Backlash erupted after the head of soba/udon chain Yudetaro praised foreign employees as “excellent,” sparking a heated back-and-forth in a 5ch thread.
The president reportedly holds the position that foreign trainees should be paid the same wages as Japanese employees, and the thread’s discussion expanded from there — touching on why Japanese workers tend to shy away from low-wage jobs, and suspicions that management in labor-short industries like trucking would rather import cheap labor than raise wages.
Most foreign employees at places like convenience stores do their jobs just fine.
If anything, the staff who actually piss me off are almost always Japanese.
Though I guess that's my own bias talking.
If anything, the staff who actually piss me off are almost always Japanese.
Though I guess that's my own bias talking.
>>13
Their work ethic seems solid, but they barely speak Japanese…
Makes me nervous whether paperwork like certificates is even being handled correctly. You need at least one native-level speaker on staff or it's a real problem.
Their work ethic seems solid, but they barely speak Japanese…
Makes me nervous whether paperwork like certificates is even being handled correctly. You need at least one native-level speaker on staff or it's a real problem.
Gotta respect anyone doing convenience store part-time work in Japan.
>>21
The Lawson near me has a Japanese owner and that's it — every other staffer is South Asian.
The Lawson near me has a Japanese owner and that's it — every other staffer is South Asian.
Work 'em cheap, toss 'em when they wear out, and rake in the subsidies. 🤗
>>23
Foreigners who land jobs in food service and other customer-facing industries are basically the elite, since Japanese-language communication skills are such a high bar. And at Yudetaro they're paid the same as Japanese staff anyway.
Foreigners who land jobs in food service and other customer-facing industries are basically the elite, since Japanese-language communication skills are such a high bar. And at Yudetaro they're paid the same as Japanese staff anyway.
If they can even learn Japanese, they're already more capable than your average "weak man" (弱者男性, a self-deprecating slang term for low-status, unsuccessful men).
>>35
Wait, there are Japanese people who can't even speak Japanese?
Wait, there are Japanese people who can't even speak Japanese?
This is really about what "excellent" means to a business owner.
It's not about being smart or good at the job —
obviously they'd rather have someone who works cheap and keeps their mouth shut.
It's not about being smart or good at the job —
obviously they'd rather have someone who works cheap and keeps their mouth shut.
>>42
That's not even true anymore.
The ones working now out-earn Japanese employees. Quit outing yourself as an out-of-touch boomer.
That's not even true anymore.
The ones working now out-earn Japanese employees. Quit outing yourself as an out-of-touch boomer.
>>40
If it's elites lining up to come work here, they can toss 'em out just as fast, lol.
If it's elites lining up to come work here, they can toss 'em out just as fast, lol.
>>52
Lol, acting like some kind of master strategist.
Lol, acting like some kind of master strategist.
Hiroyuki basically dismantled this argument.
His point being: isn't this really just about keeping labor costs down with cheap workers instead of ever raising wages?
His point being: isn't this really just about keeping labor costs down with cheap workers instead of ever raising wages?
>>63
But what other option is there, really?
But what other option is there, really?
>>63
Hiroyuki calls himself a businessman and criticizes other business owners for not paying decent wages, but he's never once disclosed what he pays his own employees, has he?
And for that matter, KADOKAWA — which Hiroyuki has championed — has also been called out for stiffing its writers on payment.
Hiroyuki calls himself a businessman and criticizes other business owners for not paying decent wages, but he's never once disclosed what he pays his own employees, has he?
And for that matter, KADOKAWA — which Hiroyuki has championed — has also been called out for stiffing its writers on payment.
>>63
Of course a business owner would think that way.
If someone has the sales ability to actually drive revenue, they end up holding the leverage instead.
Of course a business owner would think that way.
If someone has the sales ability to actually drive revenue, they end up holding the leverage instead.
Their circumstances are different — anyone coming from a country that bad would have a different mindset too.
Management is just exploiting that, calling cheap workers who grind away without complaint "excellent" while squeezing them.
There's zero downside for the company even if those workers flee or turn to crime.
Before complaining about "Japanese people," ask yourself if you ever even tried.
Management is just exploiting that, calling cheap workers who grind away without complaint "excellent" while squeezing them.
There's zero downside for the company even if those workers flee or turn to crime.
Before complaining about "Japanese people," ask yourself if you ever even tried.
>>65
The Yudetaro president's actual stance is: "It's the law that foreign trainees must be paid the same as Japanese employees. Companies that ignore that and pay trainees less shouldn't be allowed to hire them at all, and the government needs to enforce this properly."
The Yudetaro president's actual stance is: "It's the law that foreign trainees must be paid the same as Japanese employees. Companies that ignore that and pay trainees less shouldn't be allowed to hire them at all, and the government needs to enforce this properly."
>>71
Japanese people don't apply precisely because the pay and conditions are bad.
The second you're demanding foreign workers get brought in instead, you're no better than the people you're criticizing.
Japanese people don't apply precisely because the pay and conditions are bad.
The second you're demanding foreign workers get brought in instead, you're no better than the people you're criticizing.
Eventually udon shops and convenience stores are just going to go fully self-service, right?
>>67
Fully self-service convenience stores have been trialed for over a decade now and still never rolled out — that tells you everything.
I'm just glad Lawson has self-checkout at all.
Though it's annoying that items with discount stickers can't go through self-checkout.
Fully self-service convenience stores have been trialed for over a decade now and still never rolled out — that tells you everything.
I'm just glad Lawson has self-checkout at all.
Though it's annoying that items with discount stickers can't go through self-checkout.
>>67
The irony is that convenience stores haven't even managed to go self-service because Japanese people's own civility (民度) is too low — so they're relying on foreigners to make up for it.
The irony is that convenience stores haven't even managed to go self-service because Japanese people's own civility (民度) is too low — so they're relying on foreigners to make up for it.
People online are being absolutely hysterical about foreigners lately.
But then they can't muster any respect for Olympic gold medalists either.
They're just stressed out and taking it out on whoever's nearby.
But then they can't muster any respect for Olympic gold medalists either.
They're just stressed out and taking it out on whoever's nearby.
>>75
Complaints about society online are, at the end of the day, just people offloading their frustration with their own inadequacy onto someone else.
Complaints about society online are, at the end of the day, just people offloading their frustration with their own inadequacy onto someone else.
This whole thing is just "foreigners are excellent (because they'll work without complaint even in low-paying, exploitative conditions)" — pure capital's-eye-view stuff.
Which is another way of saying Japanese workers who complain and demand higher pay are garbage employees.
So it's not about minority rights at all — they're just being valued as convenient, easily-used pieces on a board.
Which is another way of saying Japanese workers who complain and demand higher pay are garbage employees.
So it's not about minority rights at all — they're just being valued as convenient, easily-used pieces on a board.
>>88
Inventing an opinion someone never actually stated and then attacking them for "secretly thinking that" — classic move from the anti-foreigner crowd.
Inventing an opinion someone never actually stated and then attacking them for "secretly thinking that" — classic move from the anti-foreigner crowd.
>>88
The real problem is that Japanese people won't take on troublesome jobs even when the pay is good.
The real problem is that Japanese people won't take on troublesome jobs even when the pay is good.
>>100
Yeah, construction's exactly like that too.
Yeah, construction's exactly like that too.
>>103
Trucking's another one. If you want to raise pay for drivers and sorters in logistics, the only way to fund that is by raising shipping fees — but Japanese customers immediately complain "shipping's too expensive!" So then (even though it's backwards) companies end up hiring foreign workers willing to work cheap just to hold shipping costs down. If you don't want foreign drivers, you need to be willing to accept shipping fees going up 20-30%.
Trucking's another one. If you want to raise pay for drivers and sorters in logistics, the only way to fund that is by raising shipping fees — but Japanese customers immediately complain "shipping's too expensive!" So then (even though it's backwards) companies end up hiring foreign workers willing to work cheap just to hold shipping costs down. If you don't want foreign drivers, you need to be willing to accept shipping fees going up 20-30%.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Yudetaro Gets Absolutely Slammed Just for Saying Foreign Employees Are Excellent.”
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