In this article, I’m not going to break down labor laws or legal stuff.
And to be clear, this isn’t a sales pitch—I’m not promoting any job recruitment services here.
My goal is simply to give you the real deal about Japan and help you see the bigger picture of what it’s actually like to work here.
That being said, this is just my take, so it might not apply to every single situation. Take it with a grain of salt and just use it as a starting point for your own perspective.
Here is what we’ll cover:
- Do Japanese people actually dislike foreigners?
- What is the real demand for foreign workers in Japan?
- Can you really work in Japan just by speaking English?
- What level of Japanese do you actually need?
- Standard Japanese work culture and red flags to watch out for.
The Bottom Line (Quick Takeaways):
- The number of foreign workers in Japan keeps hitting record highs.
- Tokyo is where most of the big opportunities are.
- High-paying jobs that welcome foreign talent are mostly at global/foreign companies.
- Traditional Japanese work habits are a whole different ball game compared to the US or Europe.
- Many Japanese companies want English speakers, but you still need a certain level of Japanese.
- At the end of the day, it often comes down to your education, skill set, and country of origin.
Do Japanese people actually dislike foreigners?
The short answer: It’s half true.
I believe there are two main reasons why Japanese people might dislike or avoid foreigners:
- Honestly, there’s a growing issue with immigrants who have poor manners, and it’s causing real problems.
- Foreigners are still a rare sight in many places, which naturally creates a sense of caution.
Let’s look closer at the first point.
Japan is a country that deeply values order and harmony, so society is very strict with anyone who breaks the rules. One of the reasons Japan remains so safe is that people value staying calm and avoid acting out of pure self-interest.
To give you an idea, here are some of the real issues causing friction with foreign residents in Japan right now:
- Ignoring strict trash disposal rules.
- Taking other people’s trash without permission (specifically, scavenging for valuables).
- Theft (recently, solar cables and car parts are big targets. Because Japanese people take safety for granted, their security is often surprisingly lax, making them easy targets).
- Noise complaints.
- Illegal use of public services.
- Violating labor laws.
All of these factors combined have led to a much harsher spotlight on foreigners in general.
Fundamentally, Japanese people view rules as absolute—something that must be followed no matter what. Because of this, many systems in Japan aren’t built to handle people who break the rules.
In fact, when someone does break a rule, the general reaction from locals is pure disbelief: “I can’t believe anyone would do that!” This is why you see so many viral videos on Japanese Instagram and TikTok calling out and bashing people for poor manners.
To be blunt, the foreign residents causing these issues are typically low-wage workers. On top of that, they often live and travel in groups, which makes them stick out like a sore thumb.
The takeaway here is that Japanese people don’t just hate all foreigners across the board. Instead, their frustration is aimed at a specific category of people, and they simply want those who refuse to follow the rules to leave.
What is the real demand for foreign workers in Japan?
In short, it’s huge. Here are the main reasons why:
- Japan’s population is aging incredibly fast, leading to a massive labor shortage.
- Japanese companies have hit a wall trying to handle globalization with domestic talent alone.
Outside of major metropolitan areas like Tokyo and Osaka, young people are hard to find in Japan.
I live in a regional prefecture called Okayama, and honestly, it’s mostly elderly people around here. Even in big cities, you’ll likely see the exact same thing once you step out into the suburbs.
It is becoming physically impossible to keep the country running using only Japanese workers, so importing labor from overseas is no longer optional—it’s a necessity.
However, keep in mind that Japan is still largely in the phase of looking for “cheap labor.” If you want to land a high-paying job, you are going to need solid experience and a strong skill set (more on that below).
At the same time, because Japan is an island nation, it lacks a certain competitive drive, for better or worse. On top of that, the number of people who can actually speak English is very limited.
That’s why more and more companies are looking to hire talent from abroad who understand global markets. In this case, it’s not about finding cheap labor; it’s about boosting the company’s competitive edge by bringing in highly skilled professionals.
Can you really work in Japan just by speaking English?
Unfortunately, the answer is a hard No.
There are deep-rooted structural issues behind this, but let me break it down simply.
First of all, most Japanese people cannot speak English. That is exactly why companies say they are looking for English-speaking talent.
However, they always add another hidden requirement for foreign workers: you need to be able to speak decent Japanese as well.
Why? Because they can’t speak English themselves! (Lol)
I know it sounds incredibly selfish, but this is the raw reality of Japan.
If you want to work here, just having English under your belt isn’t enough. You absolutely must adapt to the Japanese language and their unique style of communication.
What level of Japanese do you actually need?
Based on what we just talked about, most companies are going to look for business-level Japanese.
While foreign or global companies might be a bit more flexible, let’s face it: it’s always a massive plus if you can speak the language.
To be fair, there are a few Japanese corporations that have gone fully global. In those companies, English is the official language, and even the Japanese employees are required to speak it.
But honestly? Those companies are still few and far between in Japan. To be safe, it’s best to assume that Japanese is a must-have skill.
Standard Japanese work culture and red flags to watch out for
Honestly, I could go on all day about this (lol), but let me give you the quick rundown!
- Order and harmony are everything to Japanese people.
- They hate overly direct arguments or blunt criticism.
- Job descriptions are incredibly vague.
- Decisions are made very cautiously and slowly—that’s the Japanese way.
- The culture of “Nemawashi” (behind-the-scenes consensus building) is thick.
- Working overtime is the norm for many.
- It’s based on seniority, not meritocracy (performance).
1. Order and harmony are everything
As I mentioned earlier, the biggest characteristic of Japanese people is that they are incredibly strict with anyone who disrupts the peace. The thing is, they tend to expect the exact same behavior from people coming from outside of Japan.
2. They hate overly direct arguments or blunt criticism
People from other countries often say that Japanese people don’t speak up enough or that they lack a sense of speed—and honestly, that might be true.
A big reason for this is the language itself. In Japanese, the word order is completely reversed compared to English, which naturally makes descriptions sound long and roundabout when translated in your head.
On top of that, it’s a culture deeply focused on reading the room and sensing how others feel, which makes the main point get even more blurred. But to Japanese people, that vague approach is actually what feels the most comfortable.
3. Job descriptions are incredibly vague
The vagueness of job descriptions is a classic example of toxic Japanese work culture. Because harmony is so heavily valued, instructions are often kept ambiguous.
Why? Because the unwritten rule is: “Do what needs to be done, even if I don’t tell you.”
In short, even if it’s not explicitly defined as your job, if you see trash on the floor, you should pick it up. If the printer runs out of paper, you should refill it. If there is a task that no one has touched, you should just take care of it. That’s how it works here.
The Japanese mindset is that the more you do, the better. On the flip side, clearly drawing a line and saying, “This is my job, and anything beyond that is not my responsibility,” will often get you disliked.
In other words, the people who are valued most in Japan aren’t necessarily high-performing specialists—they are the ones who are flexible enough to embrace the ambiguity.
4. Decisions are made cautiously and slowly
To put it bluntly, decision-making here is incredibly slow. In my opinion, you could even say this is one of the main reasons why Japan has been losing its competitive edge on the global stage.
5. The culture of “Nemawashi” is thick
It can be a bit tricky to explain in English, but simply put, “Nemawashi” means talking to key people and getting their approval beforehand, or explaining what’s about to happen before you make an official proposal.
To be fair, I don’t think this is a uniquely Japanese concept, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with doing it. The problem is that companies in Japan take it way too far. I’m convinced that this intense Nemawashi culture is one of the biggest reasons why decision-making tends to drag on for so long.
6. Overtime is a lifestyle for many
For Japanese people, working overtime is completely normal.
While things are slowly changing, in companies without a merit system, there is still a certain number of people who do meaningless overtime just to make some extra pocket money. I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.
Because overtime is so normalized, people here lack a sense of urgency when it comes to time. For example, even if a meeting is scheduled for one hour, it frequently runs over. Or, people will mindlessly block out a strict “one-hour” slot without a clear reason, and the discussion often derails into completely unrelated topics.
They just aren’t strict about time efficiency. At the end of the day, I think this goes back to what I said earlier about being an island nation that lacks a true competitive spirit.
7. It’s based on seniority, not performance
Although companies are gradually shifting toward performance-based evaluation systems, the culture of seniority is still deeply rooted in Japan.
For motivated young professionals, this environment can feel incredibly suffocating. After all, people who perform worse than you are making more money simply because they’ve been at the company longer.
To be completely honest, the company I work for is pretty much based on this seniority system, too.
Conclusion: There are opportunities, but the bar is high
At the end of the day, the reality is that Japan is missing out on highly talented foreign workers simply because of its rigid, unique mindset and values.
If you’re serious about working in Japan, your top priority shouldn’t just be your job skills—it’s mastering the language and truly understanding the work culture.
I mean, I know that’s just Japanese people being incredibly high-maintenance, but hey, that’s the reality.