Handbook of Japanese Labor Practices: Changing Perceptions

This volume examines the three pillars of Japanese management―lifetime employment, seniority-based wages and promotions, and enterprise unions―from the viewpoint of both Japanese and non-Japanese scholars. Multiple chapters revolve around the themes of labor practices found in Japan including unveiling the concept of internal sensitivity through gemba walks. The diversification of the Japanese salaryman stereotype is addressed by authors focusing on the issues faced by women, non-Japanese employees, and migrant workers in the Japanese labor market. Additional authors examine the challenges of globalization facing Japan in the 21st century including the need to understand work and social organization in Japan as an input-driven society. Five personal reflections interspersed throughout the book encourage the reader to put theory into practice and determine if and how perceptions are changing in regards to 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.