How do the Japanese relax? How do the Japanese relax? Baths and mineral springs

There is a stereotype that Japan is a good place to work. This stereotype comes from our compatriots who work by invitation in foreign companies, where the Japanese try to adapt to the level and style of foreigners. Meanwhile, in the Land of the Rising Sun itself, traditional working system It is structured in a very unique way, and it is quite difficult to exist in it. That is why there are not many foreigners building a career in classic Japanese companies. Epson employee Marina Matsumoto talks about what it’s like for the average office worker in Japan.

Dress code

Of course, the conditions depend on the specific company, but in principle the dress code in Japan is much stricter than in Russia. Failure to comply with its rules has serious consequences for the employee, including immediate dismissal.

In a traditional Japanese company, a mandatory black suit is worn regardless of the weather, even if it is +40 outside. The Japanese tolerate both heat and cold calmly, as they go through a very harsh school of hardening the body in childhood. Recently released new law, allowing short-sleeved shirts to be worn to work. This is due to the forced saving of electricity, in which even in extreme heat air conditioners are no longer always used in offices.

In some companies, women are not allowed to wear fitted suits - they must be completely straight. The skirt must cover the knees.

Women's accessories are also prohibited. I have a large, serious company, it is known internationally. But I work where mostly Japanese work. At the workplace I was only allowed to wear a cross - under my clothes so that it would not be visible - and a wedding ring.

Makeup should be invisible. Japanese women love to wear bright makeup, their cheeks are very rosy, and almost all of them have false eyelashes. But at work, a woman should be as unattractive as possible to men.

In some places women are only required to wear short hair, not covering the ears. Hair color must be black. If you are naturally blonde, for example, you will have to dye your hair.

For men, except long hair You cannot wear a beard or mustache. This is an unspoken rule that everyone knows. The persistent image of the Yakuza (this is a traditional form of organized crime in Japan) gets in the way.

Subordination

When I got a job, I signed a bunch of documents, where I assured that I would not discuss anything with clients and colleagues except work: neither the weather, nor nature. I don’t have the right to share my “personal data” at work - who is my husband, how are I doing... At home I don’t have the right to talk about my work. My job is not secret, but it is customary and stated in my contract.

At work they only work

On workplace They take only what they need for work: for me it’s documents and a pen. I can’t take my bag, wallet or phone; it remains at the checkpoint.

In Russia there is a favorite saying: if you’ve done your job, go for a walk. In the Russian workplace, the main thing is that you complete the plan for today. In Japan, no one is interested in “plans for today”. You come to work and have to work at it.

How the Japanese slow down the work process

In Russia we all know that wage depends on the results of your work. If you work poorly, you get nothing. If you work well, you get bonuses and promotions. You’ve done everything - you can leave early or ask for an additional task to earn more.

In Japan you pay by the hour. Almost all Japanese people take overtime. But this often results in them stretching out one task that can be completed in two hours over a week. The deadlines set by the company also do not always correspond to the level of complexity of the work. The Japanese will poke around for hours, it seems to us that they work like sleepy flies, but they think that they do the work “thoroughly”. They incredibly slow down the workflow, so it’s difficult for us to work with them.

And this, by the way, is one of the main reasons why their economy was not in better condition. They have trapped themselves with this hourly payment system. After all, in essence, work is designed not for quality, but for the number of hours spent in the office.

Long, lengthy conversations

We all know that brevity is the sister of talent, but in Japan, brevity is short-sightedness. The Japanese cannot speak briefly and to the point. They launch into long and extensive explanations, which are aimed at ensuring that even a narrow-minded person understands what they are talking about. Meetings can last an incredible number of hours. The Japanese believe that if they talk for a long time and in excessive detail about the same thing, then they respect the interlocutor.

Stratification of society

Growing rice requires a lot of work and organization. Therefore, historically, Japan has developed a system with a very narrow specialization of labor and strict stratification of society. Everyone has their own responsibilities and their place in the life and production process.

Japanese communities have always been clearly organized. For example, a samurai never prepared food for himself; he could easily have died of hunger if the peasantry had not helped him out.

As a result of this mentality, it is very difficult for any Japanese to make an independent decision that is not inherent in his status. They cannot take upon themselves basic responsibility that somehow goes beyond the scope of their everyday routine. To put a comma or not to put it is a problem for half a day. Preparing basic documents is a series of endless, very slow consultations. Moreover, the mandatory nature of such consultations is amazing. If an employee nevertheless takes it upon himself to make a decision that is not based on his status, then everyone in the hierarchical chain associated with him will receive a reprimand. This is Eastern despotism in action: "I - small man“I am a simple peasant, and I must do only the work assigned to me.”

Again, everything is understandable: Japan is a small country with a large overpopulation, it needs strict frameworks and rules. To survive in Japan, you need to clearly know: my border is here, and this is the border of another person, I must respect it. No one goes beyond their limits. If a Japanese man marries them, he will literally be lost.

Russia has a huge territory, vastness, and open spaces. We are not constrained. We are free. A Russian person can do whatever he wants. And the Swede, and the reaper, and the player on the pipe - this is primarily about us, Russians!

Same as everyone else

Interestingly, in Japan you are not supposed to demonstrate your difference or superiority in mind. You cannot show your uniqueness, specialness. This is not welcome. Everyone should be the same. From childhood, uniqueness is burned out there with a hot iron, so Japan will not give the world either Einstein or Mendeleev.

Famous Japanese technology- myth. As a rule, these are ideas that were not created by the Japanese. What they are good at is deftly picking up and improving on time. But we, on the contrary, can brilliantly create and forget...

To survive in Japanese society, you have to be just like everyone else. In Russia it’s the other way around: if you’re the same as everyone else, you’ll get lost. New ideas are constantly needed to master and fill a large space.

Career

In a classic Japanese company, it takes a long time to build a career. Career advancement depends on age, not merit. A young specialist, even a very talented one, will occupy an insignificant position, work a lot and for a low salary, because he has just arrived. Because of similar organization workflow, Japanese companies are finding it increasingly difficult to compete in international market. Yes, there is the concept of “Japanese quality,” but this no longer saves them, because business is conducted too much in the Japanese way.

Salary

Officially, salaries in Japan are high. But with the deduction of all taxes, which amount to almost 30%, they receive an average of a thousand dollars. People young they get even less. At 60 years old, the salary is already a very decent amount.

Vacations and weekends

There are no holidays in Japan. Weekends are Saturday or Sunday. And, depending on the company, you are entitled to a few extra days off per year. Let’s say it’s 10 days, but you can’t take them all at once, you need to split them up. It happens that you need to take one day off during the week and go somewhere on business. In my company, I have to give a month’s notice about this so that everyone can cooperate and replace me. In some companies these terms are even longer. Taking time away from work due to an unexpected incident is problematic.

If you are sick on Monday and are thinking of not going to work, then they will not understand you. Everyone goes to work with a fever.

Weekends may be holidays, All Souls' Day - Obon, in mid-August. But young specialist There is no such possibility; he will work for the first two years without extra days off.

For the New Year, 1-3 days are given. If they fall on Saturday-Sunday, then no one, like in Russia, will move them to Monday-Tuesday.

There is also a “golden week” in May, when several government and religious holidays. My husband worked all days, I had 3 days off.

Working day

Standard working hours are from 9 am to 7 pm. But the main thing you must keep in mind: if it is indicated that the working day is from nine, then you cannot come directly to this time. Even if you arrived at 8:45, you are considered late. You have to arrive to work at least half an hour before, some people come an hour before. It is believed that a person needs time to get into a working mood and prepare for work.

The end of the official workday does not mean you can go home. It is not customary to leave before your boss. If he is late in the office for two hours, then you are late too, and this will not be considered overtime. Your personal circumstances are your personal problems, which, as I already mentioned, according to the agreement I signed, are not discussed with colleagues.

Informal communication

In Japan there is the concept of “nomikai” - “drinking together”, reminiscent of a Russian corporate party. Somewhere "nomikai" takes place every day, in my company - twice a week. Of course, you can refuse, but they will look at you askance. Why drink? Because in Japan there is a positive attitude towards alcohol. Shintoism involves offerings to certain gods in the form of alcohol. Japanese doctors believe that drinking alcohol every day is beneficial. Nobody talks about doses.

The Japanese do not know how to drink and, as a rule, get very drunk. The drink itself will not cost you anything; either your boss or the company always pays for it.

Now, to further encourage visiting bars with colleagues, workers are even being paid for “nomikai.” This is part Japanese culture- work together and drink together. It turns out that you spend almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year only with your work colleagues.

In addition to "nomikai", you need to drink with clients, with partners, with officials with whom the company is connected.

Yes, there is something similar in Russia, but it is incomparable to the Japanese alcoholic scale. And besides, in Russia the attitude towards alcohol is much more negative.

Now you can imagine the whole picture. A Japanese man leaves home at 7 am. At work, he exists within the strict confines of his status. After the end of the official working day, he takes extra hours because he has to feed his family. He then goes out drinking with colleagues and returns home at 2 a.m., most likely drunk. He works on Saturdays. Sees his family only on Sundays. Moreover, until the evening, he can either sleep or drink all day off, because he is under terrible stress from such a cruel regime.

In Japan there is a special concept: “death by overwork.” This is a very common case when people die at their desks or, unable to withstand the workload, commit suicide. For Japan, this is par for the course, an event to which there is practically no reaction. People will even be outraged if someone's suicide interferes with their work. Everyone thinks: “Why didn’t you do this in a quiet, inconspicuous place, because of you I won’t come to work on time!”

We must understand that the Japanese did not sit and invent these rules for themselves. Everything has evolved over the centuries due to the geographical and historical uniqueness of Japan. Probably everyone will agree that they had good reasons for such a mobilization of society, constant readiness for something. A small territory, many people, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis - everything can collapse at any moment. Therefore, from childhood, the Japanese learn to work in a group, learn to survive on their own piece of land. In essence, all Japanese education is not built on teaching a person something, developing him - it teaches him to be a real Japanese, to be competitive in Japanese society. Not everyone can bear this kind of life because it is really hard.

Material prepared by Maria KARPOVA

"Karoshi" is the name given to death from a heart attack or suicide caused by too much work in Japan. From now on it is considered official reason of death.

In the West, there are an endless number of stories, articles and books that teach you to be more productive so that you have more time for your family and favorite activities.

In Japan, the term “work-life balance” simply does not exist. But there is a special word for “death from overwork at work” - “karoshi”. Karoshi is the inevitable result of the grueling work culture that operates in Japan.

Every year in the country hundreds, if not thousands, of Japanese literally drive themselves to the grave with backbreaking labor.

A similar fate befell Kiyotaka Serizawa.

Last July, the 34-year-old Japanese man committed suicide after working 90 hours in the last week of his life. He was an employee of a company that serviced residential buildings.

“His colleagues told me they were amazed at how hard he worked,” said the victim’s father, Kiyoshi Serizawa. “They said they had never seen a person who didn’t even own a company work so hard.”

Long hours of intense work and forced labor after hours are the norm in Japan. This is the local work culture.

In Japan, there is a special profession of wiping tears for female employees.

It all started back in the 1970s, when wages were quite low and workers wanted to increase their earnings. This trend continued into the 1980s, when Japan became the world's second largest economy, and after the crisis in the late 1990s, as companies began to rebuild and workers tried to avoid being laid off.

In addition, temporary employees appeared, working without any bonuses or guarantees. Because of them, the life of permanent workers turned into even more hard labor.

Nowadays, no one is embarrassed by a working day lasting more than 12 hours.

“In Japan, people always work after work hours. Recycling has practically become part of the workday, says Koji Morioka, a professor at Kansai University who is on a committee of experts developing karoshi control methods for the government. “Now no one is forcing anyone to work overtime, but the workers themselves believe that they are obliged to do it.”

Basic work week is 40 hours, but many workers don't count overtime because they're afraid they'll be thought of as workers who can't get everything done. This is how “overtime” works, and in Japan “overtime” means “unpaid.”

This relentless work schedule has meant that karoshi (workplace suicide or death from heart attack due to overwork) is now considered the official cause of death. According to statistics from Japan's Ministry of Labor, 189 people died this way last year, but experts believe there are actually thousands of such cases.

For a long time it was believed that karoshi occurs mainly to men, but lawyers have noticed that in Lately The number of suicides due to overwork among women is increasing. Photo: Getty

As Hiroshi Kawahito said, the worst thing is that young people die. Most often they are in their twenties. Kawahito is a lawyer and general secretary The State Council for the Protection of Victims of Karoshi, which defends the rights of families whose relatives died from overwork.

Kawahito represented the family of a journalist in his early thirties who died of a heart attack.

“In Japan, heart attacks in people in their early thirties are quite common,”- the lawyer noted.

If the cause of death is karoshi, then the families of the deceased are automatically entitled to compensation payments. At the end of March, the number of applications for compensation due to karoshi rose to a record number of 2,310 applications.

But according to Kawahito, the government approves only less than a third of these applications.

Kiyotaka Serizawa's death was officially recognized only last month. He was responsible for setting up cleaning rooms in three different buildings in northeast Tokyo.

A year before his death, Kiyotaka tried to resign, but his boss refused to sign his application. Fearing that his behavior would cause inconvenience to his subordinates, Kiyotaka continued his work.

Sometimes, during trips to offices, he would drop by to visit his parents.

“Sometimes he would lie on the sofa and sleep so soundly that I would have to check if he was breathing,”- says the mother of the deceased Mitsuko Serizawa.

IN last time she saw Kiyotaka last July when he stopped by to pick up laundry because he didn't have time to do his own laundry. He dropped by for literally ten minutes, showed his mother some cute videos with cats and left.

On July 26, Kiyotaka went missing. Three weeks later, his body was found in a car in Nagano Prefecture, not far from where he spent weekends with his parents as a child. Kiyotaka locked himself in his car, set fire to compressed coal and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The problem of karoshi has existed for several decades, but the government began to address this problem at the legislative level only a year and a half ago.

Japan's population is aging, which means that by 2050 it will work force will decrease by at least a quarter. Photo: Getty

The government project includes several goals, including reducing the number of employees working more than 60 hours a week to 5% by 2020. IN last years About 8-9% of the population works this way.

The government is also trying to force workers to take paid leave. In Japan, workers are entitled to 20 days of vacation per year, but few take even half of that time. The thing is, in Japanese culture, taking a day off is a sign of laziness and lack of commitment.

The government hopes to ensure that workers use at least 70% of their entitlement leave.

“If you know your rights, you can show others that there is nothing wrong with going on vacation.”, says Yasukazu Kurio from the Ministry of Health and Labor.

Curio tries to lead by example: last year he used 17 of the 20 days of vacation he was entitled to.

Lawyer Kawahito believes that all these efforts by the state may bring some fruit, but they will not solve the main problem.

“There is nothing in the government's draft about penalties for companies that break the rules,” explains Kawahito. By the way, he himself cannot serve as an example of a good balance between work and personal life. Even as a young man, he was accustomed to long hours of work. He is now 66 and works about 60 hours a week.

Kawahito would like to see something like a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain aspects of the organization of working time, which would require an 11-hour break between shifts.

“In countries like the United States, it's much easier for people to change jobs to something more comfortable,” says Kenichi Kuroda, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo and an expert on work culture. “But Japanese people try to work in one company all their lives and it’s not easy for them to change jobs.”

Some organizations, particularly in the financial sector, support the government initiative and allow their employees to come or leave work early. So, instead of working from nine to nine, people can work from seven to seven so that when they come home they have time to spend time with their children.

“Companies like this are trying to bring about change in society. They show what they can create" perfect image life," thereby trying to influence other organizations," Kuroda noted. But, of course, in other countries such changes in the 12-hour working day will not be something revolutionary.

However, the current problem will still be very difficult to solve.

Japan's population is rapidly aging, meaning its workforce will shrink by at least a quarter by 2050. There will be more less people, able to work, and the size of the load will increase even more.

Professor Morioka believes that if the Japanese want to get rid of deaths due to overwork at work, then the entire work culture in Japan will have to change.

“You can’t get rid of just karoshi,” Morioka said. - We need to change the whole culture overtime and make time for family and hobbies. Working too long is the root of all the evil that happens in Japan. People are so busy that they don’t even have time to complain.”

There is a stereotype that Japan is a good place to work. This stereotype comes from our compatriots who work by invitation in foreign companies, where the Japanese try to adapt to the level and style of foreigners. Meanwhile, the traditional Japanese work system is structured in a unique way, and it is quite difficult to exist in it. That is why there are not many foreigners building a career in classic Japanese companies. Epson employee Marina Matsumoto talks about how the average office worker lives in Japan.

Tokyo. View from the 45th floor observation deck. Photo by Swe.Var (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/swe-var/)

Dress code

Of course, the conditions depend on the specific company, but in principle the dress code in Japan is much stricter than in Russia. Failure to comply with its rules has serious consequences for the employee, including immediate dismissal.

In a traditional Japanese company, they always wear a black suit, regardless of the weather, even if it’s +40 outside. The Japanese tolerate both heat and cold calmly, as they go through a very harsh school of hardening the body in childhood. Recently a new law was passed allowing people to wear short-sleeved shirts to work. This is due to the forced saving of electricity, in which even in extreme heat air conditioners are no longer always used in offices.

In some companies, women are not allowed to wear fitted suits - they must be completely straight. The skirt must cover the knees.

Women's accessories are also prohibited. I have a large, serious company, it is known internationally. But I work where mostly Japanese work. At my workplace I was only allowed to wear a cross - under my clothes so that it would not be visible - and a wedding ring.

Makeup should be invisible. Japanese women love to wear bright makeup, their cheeks are very rosy, and almost all of them have false eyelashes. But at work, a woman should be as unattractive as possible to men.

In some places, women must only wear short hair that does not cover their ears. Hair color must be black. If you are naturally blonde, for example, you will have to dye your hair.

In addition to long hair, men are not allowed to wear a beard or mustache. This is an unspoken rule that everyone knows. The persistent image of the Yakuza (the traditional form of organized crime in Japan) gets in the way.

Subordination

When I got a job, I signed a bunch of documents, where I assured that I would not discuss anything with clients and colleagues except work: neither the weather, nor nature. I don’t have the right to share my “personal data” at work - who is my husband, how are I doing... At home I don’t have the right to talk about my work. My work is not secret, but it is customary and stipulated in my contract.

At work they only work

They only take to the workplace what they need for work: for me, these are documents and a pen. I can’t take my bag, wallet or phone; it remains at the checkpoint.

In Russia there is a favorite saying: “If you’ve done the job, walk boldly.” In the Russian workplace, the main thing is that you complete the plan for today. In Japan, no one is interested in “plans for today.” You came to work and you have to work at it.

How the Japanese slow down the work process

In Russia, we all know that your salary depends on the results of your work. If you work poorly, you get nothing. If you work well, you receive bonuses and promotions. You’ve done everything, you can leave early or ask for an additional task to earn more.

In Japan you pay by the hour. Almost all Japanese people take overtime. But often this results in them stretching out one task that can be completed in two hours for a week. The deadlines set by the company also do not always correspond to the level of complexity of the work. The Japanese will poke around for hours, it seems to us that they work like sleepy flies, but they think that they do the work “thoroughly”. They incredibly slow down the workflow, so it’s difficult for us to work with them.

And this, by the way, is one of the main reasons why their economy was not in the best condition. They have trapped themselves with this hourly payment system. After all, in essence, work is designed not for quality, but for the number of hours spent in the office.

Long, lengthy conversations

We all know that “brevity is the sister of talent,” but in Japan, brevity is narrow-mindedness. The Japanese cannot speak briefly and to the point. They launch into long and extensive explanations, which are aimed at ensuring that even a narrow-minded person understands what they are talking about. Meetings can last an incredible number of hours. The Japanese believe that if they talk for a long time and in excessive detail about the same thing, then they respect the interlocutor.

Stratification of society

Growing rice requires a lot of work and organization. Therefore, historically, Japan has developed a system with a very narrow specialization of labor and strict stratification of society. Everyone has their own responsibility and their place in the life and production process.

Japanese communities have always been clearly organized. For example, a samurai never prepared food for himself; he could easily have died of hunger if the peasantry had not helped him out.

As a consequence of this mentality, it is very difficult for any Japanese to make an independent decision that is not inherent in his status. They cannot take upon themselves basic responsibility that somehow goes beyond the scope of their everyday routine. To put a comma or not to put it is a problem for half a day. Preparing basic documents is a series of endless, very slow consultations. Moreover, the mandatory nature of such consultations is amazing. If an employee nevertheless takes it upon himself to make a decision that is not based on his status, then everyone in the hierarchical chain associated with him will receive a reprimand. This is eastern despotism in action: “I am a small man, I am a simple peasant, and I should only do the work assigned to me.”

Again, everything is understandable: Japan is a small country with a large overpopulation and needs strict frameworks and rules. To survive in Japan, you need to clearly know: my border is here, and this is the border of another person, I must respect it. No one goes beyond their limits. If a Japanese man marries them, he will literally be lost.

Russia has a huge territory, vastness, and open spaces. We are not constrained. We are free. A Russian person can do whatever he wants. And the Swede, and the reaper, and the player on the pipe... - this is primarily about us, Russians!

Same as everyone else

Interestingly, in Japan you are not supposed to demonstrate your difference or superiority in mind. You can’t show your uniqueness, your specialness. This is not welcome. Everyone should be the same. Since childhood, uniqueness is burned out there with a red-hot iron, so Japan will not give the world either Einstein or Mendeleev.

Famous Japanese technologies are a myth. As a rule, these are ideas that were not created by the Japanese. What they are good at is deftly picking up and improving on time. But we, on the contrary, can brilliantly create and forget...

To survive in Japanese society you must be like everyone else. In Russia, on the contrary, if you are the same as everyone else, you will get lost. New ideas are constantly needed to master and fill a large space.

Career

In a classic Japanese campaign, it takes a long time to build a career. Career advancement depends on age, not merit. A young specialist, even a very talented one, will occupy an insignificant position, work a lot and for a low salary, because he has just arrived. Due to this organization of the work process, it is increasingly difficult for Japanese companies to compete in the international market. Yes, there is the concept of Japanese quality, but this no longer saves them, because business is conducted too much in the Japanese way.

Salary

Officially, salaries in Japan are high. But with the deduction of all taxes, which amount to almost 60%, they receive an average of a thousand dollars. Young people receive even less. At 60 years old, the salary is already a very decent amount.

Vacations and weekends

There are no holidays in Japan. Weekends are Saturday or Sunday. And depending on the company, you are entitled to a few extra days off per year. Let’s say you’re allotted 10 days, but you can’t take them all at once. They need to be broken. It happens that you need to take one day off during the week and go somewhere on business. In my campaign, I have to give a month's notice so that everyone can cooperate and replace me. In some companies these terms are even longer. Taking time away from work due to an unexpected incident is problematic.

If you are sick on Monday and are thinking of not going to work, then they will not understand you. Everyone goes to work with a fever.

Weekends may include holidays: Remembrance Day - Obon, in mid-August. But a young specialist does not have such an opportunity; he will work for the first two years without extra days off.

On New Year 1-3 days are given. If they fall on Saturday-Sunday, then no one, like in Russia, will move them to Monday-Tuesday.

There is also a “golden week” in May, when several public and religious holidays occur in a row. My husband worked all days, I had 3 days off.

Working day

Standard working hours are from 9 am to 7 pm. But the main thing you should keep in mind is that if it is stated that the working day is from nine, then you cannot come directly to this time. Even if you arrived at 8.45, you are considered late. You have to arrive to work at least half an hour before, some people come an hour before. It is believed that a person needs time to get into a working mood and prepare for work.

The end of the official workday does not mean you can go home. It is not customary to leave before your boss. If he is late in the office for two hours, then you are late too, and this will not be considered overtime. Your personal circumstances are your personal problems, which, as I already mentioned, according to the agreement I signed with my colleagues, are not discussed.

Informal communication

In Japan there is such a concept - “nomikai” - “drinking together”, reminiscent of a Russian corporate party. Somewhere “nomikai” takes place every day, in my campaign - twice a week. Of course, you can refuse, but they will look at you askance. Why drink? – because in Japan there is a positive attitude towards alcohol. Shintoism involves making offerings to certain gods in the form of alcohol. Japanese doctors believe that drinking alcohol every day is beneficial. Nobody talks about doses.

The Japanese don't know how to drink, and, as a rule, they get very drunk. The drink itself will not cost you anything; either your boss or the company always pays for it.

Now, in order to further encourage visiting bars with colleagues, workers are even paid for “nomikai”. It's part of Japanese culture to work together and drink together. It turns out that you spend almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year only with your work colleagues.

In addition to "nomikai", you need to drink with clients, with partners, with officials with whom the company is connected.

Yes, there is something similar in Russia, but it is completely incomparable to the Japanese alcoholic scale. And then in Russia the attitude towards alcohol is much more negative.

Now you can imagine the whole picture. A Japanese man leaves home at 7 am. At work, he exists within the strict confines of his status. After the end of the official working day, he takes extra hours because he has to feed his family. He then goes out drinking with colleagues and returns home from there at 2 a.m., most likely drunk. He works on Saturdays. Sees his family only on Sundays. Moreover, until the evening, he can either sleep or drink all day off, because he is under terrible stress from such a cruel regime.

In Japan there is a separate concept - “death from overwork.” This is a very common case when people die at their desks or, unable to withstand the workload, commit suicide. For Japan, this is par for the course, an event to which there is practically no reaction. People will even be outraged if someone's suicide interferes with their work. Everyone thinks: “Why didn’t you do this somewhere in a quiet, inconspicuous place, because of you I won’t come to work on time!!”

We must understand that Japanese society did not sit and invent these rules for itself. Everything has evolved over the centuries due to the geographical and historical uniqueness of Japan. Probably everyone will agree that they had good reasons for such a mobilization of society, constant readiness for something. A small territory, many people, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis - everything can collapse at any moment. Therefore, from childhood, the Japanese learn to work in a group, learn to survive on their piece of land. In essence, all Japanese education is not built on teaching a person something, developing him, it teaches him to be a real Japanese, to be competitive in Japanese society... Not everyone can endure such a life, because it is really hard.

Today I will tell you about how to pick up and go to Japan. This is a wonderful country, about which I have already written a lot in my blog. And now I offer you a simple guide with which you can organize your own trip. If you like to plan your own trips, but are more used to traveling around Europe, this post is for you - here I will explain what is worth seeing on your first trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

And if you have already been to Japan, also scroll through this text to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Or vice versa, give me advice!

There are many links here to other posts that describe in more detail certain aspects of a trip to Japan. But I tried to build this post as simply as possible to give general concept how to ride for the first time. If you have friends who are going to Japan, feel free to send them to read this post, and if you yourself are not ready yet, but would like to go in the future, it is better to bookmark it for the future!

My friends often ask me: “I’m going to Japan for the first time. Where to go? What to see? How about security? Internet? English?” I also compiled this post so that in the future they could simply give them a link! (Yes, friends, this is for you!)

When is the best time to go to Japan?

The main tourist seasons are (usually early April) and (late November). These are approximate numbers for Tokyo and Kyoto. Japan is incredibly beautiful during these two periods, but because of this there will be a lot of tourists everywhere and many hotels will be booked in advance.

Summer is a great time to go if you are walking (I did it at the very end of June, a few days before the official season opened). And winter will give you the opportunity, this is also a very beautiful sight.

If it doesn’t work out for so long, then in general it’s not a problem either; any time spent in Japan will make you feel that you need to come here for longer.

Where to go in Japan?

If you don’t have too much time, try to spend at least 2-3 days in Kyoto, and then see how Tokyo turns out. If you have more time, then it’s worth traveling around the country, and maybe even going to one of the islands besides the main Honshu (there are four main islands in Japan).

How to get around the country?

Trains run strictly on schedule and can take you wherever you need to go - the Japanese love of rail transport shows itself on a national scale.

True, shinkansen are an expensive pleasure. A one-way ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto costs about $100! To save money on these moves, you should order yourself in advance JR-Pass, a pass that allows you to use most trains for 7, 14 or 21 days. A seven-day pass costs about $250 (depending on the yen exchange rate), and generally pays for itself if you go to Kyoto and do some shorter driving. Please note that it can only be ordered before arriving in Japan! ()

If you come to Japan for 10 days, then it is better to spend the first two in Tokyo, and then, having activated the seven-day JR-Pass, go to Kyoto and further. Then return back to the capital in the evening of the seventh day, when the pass expires.

And for those moments when the JR-Pass is not activated, or for private metro lines where it is not accepted, I advise you to purchase a card Suica. Suika costs 500 yen, which you can get back if you return it before leaving. Then cash is put on it, and the card is used to pay for trains, and a bunch of other things. Suika accepts more and more points of sale, it is convenient to pay with them throughout the country.

Unlike the JR Pass, the Suika can be purchased upon arrival in Japan at any train ticket office. Don't forget to put money on it and it will make your trip a lot easier.

Is it safe there? Will I get lost?

Plus, Google Maps knows everything about Japanese streets and trains. You can point at a point on the map, and Google will tell you the best way to get there by public transport, when the next train is, and how much it will cost! ( .)

In addition to this, Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. Nothing bad will happen to you.

Tell us about Tokyo!

“So for two, or for three?!” you ask. "Yes!" I will answer you.

The whole secret is that upon arrival in Tokyo you need to rent a hotel in the area Ueno- It’s convenient to get here by express from Narita Airport. Ueno is a relatively inexpensive and relatively quiet area. On your first day in Tokyo (let's say it's Friday), you can see its eastern part, moving from Ueno to the south, or going down to Ginza, and rising north. Your JR-Pass won't be valid yet, so you'll have to use Suika to get around.

And on the second day (Saturday), you will go to Kamakura- one of the ancient capitals of the Japanese Empire. This is a beautiful place an hour's drive from the central areas of Tokyo, there is a seashore, ancient temples and a statue of the Big Buddha. Here you can spend most of the day, and even go for a ride.

Well, on Sunday your JR-Pass will begin to operate, you will board the Shinkansen and head towards . It is important to take seats by the window on right! You don't want to miss this view:

You will return back to the capital by the evening of the seventh day (Saturday), when the railway pass comes to an end. And this time you will live in the west of Tokyo, in an area called Shibuya.

If you've ever seen a picture of Japan where crowds are running through a huge crosswalk- then this is exactly what Shibuya is. There is a crazy drive here, and there seems to be an endless number of people, but spend an evening here and you will be drawn into this crazy zen. .

The next morning - it's time to go explore the western part of the city - this is the second half of my guide. We'll see the fashion district Harajuku, the shrine of Emperor Meiji, and located next to it Yoyogi Park. Oh, did you notice that we ended up here on Sunday? This is not easy! It is on Sundays that they pass in front of the entrance to the park!

Well, by evening you can get to Shinjuku, the area where it is located! After an evening spent here, you will not mind flying home.

What about Kyoto?

But besides the temples, you should just stroll along the old streets of the city. Here you will meet Japanese people in beautiful traditional clothes (most likely they are tourists, like you), and you will be able to taste the old local cuisine, And .

I advise you to settle in the area Sanjo Ohashi Bridge and spend in Kyoto approx. four days. No, you won't be walking around temples all this time. There is a lot to see in Kyoto and beyond. Here are just a few of the nearby attractions (you can spend half a day or a whole day on each):

• with huge wooden temple and tame deer
• - red gate sanctuary
• Arashiyama- a mountain in the northwest of the city, where the famous bamboo grove is located
• Philosopher's Path in the northeast, cherry blossoms bloom especially beautifully along it, and there are many ancient temples.

About other places.

If you have a few extra days of JR Pass validity and want to look at some more unique places, feel free to take the Shinkansen to Kyoto and head further southwest!

And between Osaka and Himeji there is also Kobe, the city that .

As you can see, there is enough choice to fill out a seven-day, 14-day, or even a 21-day JR-Pass. And what’s great: all these places are easily accessible by train!

What's with the money?

You can often hear that Japan is expensive. Compared to the rest of Asia, no doubt. But if we compare, for example, with Europe, then in Japan only housing and trains are expensive, and even then they are not much more expensive than European ones. We have already saved on trains with the help of the JR-Pass, but you will have to pay for housing if you want to live in the center of everything (I recommended exactly these places). But if you want, you can save money here too. Yes, in Japan there are a lot of high-quality expensive things - restaurants, clothes, etc., but if you want, you can make your way here on a modest budget.

One problem is that credit cards are not accepted everywhere (especially away from cities). Cash will help us out, but there are few exchangers, and some ATMs refuse to understand Western cards. Fortunately, ATMs at 7-Eleven are ready to dispense money to tourists from Europe and America. And there are plenty of these 7-Elevens in Japan. (Not everyone has ATMs, but many have them.) They also say there are friendly ATMs in post offices.

Hotels? Ryokans? Apartments?

Ryokan: These are classic Japanese bunkhouses, in a traditional style. It is because of this that staying in them is the most expensive option. But this is very cool: you can sleep on straw mats tatami(don't worry, they will lay out a mattress for you) and dress in. Many ryokan have traditional hot baths - onsens, and the opportunity to dine the way the Japanese ate back in feudal times. In short, a ryokan is a complete immersion. But they also cost starting from $100 per person per night! One room in a ryokan can accommodate up to 4-5 people, although the price for each person will not drop much, since payment is made based on the number of people.

The best ryokan stay in Kyoto. But I advise you to book them in advance, as places in those that are relatively affordable may become occupied several months in advance.

Next we go rented apartments on sites like AirBnB. (and sometimes -!) but the price may be lower than comparable hotels. The apartment may be not a bad option for Tokyo, especially if you are traveling in a group of 3-4 people, it will be cheaper than taking several hotel rooms.

Regular Western-style hotels in Japanese cities are quite expensive. Personally, I try to avoid these. But I love filming. They're relatively inexpensive, and I love how well thought out everything is to squeeze all the amenities into a small space. It is profitable to rent such hotels in small towns, where a room for two can cost $60-80, or in Tokyo, where they will cost $80-120.

In Japanese hostels I've never stopped, but I know they are there. Although if you really decide to save money, I would recommend it to you. They cost $20-$30 a night, many have great onsens, and overall it's a wonderful experience of Japanese culture. The only thing is that they are usually either only male or only female (there are fewer of the latter).

Every kind of everyday life - food, internet, English.

Sockets: Japanese sockets are similar to North American sockets, with two flat prongs. Most plugs from the USA, Canada or China can be plugged in without adapters (the exception is plugs where one of the pins is wider than the other). But Russians and other Europeans will definitely need adapters.

Here you go. I hope it’s now somewhat clear to you how to go to Japan and what to see there. If you have any questions or comments, I will be glad to hear them in the comments. I will also update this post as needed.

It is known that the Japanese are hardworking people. In the summer they take only two weeks off and then go to work earlier. However, they know how to rest. You can escape from the everyday hustle and bustle not only on vacation, but on weekends and in the evenings.

The Japanese go to the beach not to swim, but to walk along the shore, barbecue and sit in a tent. Well, splashing in the water is the very last thing. As a rule, no one goes deeper than his height. Girls without a circle - no way. They don't know how to swim. They just stand in the water, wearing a circle, and catch the waves. But the guys know how to swim and very well. They don’t swim behind buoys; the Japanese are very law-abiding. Girls on the beach always have voluminous hairstyles, bright makeup and manicure. It's a public place after all. After splashing in the water, they build sand castles and sunbathe. Asians love to bury each other in the sand. It is also fashionable to make oppies from sand. If you're heading to the beach in Japan, take some time to choose your swimsuit. Girls can be detained by the police for wearing too revealing a swimsuit, and men's swimming trunks must be shorts, otherwise the guy will be considered a yaoi.


Picnic

Getting out into nature with friends or family is normal for the Japanese. The Japanese picnic is called imonikai. This pastime, which is beneficial for the soul and stomach, is very popular among the Japanese, especially in the fall. More often, the dish imoni is prepared in nature. This is a thick soup with potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms and meat. The Japanese enjoy this dish, drink sake under the fresh autumn sky and, of course, socialize. Many schools and organizations organize immonikai for their students and staff.


Mountains

One of the favorite leisure activities of the Japanese is a trip to the mountains with hiking routes through high mountain valleys and relaxing in traditional ryokan hotels. In Japan, there is a tradition of himatsuri - climbing Mount Fuji. Himatsuri ends the climbing season of the "Fire Festival", when ritual burning of dry grass on the mountain slopes, lighting of huge bonfires in the shape of hieroglyphs and colorful fireworks take place. On the eve of the holiday, at the foot of Fuji, the Japanese build torches that look like bamboo shoots and are two or three times human height. In the old days, women were not allowed to climb Mount Fuji, but nowadays morals have softened, and now several million people visit these places every year.


Alone with nature

The Japanese love and appreciate nature very much. For them, flowers, snow and the moon are beautiful. IN Japanese the following concepts were formed:
Hanami - admiring flowers;
Tsukimi - admiring the moon;
Yukimi - to the snow.
Admiring cherry blossoms- the most favorite type of holiday for the Japanese in the spring. Japanese families They go to the park early in the morning to find a place, sit on the grass and admire their national beauty.


Baths and mineral springs

The Japanese love to visit sento public baths or go to onsen mineral springs. The difference between an onsen and a sento is that in a sento the water is not mineral, but ordinary, it is heated by a boiler. The most popular among the Japanese is the traditional onsen in the old Japanese style. Mineral springs are visited not only by adults, but also by young people. To visit an onsen you have to go out of town, and there are a lot of sentos in the country, in Tokyo alone there are 2.5 thousand of them. Sento is open from lunch until midnight. For the Japanese, baths are not just a hygienic procedure, it is a special philosophy, a celebration of the physical and spiritual, which allows you to feel happy and renewed. Since the bathhouse is public place, here people not only relax, but also have a conversation. It is believed that in the bathhouse you can come to a peaceful agreement and face off with the enemy.

Rest in the city

In the evening or on weekends, when the Japanese do not have the opportunity to go somewhere, he relaxes in the city. Historically, Japanese men have a special sense of male superiority within the family. Therefore, they choose entertainment away from home, so as not to burden themselves with the home environment and the company of their wife. But Sundays Japanese husbands devote time to their wife and children, they go for walks, relax with their family, and on the rest of the evenings they choose to relax in the company of friends or colleagues. Numerous clubs, bars and restaurants open their doors to Japanese tired of work and family every evening. Here the Japanese can forget about their problems by having a drink with work colleagues or just friends. Such pastime is considered to be maintaining social contacts and is welcomed by the heads of companies and firms.

Another popular Japanese leisure activity is spending time in the company of women. Geisha are in demand mainly due to foreigners. And the Japanese prefer to have fun in the company of hostesses. After a hard day at work, a Japanese man will not tell his wife about his problems, but will go and talk it out to the young Japanese woman. A hostess in Japan is most often a pretty young girl with knowledge foreign language, which welcomes guests of a restaurant, casino, disco or entertainment complex. Before the girls, working as hostesses in bars or nightclubs, were called night butterflies. Nowadays, the hostess profession is very popular among Japanese women; about a third of top models also work as hostesses. Japanese men quite often resort to relaxing with charming girls.

Rest Japanese girl and women consists of visiting a hairdresser, cafe, karaoke and shopping. Japanese women love to get their hair cut. They enjoy the variety of forms and means available to them to realize their fantasies within the framework of modern fashion. In a cafe they meet with their friends, talk and brag about their purchases or their husband’s success at work.

Asians love to sing karaoke. Karaoke bars are very popular in Japan and Korea, where you can get together with friends, sing songs and eat dessert. A Japanese person will sing even if he doesn’t know how. Karaoke is not a place where you show off your talent, but have fun.

Sometimes Japanese residents while away their free evenings in theaters where musical, puppet and puppet shows are held. classical theaters. Modern Japanese theater is a bright, unique world that you want to plunge into again and again. For a Japanese, visiting the theater with a large group is a very good way to spend time and get a lot of positive emotions.

A source of information.