Why Open Offices are Not Cool

Recently I read the book 'Quiet' by Susan Cain, which deals a lot with introversion, and how extroversion and 'group think' are considered to be better by society. There was an interesting section about the business world and office layouts, which really struck a chord. Research has shown that people (but introverts in particular) are less productive when working in 'open offices'.

This chapter made a lightbulb to off in my head, and I totally agree with her point. In Japan open offices, where everyone is in the same room at long rows of desks, are very common. Even non-Japanese companies, particularly those involved in tech and online services, have increasingly been using this kind of layout. A lot of people seem to think they look cool, but, to be quite honest they aren't at all that they are cracked up to be.

Why, you ask? Well, here goes:

1- All Calls, All the Time

Not surprisingly, since these offices are basically one big room stuffed with people, open offices are noisy. I can hear the calls of the sales team, the dude getting rebuked for an error, people shredding papers or dropping things, phones ringing and nearby conversations. And it is super distracting, especially for someone high strung. When I am 100% focused on creating marketing material, I almost jump out of my skin when someone  rings the interphone!

2- AXE Attacks

Not the sharp kind, the overpoweringly smelly kind. Several times a day someone (*cough* engineers *cough*) will douse themselves with body spray, perfume or scented lotion... and sometimes it can be truly eye watering. 

3- Introvert Hell

There are people in front of you, to your sides, behind you, all over the bloody place. 8 to 10 hours of this a day can be intensely tiring, because it takes so much more concentration to remain focused on your tasks and developing your ideas. My job has some creative aspects to it, so focus is a necessity. A nice little nook would be so appreciated.

4- Working Longer than Thou

I pride myself on the speed and quality of my work. I make sure to get all my tasks for the day done, prep for the following day, then leave. Basically, one can always find more work to do, and this is not a good thing! While my company is pretty good about the whole work/life balance thing, there are always those people who stay late every day. And when you leave sometimes they give self-satisfied little looks of 'you're leaving already?!', since everyone can see and hear you heading out. I ignore it, because I thoroughly enjoy having a life, but I can imagine it could be tough for others.

5- Germs Galore

Yup, without all those nice little rooms and doors to keep things a bit separate, colds get passed around very efficiently. I am by no means germ phobic, but three of my nearest colleagues have gotten the same cold... and I am just waiting for when it shall inflict itself upon my lungs. 

So, what do ya'll think? Any cubicle fans out there?

Job hunting and interviews: what the guides don't tell you

Job hunting in Japan is known for being quite difficult for expats. At least 90% of companies are domestic, and so have little interest or reason to hire people who speak other languages. The remaining lot often require 'native Japanese' along with 'native English' (which is basically a way of saying they want Japanese employees who speak excellent English... a small and highly sought out minority).

If you are fortunate enough to get interviews, the weirdness is far from over. Japan is quite 'late' in many things, and famously the treatment of women in the workforce is one of these. Most of the weird questions I have been presented would never be asked of someone Japanese or male. By the way, some of these are against the law, so if you are asked them feel free to react with well-placed shock. (Disclaimer: many of these are, naturally, not exclusive to Japan)

So, here is the top 10 of weird, rude or illegal questions I have been asked:

10- Do you have children?
I checked with several male friends, both Japanese and non, and none of them were asked this. If you are, I recommend a good, long piercing stare, because this is illegal.

9- Are you married? 

See above. I additionally recommend using gender neutral language, to check how comfortable they are with non-binary relationships.

8- So, how do your parents feel about you being so far away?
This question is basically a different version of 'so, when are you going back to your country?'. While it is a legitimate question, bringing parents into it feels a bit patronizing. I realize that this is partially a cultural thing, but it should be clear from one look at my CV and personality that parental approval is not a big concern.

7- Why Japan?

I hate this question, because my truthful answer is usually not what people want to hear (aka I love the culture, the history, the traditions, the food...). While I do love the koto and old stuff, mostly I find that (on the whole) Japan is a good fit personality-wise. Also, hey! I speak fluent Japanese... far too practical reasons, it seems.

6- Well, we were kinda hoping to hire a native Japanese person... do you know anyone?

Fine, then put that information in the job description! What was particularly annoying is that this was for a qualitative research position... a field where, famously, knowing a culture but not being of a culture is considered a major asset.

5-Are you Catholic?

No, and how does this have anything to do with my skills, potential or ability to do the job? 

Also, not all Italians are Catholic, and not all Catholics are Italian. Repeat until it sinks in.

4- Describe what you would do if money was no object.

Write. Sleep until 10am everyday. Volunteer at animal shelters and food banks. Play the koto. Go out for long leisurely lunches. Get hour long massages from Oguri Shun lookalikes (okay, that sometimes happens already). You know you will be lied to when asking this question...so why ask it?

3- Please list all of your schooling, starting at elementary school.

Do my results in Colouring and Show and Tell really matter for this job? Also, the schools I attended all across the world will mean nothing to a Japanese interviewer. This is not a case of figuring out if my elementary school self was smart enough to get into Waseda's 'elevator' middle school (a concept I already find beyond the pale). In addition, there seemed to be some kind of insinuation that I had gotten kicked out of the schools... certainly not the more logical (and previously explained) fact that my parents' occupation required constant moves.

2- Can you use a computer well?

No, somehow I managed to run an official social media page, and then work for a famous tech company without ever having to touch one of those scary devil-boxes... like, seriously?!

Also, my proficiencies (including, you know, the ability to check source code for tags and deal with major DSPs) are all listed on my CV, which the interviewer had obviously not read.

1- Where are your ancestors buried?
I usually have an answer for everything, but this question left me spluttering. There are literally no words, and when the company (a famous, supposedly hip Japanese platform) decided to call me back for a second interview I let my recruiter  know exactly why I flat out refused.　Eeeesh.

What weird questions have you been asked during interviews?

Nihonbashi to Ningyocho: Business in the Shitamachi

In preparation for the Olympics, Tokyo is getting major face-lifts. Nihonbashi, which used to be a shabby but well-beloved shitamachi haunt has now been invaded by the Coredo shopping centres. While they are tastefully wa, and house some interesting traditional shops (for example crafts made using gold leaf from Kanazawa), this is not the Nihonbashi I remember.

Much of the shitamachi is home to traditional Japanese industry. By this I don't just mean artistic crafts (old style umbrellas, lacquerware, wood working) but also businesses that cater exclusively to the Japanese market. Walking from Nihonbashi to Ningyocho you find purveyors of those iconic OL uniforms, small workshops manufacturing a very specific part for kotatsu heaters, printers of promotional uchiwa fans.

The longer I live and work in Japan, the more I have come to realize that there are two business models that do very well here: either be extremely local or go completely global. The interesting thing is that the actual size of the business is irrelevant. Companies that deal with business globally are usually thought of being ginormous corporations... and yet there are tiny 3D printing specialists or app creators in Tokyo that have dedicated customers on every continent. On the other hand Japan Rail, the queen of the 'super local', is massive.

The old and the new coexist peacefully. Although I am often annoyed and flummoxed by how slow business can be here, it comes with some benefits. People will hang on to traditions for dear life, even if they are the last ones chugging along. Even when it is not profitable. Companies are often loath to leave their suppliers, who they have known for decades, in the lurch. While business-wise I fully understand this does not make sense, on a human level it is kind. 

Sometimes I think resistance to change, in Japan, can be a strategy of its own.

In Ningyocho there is a traditional sweets parlor called Hatsune. It has stood in the same spot since 1837, purveying old fashioned anko and jelly desserts, along with traditional kakigori (the type topped with green tea and red beans, or syrupy preserved apricots). They make tea in a cast iron tea urn, which is both time consuming and easy to burn oneself on while bustling past, just because it tastes a bit better.

Time does not stand entirely still at Hatsune, but their dedication to the old has served them well, as the competition for seats is fierce. Well-to-do ladies in expensive summer kimono (obviously regulars, from the chit-chat) smile benevolently at younger customers and the unusual Japanese/foreign couple at the table next to them.

The global and the local sit companionably side-by-side, over ice and tea.