http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/...ation.html

The article is about how Japan is such a bad place for young workers. The old Japanese job model advantages older workers and young Japanese don't want any of it anymore.

Eikyu Wrote:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/...ation.html

The article is about how Japan is such a bad place for young workers. The old Japanese job model advantages older workers and young Japanese don't want any of it anymore.

Japan's youth has a hero though Horie Takafumi

I think the main reason that young workers have a hard time is that the economy hasn't grown in quite a while. The article makes it sound like generational warfare, which is a bit exaggerated. It's true that Japan's corporate culture is stuck and isn't very competitive in a lot of ways.

bodhisamaya Wrote:

Eikyu Wrote:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/...ation.html

The article is about how Japan is such a bad place for young workers. The old Japanese job model advantages older workers and young Japanese don't want any of it anymore.

Japan's youth has a hero though Horie Takafumi

More like a martyr.

bertoni Wrote:I think the main reason that young workers have a hard time is that the economy hasn't grown in quite a while.

Actually, it has.. but nobody noticed.

"Last year, 45 percent of those ages 15 to 24 in the work force held irregular jobs, up from 17.2 percent in 1988 and as much as twice the rate among workers in older age groups"

Spot on. Actually something very similar is happening in France, Spain and Germany, although those under 30 do not necessarily hold "irregular jobs" but have temporary contracts. The young are simply paying the price for the job security of the old generation. No surprise then that the birthrate in Japan is so low... many would like to start a family but can't find a permanent job.

I would not pay into the pension system if I was Japanese and under 30. No chance in hell you'll get anything out of it, the dependents/worker ratio will be too high. And by 2020, a majority of Japanese voters will be over 65, so it will become even more difficult to change anything.

Hi guys, I am new here but hope to share some experience!
I have lived in Japan for ten years and am fluent. I can read and write kanji but learned through compounds rather than looking at individual characters. So I am going through RTK right now to try and rediscover kanji in a way that might help me learn Chinese as well in the future.

Anyway - don't be too discouraged if you are young and interested in coming to Japan. I came from Canada and did a four year degree, and then found a job in the IT industry. Actually skilled workers are very much in demand. Especially foreigners who can speak multiple language and know different cultures.

The traditional route to employment for foreigners has been through "gaishikei" foreign company branches in Japan, but check this article about how many Japanese companies are also hiring more and more non-Japanese in their bids to globalization:

http://www.j-cast.com/kaisha/2011/02/04087380.html

By the way, foreigners are also required to pay into the pension system! This is not really a choice... although there are ways around it and you can get a refund. I say let's stick with this country we like, contribute to its success and as a result collect our pensions (but don't rely on them...)

Welcome to the forum, okadatoru!

okadatoru Wrote:I have lived in Japan for ten years and am fluent. I can read and write kanji but learned through compounds rather than looking at individual characters. So I am going through RTK right now to try and rediscover kanji in a way that might help me learn Chinese as well in the future

Off-topic, but are you aware of RTH (Remembering Traditional Hanzi) and RSH (Simplified)?
If you are already literate and comfortable with your level of reading and writing in Japanese, then using one of these two books might be a better use of your time if you seriously intend to learn Chinese. The principle is the same as in RtK and the primitives are mostly the same (perhaps more so in RTH), but the selection of characters and their keywords reflects their Chinese usage, so you can pick up on the differences from Japanese early on.

vonPeterhof Wrote:Welcome to the forum, okadatoru!
If you are already literate and comfortable with your level of reading and writing in Japanese, then using one of these two books might be a better use of your time if you seriously intend to learn Chinese. The principle is the same as in RtK and the primitives are mostly the same (perhaps more so in RTH), but the selection of characters and their keywords reflects their Chinese usage, so you can pick up on the differences from Japanese early on.

Thanks vonPeterhof!
Yeah, thanks that's a good idea and I will look into it! I picked up RTK because my friend happened to have it lying around. Nevertheless, it has been very interesting. For example, I never questioned why so many body parts use the kanji for moon, only to discover now that it actually is a version of 肉. I feel like I built a pyramid on some shaky building blocks so I think this will help my appreciation of Japanese as well.