work and games... and canada!

We are still total TV blobs, at least until the early afternoon. If, for some reason, one of us has to be away from the TV (exercise, job) results are relayed with texts and cell-emails; most Japanese phones are equipped with TV connectivity (I see people on the train watching in crisp clean perfect quality - the news, TV shows, movies), but our cheapest-phones don't even have predictive text - ugh, the woe. Anyways, Steve just made his way out to catch the bullet south (to Osaka), and I'm watching men's aerials and then figure skating before I start my day... again. I meant to take the camera with me this morning to teaching - to snap some pics of the ridiculous amount of traffic at the station, on the train and in the streets... but forgot. Steve and I were talking about the work ethic here, and asked ourselves what country we've lived in is most unlike - or most opposite - of this one.

So first, how much do people really work here? Hours? Days per week? The standard (I believe) is Monday to Friday (with some Saturdays), but hours are ALL over the map. In some offices considered rude to leave before your superiors, and it's not unusual to be at the office until after 10:00pm. And, it is not unheard of to actually SLEEP at your place of employment; not that it happens all the time or with all companies, but there are facilities for eating, sleeping and showering in many company offices. As seen in last week's issue of Metropolis:

In recognition of the fact that employees “feel uncomfortable about leaving the office when their colleagues are still working,” officials at Shiseido’s Ginza HQ have started turning off lights in their building at 10pm. Anyone still toiling away at that hour “must submit a written apology to their superiors, explaining the reason why they had to stay at the office until late.

Working 60 hours a week is not unheard of, and there is even a term for literally working yourself to death - karoshi (a legally recognized cause of death). With the number of exhausted, passed out cold sleeping salary men and women on the trains - in the morning, afternoon and evening, I'm thankful that this is a workforce that I will never be a full part of.

From The Economist, via seattlepi.com:

Official figures say that the Japanese work about 1,780 hours a year, slightly less than Americans (1,800 hours a year), though more than Germans (1,440). But the statistics are misleading because they do not count "free overtime."

Other tallies show that one in three men aged 30 to 40 works over 60 hours a week. Half say they get no overtime. Factory workers arrive early and stay late, without pay. Training at weekends may be uncompensated.

Cultural factors reinforce these trends. Hard work is respected as the cornerstone of Japan's postwar economic miracle. The value of self-sacrifice puts the benefit of the group above that of the individual.

The suicide rate in Japan is one of the highest in the world, and there is no doubt that the stress, pressures and expectations of the demanding work environment contribute to what is a recognized social problem. Recently, a government survey found that 90% of workers don't know what the term work-life balance means. Work is life and life is work.

And so what country - that we've lived in - is most different from Japan? The answer is, without a doubt, Greece. In terms of work ethic and working hours, in terms of manners, self-sacrifice, respect, consideration, organization... and more more more. In Greece, work is work and life is family, friends, food; life by (too?) far outweighs work. There is little if no mutual respect in sport: in Greece, fan clubs are surrounded by shield-wielding police squads, and violence often breaks out before, during and after sporting events. Fan clubs here bow to each other after the game, and bow and clap and cheer for the opposing team. The differences go on and on and on. We loved living in Greece, and we love living in Tokyo - experiencing these different cultures and ways is incredible. What we love most though, is being able to go home to Canada; especially now, during these Olympic Games, we are so proud and so happy to be Canadian!!