Work Culture
Overtime, otsukaresama, business cards, after-work drinking and lifetime employment.
85 entriesTap a title to open the full entry: three lengths of English explanation, the questions people actually ask, ready-made phrases and audio.
Essential（12）
- ConceptsEssential omotenashiおもてなしJapanese hospitality
- ConceptsEssential yoroshiku onegaishimasuよろしくお願いしますthe phrase with no English equivalent
- ConceptsEssential deru kui wa utareru出る杭は打たれるthe stake that sticks out gets hammered down
- Annual EventsEssential bonenkai忘年会the year-end party to forget the year
- Annual EventsEssential bonenkai and shinnenkai忘年会と新年会year-end and new-year parties
- Food & DrinkEssential izakaya居酒屋the Japanese pub where food comes first
- MannersEssential omiyage for the office職場のお土産bringing back sweets for colleagues
- Modern JapanEssential manin densha満員電車the packed commuter train
- Pop CultureEssential karaokeカラオケsinging to a backing track
- Work CultureEssential otsukaresamaお疲れさまthe all-purpose word for acknowledging someone's work
- Work CultureEssential zangyo残業working overtime
- Work CultureEssential calling people by title役職で呼ぶaddressing colleagues by their job title
Standard（55）
- ConceptsStandard gaman我慢enduring without complaint
- ConceptsStandard kao wo tateru顔を立てるletting someone keep their standing in front of others
- ConceptsStandard kuki wo yomu空気を読むreading the room
- ConceptsStandard ikigai生きがいwhat makes life worth living
- ConceptsStandard honne and tatemae本音と建前true feelings and public face
- ConceptsStandard sontaku忖度acting on what you guess a superior wants, without being told
- CraftsStandard shokunin職人the craftsman, as an identity
- Annual EventsStandard goyo osame御用納めと仕事始めthe last and first working days of the year
- HistoryStandard shudan shushoku集団就職the mass migration of young workers to the cities after the war
- MannersStandard Japanese business emailメールの書き出しと結びthe fixed opening and closing lines
- MannersStandard warikan割り勘splitting the bill
- MannersStandard keigo敬語the honorific levels of Japanese
- MannersStandard answering the phone電話の受け方phone manners at a Japanese company
- MannersStandard meishi exchange名刺交換exchanging business cards
- Modern JapanStandard cool bizクールビズthe summer campaign to work without a jacket and tie
- Modern JapanStandard gender gapジェンダーギャップwhy Japan ranks low on gender equality despite high education levels
- Modern JapanStandard karoshi過労死death from overwork, and the law Japan wrote because of it
- Modern JapanStandard foreign workers外国人労働者how Japan brings in workers from abroad
- Modern JapanStandard kakutei shinkoku確定申告filing your own tax return
- Modern JapanStandard kenko-shindan健康診断the annual health checkup nearly every worker gets
- Modern JapanStandard working from home在宅勤務why remote work spread and then shrank again in Japan
- Modern JapanStandard shuden終電the last train, and the way it shapes the night
- Modern JapanStandard women at work女性の就業where women's employment in Japan stands
- Modern JapanStandard hanko判子the personal seal used instead of a signature
- Onsen & BathStandard nakai仲居the ryokan staff member who attends to your room and meals
- School LifeStandard chorei朝礼the morning assembly at a school or workplace
- Work CultureStandard harassmentハラスメントworkplace harassment and the law against it
- Work CultureStandard harassment rulesハラスメント対策workplace harassment law in Japan
- Work CultureStandard burakku kigyoブラック企業exploitative employers
- Work CultureStandard bonusボーナスthe twice-yearly lump-sum pay
- Work CultureStandard remote workリモートワークworking from home in Japan
- Work CultureStandard ikuji kyugyo育児休業parental leave
- Work CultureStandard nomikai飲み会the work drinking party
- Work CultureStandard work uniforms作業着と社章company uniforms and lapel pins
- Work CultureStandard shain ryoko社員旅行the company trip
- Work CultureStandard shukatsu就活と新卒一括採用hiring an entire year group at once
- Work CultureStandard shutcho出張business trips and expense claims
- Work CultureStandard women in management女性管理職how few women hold senior posts
- Work CultureStandard shokunin no koukeisha busoku職人の後継者不足the shortage of successors for traditional craftspeople
- Work CultureStandard shinjin kenshu新人研修training for new graduates
- Work CultureStandard jinji ido人事異動internal transfers decided by the company
- Work CultureStandard settai接待entertaining clients
- Work CultureStandard sogoshoku and ippanshoku総合職と一般職career-track and clerical-track hiring
- Work CultureStandard taishokukin退職金the lump-sum retirement payment
- Work CultureStandard taishokutodoke退職届the one-line resignation notice
- Work CultureStandard chusho kigyo to shitauke中小企業と下請けsmall and midsize firms and the subcontracting pyramid
- Work CultureStandard tenkin転勤company-ordered relocation
- Work CultureStandard tenshoku転職changing jobs mid-career
- Work CultureStandard nenko joretsu年功序列pay and rank by length of service
- Work CultureStandard haken派遣社員agency temp workers
- Work CultureStandard hiseiki koyo非正規雇用non-regular employment
- Work CultureStandard fukugyo副業holding a second job
- Work CultureStandard yukyu有給休暇paid leave, and why people don't take it
- Work CultureStandard rirekisho履歴書the Japanese-format resume
- Work CultureStandard rodo kumiai労働組合the labor union
Advanced（18）
- ConceptsAdvanced kejimeけじめdrawing a clear line between one thing and another
- ConceptsAdvanced ishin denshin以心伝心understanding without words
- ConceptsAdvanced giri義理social obligation you cannot refuse
- ConceptsAdvanced sanpo yoshi三方よしgood for the seller, the buyer and society
- Life EventsAdvanced ochugen and oseiboお中元・お歳暮the two seasonal gift-giving periods
- MannersAdvanced elevator etiquetteエレベーターの作法who stands where and who presses the buttons
- MannersAdvanced kamiza上座the seat of honor
- Modern JapanAdvanced technical intern training技能実習と育成就労the foreign worker program Japan is replacing after years of criticism
- Work CultureAdvanced nemawashi and ringi根回しと稟議how decisions actually get made
- Work CultureAdvanced shanai shitsugyo社内失業being kept on payroll with no real work to do
- Work CultureAdvanced shushin koyo終身雇用lifetime employment
- Work CultureAdvanced shukko出向being loaned to another company
- Work CultureAdvanced shunto春闘the spring wage round
- Work CultureAdvanced taishoku daiko退職代行services that quit your job for you
- Work CultureAdvanced tanshin funin単身赴任transferring without the family
- Work CultureAdvanced teinen定年と再雇用mandatory retirement age and rehiring
- Work CultureAdvanced island desks島型デスクthe open office facing each other
- Work CultureAdvanced horenso報連相report, contact, consult