Week 6 - Brief & Strategy
- Tramaine Berry
- Oct 31, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 27, 2023
STEP 1 - Learn Japan's Culture
Japanese Survey sites:
Univox Community
Surveytime
Surveyeah Japan
PrizeRebel
ySense
TimeBucks
Triaba Japan
Cointiply
Create Surveys:
Surveyswap
Are there other ways Japanese can show dedication to one's work without overworking?
How are Japanese workplaces breaking from tradition?
Character profile:
Salaryman - Age 30
Part of a collectivist culture - prioritises work over themselves
Long commutes and packed public transport
Work life is social - remote working was frowned upon
kuuki yomenain - read the air. unspoken rules
High-context culture - people communicate based on inherent understanding. Observing all nonverbal communication details, such as facial expressions and gestures. Commitment to empathy - you must consider yourself and others not as separate entities, but as one connected entity. Conformity with others/ harmony = is selfless and saves time.
1. Learn to say no
This is an important thing to remember when you work in Japan! Have respect for your seniors, but don’t be scared to turn down offers that will probably stress you out. Skipping a nomikai once won’t hurt, right? Just make up for it the next time you join!
2. Find a healthy hobby
Detach from your work every once in a while. Spend some time indulging in your favorite sport, game, or show to refresh. Don’t drown yourself with work all the time!
3. Discuss your options
If you feel like you can’t handle too much work or longer hours, discuss it with your employer. Try asking about flexible schedules, job sharing, and other things that can lighten your workload to avoid severe stress.
4. Allot a day for unwinding
Don’t be like a 24/7 convenience store! Recognize that you have a life to enjoy outside work. Set aside a day for yourself, for hanging out with friends, or bonding with your family. It’s a great way to relax and take your mind off stressful work duties!
5. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help
Mental health services should be made accessible by the Japanese government since it’s unaffordable for most people. However, if you have the means, consider talking to a professional to know how to properly deal with stress and other issues.
Otherwise, there are free services to help you like TELL.
6. Encourage mid-career job changes for managers
7. Change little by little
Japanese culture barriers / Etique
Another bad thing is that not many people like change, even if there are benefits. Many Japanese people have a strong sense of prioritizing “familiarity” and “familiar use” over “convenience.
Peer pressure
Be early
Simple dark conservative clothes
Refusing to accept the offerings is seen as rude
Glancing at the clock or a wristwatch may signify impatience or disinterest
Value modesty
They have a polite and indirect way of saying “no”
Can saw someone for damaging their honour/image (Defamation)
Observations
Japanese don't have a proper morning ritual - bath/shower in the evening, little to no breakfast (grab and go)
45 minutes - 1 hour train to work
1 hour lunch
Pressuring your coworker to drink more and more + mandatory drink gatherings seem to have a continuous theme of 'unwritten rules' can result in loss of face.
Subcultures in Japan keeps you distracted from work.
Gaming makes you feel in control because it cannot progress without your influence.
I've noticed through a lot of Youtube documentaries regarding working in Japan that people tend to get home by 9pm - rather than going straight home, they tend to eat out and do other activities such as gym or shopping.
https://thewokesalaryman.com/2019/11/18/career-pitfalls-you-seriously-need-to-avoid-in-your-twenties/ There is a strange idea that you can't have high paid income if you choose a work-life balance.
Tempering the symptoms of excessive domination and stress through fictional worlds
Office introduces animal therapy rather than cutting back on overtime
I work, therefore I am
Salary men typically take the train (crowded)
Honour system used a lot in this culture
Japanese culture & mental health
Since 2015 Japan has brought in workplace stress checks. A completed questionnaire covering causes and symptoms of stress
Creating a Japanese word specific to a mental illness creates awareness.
Can manga create awareness about mental health
Kokoro no kaze : does your soul have a cold. Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTC advertising) is prohibited in Japan, and so pharmaceutical companies initiated educational campaigns focusing on mild depression in 1999. This word was coined to reduce the stigma of depression. Diagnosis of mood disorder more than doubled within 4 years, whilst antidepressant drug sales also increased six-fold within 7 years due to campaigns equating depression with the cold. And due to the nature of mental-illness (doesn't go away within a couple of days), people became reliant on these drugs for months or even years, resulting in steady profits for pharmacies. Neglect of psychotherapy - TELL (online service)
Kagoshima awareness campaigns
Typefaces?
NEXT STEPS - Look at Japanese designers and editorials/advertising. Mental Health Campaigns in Japan.
Reflection
Because the minimum capacity for most surveys is an audience of 100, it limits the budget I have. The cheapest survey quote I have was worth $380 for 7 questions at Poll-fish, so I will have a look at Reddit to either check whether my questions have already been answered and evaluate whether my questions would give me value for money.
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