Traditionally, Japanese employees have been expected to remain at one company and have their salaries go up based on seniority instead of performance. Foreigners don’t fit into that system.

Because people like you want to disenfranchise foreigners, you racist nazi.

Anyway, its a stupid statement as 40% of the Japanese population now don't fit into that system either.

Don't get this AT ALL? WHY can't the two be merged--you get a little more money due to your experience and a bit more based on performace! Why can't Japanese business get their head out of their arses instead of doing this ridiculous eother...or system which has failed...and only...in some cases, if not most, produces just zombies?

NOBODY fits that system. I've taught English at many large Japanese corporations and do-less managers are one of the leading sources of stress in the work place.

Nonsence. 40% of Japanese workers are irregularly employed, and "life-time employment" is a distant dream. Former PM Koizumi destroyed life-time employment when he tried to make the Japanese economy more American. Glad he didn't succeed too much. Anyway, I have foreigners at my office, and they fit in perfectly.

This quote is a few decades out of date! Admittedly the FEW who get hired full time are expected to slave away & watch the dead wood all around ruin their chances at a decent livelihood .

The truth is this life employment thingy ended ages ago & even in the 80s only applied to maybe 30-35% of the general population. The current situation is working HORRIBLY for all concerned & is a BIG reason Japan is so stagnant & going more in reverse than forward the last 30yrs..........

Japan its long time to OPEN YOUR EYES & see whats what, the old ways are hurting the country big time, add in incompetent govt & your on the highway to hell! But do many even care..............

@TheRat

Don't get this AT ALL? WHY can't the two be merged--you get a little more money due to your experience and a bit more based on performace! Why can't Japanese business get their head out of their arses instead of doing this ridiculous eother...or system which has failed...and only...in some cases, if not most, produces just zombies?

A good point & one I've pondered for quite some time. I basically arrived at the conclusion that the managers-to-be have endured many years of pain & incompetence at the hands of their superiors that once they find themselves in the same position, they're unlikely to rock the boat. It's a case of 'I went through hell, so now its time to reap the rewards & stuff everyone else'.

I've been in Japan a long time & I don't see this mantra changing at any point in the next few decades. The corporate culture, derived from the very archaic 'top-down' nature of the education system in Japan, is too engrained. Without an overhaul of the keystones of Japanese society (education, employment & welfare for starters), it's a sinking ship I'm afraid.

The worst thing is that they all know its unproductive and needs to be changed but feel some powerless to changed and like previous comments stated, resigned to staying on a sinking ship. Of course not in all cases, some firms and organisations have recognised the problem and are speeding ahead at lightning speed to unprecedented success. Hats off to them.

It would be interesting to see more context to this question to see why this person thinks foreigners don't fit into "that" system (however out of touch "that" depiction of the system may be).

Is it because he thinks foreigners aren't dependable enough to be trusted to remain at one company? Is it because he thinks that to attract skilled foreign talent willing to stay in a culture that isn't theirs, you have to pay a premium? There are lots of reasons he could say what he said and they have opposite implications for what I would think of him and the quality of his argument.

This just proves one thing, that Japanese CEOs are underpaid. Why should the CEO of Tokyo make 1/5 of what Carlos Ghosn makes at Nissan. Toyota is far more successful. Or you can make the point that foreign CEOs are massively overpaid, that has truth to it as well.

@sighclops Great post!

Traditionally yes, but heavily based on industry these days. Especially if the Japanese employee can speak English or another language and is highly qualified, they'll be paid massive wages. If no languages, the Engineering industries pay out massive wages for highly skilled employees.

Another thing that goes along with this ghastly Japanese "consensus management" joke is meetings. When I worked at a university in Tokyo 40 years ago, there were weekly meetings that would drive me nearly insane. Hours and hours of people droning on and finally, the Bucho, who had been asleep during the whole proceedings, would stand up and give his "decision." Any resemblance to the discussion that preceded it, was purely coincidental. People would look at their watches and rather than drag it out any longer, would unanimously support him and the "decision" would become policy.

Complete farce.

It was soon after that that I decided to open my own English school. I've never looked back since.