what to expect from Japanese boss/employer?

i am aware that Japan is a very disciplined country, so as the bosses. but can you add some more about what to expect? also feel free to share your good and bad (if you have) experiences with your Japanese boss/employer?

me, i still not yet started working, actually i am beginning to worry.
a week ago i received a job offer (not the contract yet). it is also stated that just ask if i still have questions, so i replied my future employer (hopefully) to send me the job responsibilities / description of my position (long story why still i dont know the job description, i did not apply for a specific position but got an offer..) i still havent signed the offer yet because i am waiting for the job description. also, i told that if ever he have already the contract, kindly send it to me so i can submit the signed docs all a once.

one week after, i still got no response. i understand that he might be so busy but i am just worrying coz i am super exciting to work in another country + whole new environment + new experiences and i cannot take it if ever he will change mind and cancel his offer. do you think there's a possibility to cancel the offer?

also, i made 2 emails to follow up nicely and ask for confirmation if he is receiving my email. i am also afraid to sound annoying because thats not my intention. i just want to plan things early possible like book flights earlier, arrange my documents/clearance here.

thanks in advance to those who will spend time reading this and share their thoughts and their own stories.

arigato!
terima kasih!
kopkun ka!
xie xie!

Hi again,

I have several different experiences wit Japanese employers before I landed on my current job.

Prior to receiving a contract from my current employer, I have received several offers (whether it was for an interview or offer) from different places (Gifu, Tokyo and Nagoya). The one from Gifu sent me an offer email after an interview with a sample contract attached to it (like I mentioned from the other thread).

The ones from Nagoya and Tokyo, however are...just unprofessional, if I may put it bluntly. I was notified by them that they have viewed my resume and cover letter and would like to interview me. After waiting in between days for a reply and transferring my email to their "head of department", they told me they were busy (as it was nearing Christmas), and would like me to wait for a while, and they would "surely get back to me".

Not surprisingly, they did not get back to me even after a week plus despite me emailing them twice after their last email. I took that as the sign to move on.

The company from Gifu and my current place, Hiroshima was professional, and may I add, sincere enough to reply my email on the same day, or by latest, the next 2 working days.

It really boils down to what kind of employer/company you're dealing with.

i still havent signed the offer yet because i am waiting for the job description.

Did you mean to say he has sent an attachment (in the form of an offer) for you to sign?

I am curious as to how to how you applied for a position which is not specific in your role. Did you undergo an interview to talk about your roles and responsibilities?

As for whether you'll receive a reply or not, if by end of this week you do not receive one, you probably have to wait till the end of the next (if he's going to reply at all) as next week is Golden Week with Monday to Wednesday off in Japan.

i still havent signed the offer yet because i am waiting for the job description.

Did you mean to say he has sent an attachment (in the form of an offer) for you to sign?

- yes. to indicate my acceptance.

i was supposed to be an intern because i am a member of a worldwide youth organization who does exchange programs. but since i am already graduated and japan government requires a student to be an intern in their country. i was invited to apply as a employee and undergone interview. when i applied, i just send my resume since i know the email of the company.

ofcourse i have an idea of what work will i do because of the interview but i just want a detailed and formal job description and responsibilities before i sign anything.

i am still hoping to receive a reply since that is already an offer and it is also indicated that they will start on processing my working visa once i signed it.

Hi. Thankfully I already got a reply. I am just hoping that the processing of working visa will be done smoothly.

On the other hand, some says the deduction to salary due to tax and insurance is around 25%. My will-be salary is 220,000 then minus 25% is 165,000. The apartment i am eyeing is 68,000 per month. I do not have any allowances or paid over time. Do you think I can survive?
Are the meals in the convenience stores in Japan the cheapest?

That's great to hear. I'm glad you got your reply.

Back to your question, it's around 25%, but slightly lower than that. You will get slightly more than 165,000, probably closer to 170,000-180,000. Income tax, pension, and health insurance typically come up to between 30,000 to around 50,000 yen per month.

I'll take 170,000 as your take home pay for easy calculation. After taking off 68,000 yen, you'll be left with 102, 000. I'll assume utilities and internet are not included.

If transport is not paid, there goes another 20,000-30,000 yen depending on how far you're staying, and which lines you're taking/getting on or off etc. Cycle to work if you live nearby. That would save you a lot.

As for food, convenience store is cheap. Onigiri costs about 110-150 yen each, bento boxes about 450 yen to 600 yen. But if you just survive on convenience store meals for lunch and dinner, you'll need an average of 1000 yen/day. That adds up 30, 000 yen per month.

If you go to the supermarket about 1 hour to 30 min before closing time, they'll start slashing the price. It's a good time to go, but you might not have a lot of choices left.

The best solution is to cook on your own and save up leftovers for the next day. You'll save a lot.

Now going back to our calculation earlier;

Rent: 68, 000
Food: 30, 000
Utilities: 5000-10,000 depending on usage (AC/heater)
Mobile: 4000 yen (I got a line only, not phone) With phone, expect to pay double.
Transport: 30, 000
Misc: 10,000

Total: 152,000 yen.

You'll survive, but you won't be able to save up any substantial amount, or travel much.

Anyway, this is just a very rough estimation. It depends on personal usage actually.

Hi soontobetokyogirl,

I'm glad you got response from your employer-to-be, and I hope they had a good excuse. Considering that income, I'm also assuming you are a young single person.

If you are yet to decide where to live, it's very important to choose a neighborhood with stores that sell food in reasonable prices, such as a low-budget supermarket that's open when you're there, or an old-fashioned shopping archade with lots of mom-and-pop type grocery shops and meat/fish shops. A convenience store is just "convenient." Their prices are not the cheapest you can find.

You should also try to find a place where you can commute without changing trains, because train transfer in the city is stressful.

The trick is to look for a place far from central Tokyo, but commutable on one train ride, and further from the train station, because the further you get the cheaper it is. By doing so, you can hope for better deals such as sunshine and peace.

Hope you have fun in Japan!

Thanks a lot to both of you! You both are really helpful.

Actually the 68,000 accommodation, based on google maps, is about 8 minute-walk to my future office. I am thinking to get a pricier accomodation but near the office rather than to commute because i am easily tempted to buy something, so if i will commute i may spend more. Another reason is to save time and rest as soon as possible because it says that 20 hours of over time is included in my base salary. Is this really normal in japan?
It says: 20 hours over time is included in the salary but i can take days off to balance the working hours.
If i understand the sentence correctly, if i overtime yesterday, i can go home early today or absent to compensate my overtime? So in the end it will still fall into normal 40 hours per week?

Regarding the accomodation, do you think it is better to talk to the rental owners while i am still here (to get early booking discount) in my country or should i stay (or couchsurf ) first during in my first days in tokyo and spend days finding comparing accomodations in person?
One problem is that i tried emailing the 68k worth of apartment (actually its a guesthouse, individual room but shared kitchen and living room) but their email is invalid, i just receive mailer daemon reply. Do you know a way which i can call a japanese phone number over the internet for free?
I tried skype, whatsapp but the number is not registered.

Thank you very much for making this easier for me.

Another thing, i asked my employer about my contract term and he said i am in a permanent position so there is none.
I think i asked the wrong question, i should have asked contract not contract term. But anyway, he does not send me any contract to show me, so does it mean i do not have any other docs to sign rather than the offer letter and the visa related docs? Sorry if i sound naive but my previous job is contractual so every 6 months i need to sign that doc for a contractual job. This will be my first permanent position if ever

Another thing that i am shy to ask is that, will my salary increase after the 3 month probation?