Japanese Work Ethic

The Japanese work ethic is very different from the work ethic I'm used to in America. There are several good and bad things about the work ethic in Japan. I think the Japanese work ethic is great overall, but I feel it is one of the aspects of Japanese culture that could possibly make or break a foreigner's decision in moving to Japan.

Things You'll Need to Prepare for in Japan

Japan is a very different country, from all other countries in the world. It's a country that has modernized but still held onto its traditions and unique culture. The things you're used to in your own country may not apply in Japan, and I'm not talking about major things such as the language. I'm going to discuss the smaller things that you won't catch unless you actually experience Japan because not a lot of people talk about the smaller things. You could call these things mini culture shocks.

McDonald's in Japan

I used to eat McDonald's a lot as a child but as I got older I try to stop eating it for various reasons. Who knew something like a big American fast food chain would be so popular in Japan? There are other American chains in Japan, but nothing like the big changes McDonald's in Japan has compared to the American ones.

Not so Secret Secrets of Japanese Language

Learning Japanese is already hard enough with all the vocabulary memorization, the grammar rules and the thousands of kanji characters you'll need to study. But all those things are just what's on the surface of learning Japanese. There's more to the Japanese language that some people may not realize. I'll be talking about those not-so-secret secrets you may hear about that can help you understand Japanese a little better. Many of these are well known but I'm going to talk about them for the people who are studying the language and may not know, and for those who may need a refresher, or for those of you who may know nothing about the Japanese language but are interested in learning.