Why do Japanese work long hours?

Answer 1

I actually work in Japan at the moment and can give you the sure fire answer here. Japanese people don't generally choose to work long hours. The companies that employ them generally understaff the companies as they know that they can get the employees to work extra hours often without overtime pay. The labour unions don't really do much in this country as if the employee wants they can resign. They usually don't though as most companies are the same and the company is deemed more important then the workers. If a person quits there is always someone else who is willing to take the job in order to feed their family. Working in this country sucks but in every other respect I like it. People work hard and play hard and most High School children are taught work ethics at school by being forced into clubs which finish at 6 or 8 at night and take up most of their weekends. I guess people live with it because they don't know any different.

Answer 2

Its the communal thinking and to develop the nation.
They can be underpayed or other problems may exist.
But after world war men and women had to work more than 10 a day and they acheived the target.
Now Japan is a developed country and richest in the Asia.
How was this possible? The long hour work payed them with victory.
Who would have dreamt that a nation will rebuild after an atomic attack by USA.
They won and they are the winners.Victory came with long hours work.

Answer 3

Because we like working...no. I think it is a society thing. In Japan, if the boss keeps working, you cannot leave untill he leaves, and your fellow workers as well. If the boss doesn't take vacation, you can't take vacation, even if you have a right to take it by the company contract. Younger generations started leaving on time and taking vacation little by little, but older bosses are complaining that it's a "bad attitude"...
Some Japanese businessmen had a "Sudden Death" because of working too much.
They live to work, not work to live.

Answer 4

The minimum required number of school hours, one school hour being 45 minutes, varies for the different grades, increasing as the student advances grade levels. The breakdown of the hours spent on each curriculum category also varies among grades. For example, first- through third-grade students have 850, 910, and 980 school hours, respectively, of which approximately 70 hours are equally divided between special activities and moral education. For fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders, the required number of school hours is 1,015, of which 35 are set aside for moral education and 70 for special activities.

Answer 5

The Kareoke doesnt open till 8pm

Answer 6

Worlds most expensive economy, and fanatical loyalty to their companies.

Answer 7

They are not spoiled babies like in the U.S. and they know that long work leads to a long life.!

Answer 8

So to make the country more advaned then their forefathers,

Answer 9

They're just so darn energetic.

Answer 10

they work for little pay