Seating Chart

Have I mentioned that not only do I not have an office here in Japan, but I don't even have a cubicle? NO? Oh yes, it is one of the main joys and wonders of working in Japan. Part of being on the "team" means there is absolutely no need for personal space.

The extent of "privacy" here is (1) a locker to put our papers away at the end of the day (no dirty desks here!), and (2) having a cloudy 1-foot piece of glass on the desk between me and the person across from me. So as long as I stare only at my computer screen, I don't see her desk. Of course, if we happen to look up at the same time we can still see each other. But hey, why look up? You need to be working, people!

Oh, and it gets better.

Are you sitting at a desk right now? OK. Now put your left arm out parallel to your body. See where the end of your hand is? And where your shoulder is? Hand to shoulder = the length of my "desk". Now. Put your right arm out in the opposite direction. Touching anyone? Two people, perhaps? Well, if I did that, I would be. Touching two people. (On the shoulder! Get your head out of the gutter!)

BUT. Did I mention I am an honest-to-goodness lawyer? All law schooled and bar passaged and sworn? So I get a special treat, unlike my colleagues. I get a chair (wait for it)....with (drum roll please) arm rests!! Yes indeedy folks. Arm. Rest. s. Jealous?

Now. The current problem. Pretty soon we are gonna hire a few new folks and make Legal a bigger department. Only problem is that then we won't all fit in our row. So. Guess who gets to go sit in a different row next to the the department head and not surf the net any more ever ever ever (unless he is gone)? Yes, folks. That is correct - yours truly. Cause I am an important attorney, thats why. At least the other attorney has to sit directly across from him and not me. That would really be scary.

- LS

PS - I just got linked, by one of my favorite new (to me) blogs, Think Like a Woman! Now once I can figure out how to put up a list, I will return the favor. Thanks Ana!

Us vs. Them

I ran across a blog the other day written by an American midwestern college student who is living in Germany. She was making comments - completely correct - about the funny things that some Germans do. Having lived there myself for 3 years, Germany doesn't feel "foreign" to me anymore - and while I found her observations amusing, they were definately written from the perspective of an outsider.

Which made me wonder - is that how my blog would look to someone who has lived in Japan for a longer period of time? The answer to that is probably yes. I don't know if that is because I haven't been here as long, because I generally do my work and my socializing in English, or if Japan truly is "more different."

My new goal, before I leave Japan, is that it no longer feels "foreign" to me.

- LS

Go Home On Time Day

It is a well-documented fact that people in Japan work insane hours. I've heard - but never witnessed - that the department a few tables over are all there till 11 pm nearly every night.

Anyway, in order to combat the crazy schedule that most people here put themselves through, some clever clogs came up with "Go Home on Time Day."

So every Wednesday, just after the 5 pm bell, a song comes on to encourage people to leave. I have tried to search down the lyrics but no such luck...So here are some excerpts: "If you run away, and I had to live my life without you...stay...I just don't know what I'm gonna do...All my life...something run away something something."

And it even kind-of works. The Office Ladies generally take off a few minutes after 5, and by 6 more people than usual have left.

And all due to some cheesy lyrics chosen for the phrase "run away".

Japanese Public Holidays...

...Are great! I know I have complained about the fact that people here don't take their personal vacation, but that must equal out somehow with the fact that we have all sorts of crazy days off. Besides the big 3 of New Years, Obon, and Golden Week - each a full week - there are all sorts of Mondays and Fridays (and random Tuesday and Wednesdays) as well.

Luckily, yesterday was one of those Monday holidays. Just one week back after New Years and already an extra vacation day! What holiday? Well, as my intense 30 seconds of research just uncovered, it was "Adult Day," where everyone turning 20 celebrates their becoming an adult by getting dressed up in fancy kimonos and going to the temple/shrine.

This was especially lucky for me as I went snowboarding for the first time on Sunday and could not move yesterday. Seriously. Could. Not. Move. It is better today, but don't ask me to pass you anything. Yeah, thats right. My arms hurt. Go figure.

I rocked the snowboarding though. A natural. And the bruises on my knees (and left ass cheek) prove it. ;)

-LS

New Year's Observance...

...Is a big thing here in the land of the rising sun. As I may have mentioned, the office is closed the entire first week of January to allow people to observe the holidays. Much like Christmas, the time off allows people to spend time with their family - most travel home - as well as watching the first sunrise (considered very lucky) and going to the appropriate shrines/temples. Part of the shrine/temple visit* is to ask for good luck in the coming year.

The above is the basic "knowledge of Japan" information. What I didn't know, however, is what companies do at the beginning of the year. In short, the company also asks for good luck. Here's how it went down on our first day back to the office in 2008...

7:45 am - Announcement comes on over the loudspeaker that all employees should report to the cafeteria for the New Year's Ceremony. This announcement is repeated at 5 minute intervals until 8:15, when everyone finally leaves their desks.

8:15 - People file into the cafeteria, where all the tables and chairs have been removed. They line up in tightly packed rows facing a low podium and some Japanese drums which have been set up close to the far wall. No one except the people in the first 2 rows can see a thing, so large screens which show what is happening are also up on that wall, hanging from the ceiling.

8:20 - The drums start. This is actually pretty cool, since the drummers are decent and they do a nice traditional drumming thing.

8:22 - The drummers stop and some super-cheesy music plays over the loudspeaker while the executive board and CEO come in.

8:25 - The CEO gives a mindnumbing speech about this year's goals

8:30 - Another executive gets up and gets the crowd going with some cheers. I realize that the place is 99% men and thus the "banzai"'s are very manly-sounding. Don't think I have been in a crowd of only men cheering before, it is odd-sounding.

8:32 - More executives speak. They are boring. I spot a female co-worker and spend some time trying to make eye contact with her. She is being good though and stares straight ahead at the person in front of her's back.

8:34 - Still speaking. I realize that at 5 ft. 10 in. in (low!) heels, I am among the tallest people in the room. If someone took a picture I would ruin it with my non-similarity. No work uniform, female, tall...

8:38 - The highlight of the event. Two employees with traditional Japanese jackets over their uniforms (bearing the company logo, natch) come to the podium. One is bearing what looks like a large gift. The gift is handed to the CEO (when did he get back up there?), and he hands it to the other employee. The employee now holding the package takes off. This is the ceremonial "first shipment/delivery."

8:40 - After the executives file out (again with the cheesy music playing), all 2000 or so of us try to simultaneously exit through the same set of double doors.

And then it is back to our desks, where it is back to work as usual.


*So there is Shintoism and Buddhism, and most people in Japan observe both religions. One has temples, the other has shrines. You go to temples for some occasions and shrines for others. Only I don't remember which is which.

Vacation Time

When I first saw my employment contract, one of the things that I was very excited about was the 20 days vacation. Add this to the 3 weeks in Japan where all offices are closed (New Years, Golden Week, and Obon in August), and I was looking at enough vacation to visit the fam and still have time leftover for travelling through Asia...

Only - and I guess I should have realized this - no one takes their vacation time for vacation!! Several reasons exist for this craziness:

1. It seems that "vacation time" and "sick time" are the same thing. I.e. if you are sick you have to use vacation days to be at home. I.e. frigging everyone around me is sick right now and still at work. Wonder why I keep getting colds? I digress.
2. A person who takes vacation is considered to be a slacker. Yeah, good old Japanese hard working mentality. Must...continue...working...for 45 years....without ever taking a day off...Seriously, that is the goal of some people here.
3. NOT a reason - they are too busy. Seriously. They aren't.

Luckily for me, I have some gaijin smash power. Like the batting of the eyelashes to get my husband to do my bidding ;), it is something that should not be overused. Basically, the idea** is that Japanese people consider foreigners to be very different anyway, and will accept the things you do as the actions of a foreigner and allow you to do it.

Vacation is important though. So coworkers may not like it, and think I am a slacker, but I get my vacation time approved. I use my vacation days. As vacation. For example, I will be gone the ENTIRE WEEK next week. And I was gone THE ENTIRE WEEK in October when friends came to visit. Scandalous, でしょう？

By the way, getting vacation time approved is not a given! A friend of mine (who worked for the known most evil boss of the company - notice I said worked), asked for ONE DAY off after Golden Week to travel back to Japan since all the weekend flights were booked. ONE DAY. 1. He said no. Just 'cause. She had to cancel her entire vacation.

**I must acknowledge that the great Az came up with this term and explained it on his website in a much more humorous manner than I. Check out www.gaijinsmash.net.

Party Postscript

It wasn't that bad. Yes, everyone was wearing yukatas*, and yes, I got a glimpse of more than one co-workers underoos, but it was actually (other than the underwear sighting) kind-of fun. It helps that I won the trivia game...yay for a gift certificate!!

*A kind of Japanese robe, like a kimono but cotton, and provided by the Inn.