Handbook of Japanese Labor Practices

Robin Sakamoto serves as the Dean of the Graduate School of International Cooperation as well as the Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies both at Kyorin University, Tokyo. She received her PhD in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota and has participated in projects in the Ukraine and Uganda. She co-edited Cross-border Partnerships in Higher Education: Strategies and Issues with Dr. David Chapman.

• Introduction 1. Beyond the Enigma of “Lifetime Employment”: Clarifying Japan’s Working Rules of Employment Relations and Exploring their Comparative Implications 2. A Critical Look at Lifetime Employment in Japan 3. The Landscape of the Japanese Labor Market Reflections: Creating a Society Where People Embrace Their Dreams and Actualize Greater Well-Being 4. Labor Unions in Japan 5. Young People’s Precarious Transitions in Japan Reflections: Embracing the Unconventional: How a Clueless Student in Iwate Finds Strength in Enforced Optimism 6. Gender Gaps in Japan and Why They Exist at the Workplace Reflections: Choose the One You Love 7. From Genba Walks to Organizational Insights: Unveiling the Concept of Internal Sensitivity 8. Migrant Workers and the Future of Japan: Why the Technical Intern Training Program Didn’t Work 9. Global Talent in an Aspiring “Country of Choice”: Skilled Migration into Japan Reflections: Finding a Place Elsewhere 10. Agents of Globalization? Foreign Employee Roles in Japanese Corporations 11. The Input-Driven Society: Understanding Work and Social Organization in Japan 12. Strength as a Source of Weakness: Why Japan Struggles to Meet the Digital Challenge 13. Diversity Issues in Japan: Education of Future Workers and Leaders Reflections: Japanese Style: Working in Both Japanese and American Organizations 14. Making Friends with Godzilla Appendix 1: ChatGPT 2023 AI Explanation of Japan’s “Lifetime Employment”. Appendix 2: Japanese Labor Laws.