> Need to file paperwork with City Hall? Someone from HR can do it for you. Salarymen don’t file tax returns — the National Tax Agency and HR work out 100% of the paperwork on their behalves. Insurance? Handled. Pension? You’re sorted. Immigration, for those very rare salarymen who are also foreigners? Your CEO has written a letter to the Minister of Justice for inclusion with the paperwork that HR has put together, and you won’t even have to carry it into the office.
> We’ve mentioned that your company considers it its responsibility to see you appropriately married. That is not the sole way in which the company may try to arrange companionship, but let’s table that issue for the moment. When you get married, your boss will give the longest speech at your wedding, praising your diligence on that last project and bright future with the firm. Perhaps eight or so coworkers will show up. They’ll also take up a collection for you if a parent should pass away, come visit if you’re hospitalized, and offer to intercede if you should have trouble with your wife or children. You are, after all, one of the family.
> The stability is superior to even tenured professors or civil servants in the United States, though. Eliminating your position will result in, at worst, your transfer into a division optimized to shame you into quitting. Incompetence at one’s job bordering on criminal typically results in one’s next promotion being to a division which can’t impact shipping schedules and has few sharp objects lying around.
> "Japan is famous for its "lifetime employment" system, and the law here is very protective of employees. Many multinationals have tried to fire an unnecessary or problematic employee in Japan, only to see that employee sue for reinstatement and damages (and, in most cases, win)."
This is related to Japanese work culture, not extra work hours. It just happens that Japanese work culture also has much higher hours worked compared to the US or Europe. In my opinion it's absolutely insane.
At a cost of 30-50 extra hours per week, what exactly does this mean and what does it get me that I don't already get at my North American job?