they remain at the same company.

Travelers coming to Japan are often surprised by the high quality of customer service. Because, There is a common saying that “Customer is God”. Although the service is very good, many people working in the restaurant industry work long hours, without holidays. So, please do not forget this when you travel to Japan.

Little by little, new ways of working are increasing. Some people are not working directly for a company. Instead, they choose to work as freelancers at home, and the number of people who work in this way are increasing. Still, many Japanese think that the only way to earn a good wage is to be hired by a company.

Do you want to work in Japan?