'Salaryman' and 'Officelady'- these are terms that have been coined in Japan for men and women who earn their living by working in companies and getting monthly salaries as against people who are self-employed or those that manage large or small businesses of their own. In a way, these salarymen have been the driving force behind Japan's phenomenal postwar economic growth. The'OLs'(abbreviated for 'Officelady') generally work between the ages 18 and 25 after which they quit the company to get married. Those ladies who work beyond that age to go to managerial posts have yet another distinct name called 'Careerwomen'.

A day of a Salaryman

What time does he get up? His day begins quite early. The typical urban salaryman who lives in the suburbs has to commute for more than an hour to reach his office. He doesn't usually have time to eat an ellaborate breakfast.

What does he wear? It is very customary in Japan to wear formal suits everyday to office. 'Kimono', the traditional Japanese dress is worn only during festivals or some traditional ceremonies.One occasion I know they wear Kimono is during 'Weddings'. 'Yukata'- the cotton kimono, is worn during summers and one event I should mention here is 'Bon-Odori', the summer festival when men and women dance in a big circle to the beat of a drum. So, effectively the dress a salaryman wears to the office is a white or light colored shirt, dark blue or gray suit, dark colored necktie with diagonal stripes, metal framed glasses, short hair and black leather shoes.

How does he commute? Though almost everyone owns a car, the mode of transport in major cities is by train. That is because he knows that if he drives a car to the office, he will advance only about 300-400 meters in 10 minutes!

Survival tips he uses in rush hour trains:
1.He Never loses temper even if someone steps on his toes.
2.He doesn't put anything in the upper rack because it may be difficult to reach it at the time one gets off the train.
3.He doesn't resist the swaying of the train, just sways with the flow.

At the Office:
Morning: Morning gatherings are conducted in different ways by different industries.They are conducted regularly by specific work groups daily or on specified dates.The group leader gives a short speech, followed by announcements of that day's or week's objectives, suggestions, and other important areas by those in charge. One of the most extreme approaches can be found in the sales sector where the gatherings for salesmen resemble taking the field for battle.

Lunch hour:
Lunch time is between noon and 1 p.m. Most eat lunch at nearby restaurants. 'Soba'- Noodles are among the most popular food items.

Overtime
Working till late hours is very common in Japan.

After work Entertainment
Salarymen experience a lot of stress due to heavy workload and schedules. To relieve their tension many go out for a drink with colleagues after work. Among the popular places are the 'Karaoke bars' ,where people can sing into a microphone along with taped musical accompaniment and also taped video of the song. Though, of course ,no one seems to pay attention to the performances by others.
Recently, I read an article in the newspaper about a newly opened restaurant for Salarymen in Tokyo, where they can relieve their stress in a very unique way. The restaurant has alloted a special room called 'the glass breaking room'. people can buy glasses at a price of 200 yen each (about 2 dollars). Then they get to enter into that special room and break the glass by hitting it against the wall. The best part is this room is 'Sound proof'. So,no one can hear what you are yelling while throwing the glass, although they can see you through the glass wall at one end. What a unique idea, I thought.

Eventually, the salaryman returns home around midnight.

Back to my Page "About Japan"

---

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page