Excellence (innovation, efficiency, etc) are words that do not come to mind when I think of a Japanese workplace.
Things have run smoothly at some of the companies In have worked at.
But not without:
An obscene amount of paperwork; hankoed, re-hankoed, faxed to tokyo, faxed back, sent to upwards of four offices before something “excellent” happening.
Long winded, unproductive meetings that stretch on your more than 2 hours. After the presenter( aka reader of long graph and charts stapled into a 40 page packet) is finished. Does anyone have any questions?? *chirp chirp, crickets....and then the meeting continues for another half hour. I counted the amount of co-workers sleeping at a meeting( it was more than 10 people).
ZERO communication between departments, no one knows what anyone else is doing. It makes projects impossible, and leads to more frustration and yea, more meetings.
NO definable HR department. If you are unsatisfied with anything, it goes up an imaginary chain with no results.
Illogical decision making, poor leadership, and then more paperwork for the paperwork you didn’t complete yet.
Salaries that are not competitive versus the cost of living and employees that rarely show ambition to make the obvious evident to the powers that be. The “boss figures” making quadruple what the employees are making and demanding free overtime.
Drinking parties that you are expected to pay for. Sometimes 8,000 yen for a mandatory drinking party often on a weekday.
Working and living in Japan is great, but as for excellence in the working environment......