I quit my job suddenly in the busy season

As Japanese are always very formal and usually do not react dramatically, I would say what I did in my last company was a shock not only for them but also for me. 

Usually in Japan, just as it is around the world, as per each work contract, you need to give at least two weeks notice when you are going to quit. Usually in a contract they want you to tell them more in advance, this particular contract wanted to know two months in advance. In my opinion that was a little excessive. I got really fed up on a Friday, after a particular degrading criticism from my boss, I said I quit and left in the afternoon, and on Monday I sent my key and official resignation letter. I was never planning on doing this, but I had many reasons. 

To begin with, I should have see the warning signs from the interview. I feel as though there were not really any questions about my skills or about what kind of person I am - he asked why I wanted to do this job and that was about it. He immediately started telling me about the job and almost started training during me during the interview. Also, I had a trial period during which I saw the over criticism of other workers. 

I realized that with this particular boss there was no room for mistakes or even the ability to have your own personality, it was all about how well you could understand the boss and his demands. 

The stress got higher and higher as time went on, and while the overtime and stress was always seen as a righteous thing for the higher ups, since I was lower in the company, it felt I was seen as wasting money or doing nothing for the company. 

I don't want to make broad generalizations, but I feel as though this is a similar thing that happens in a lot of companies in Japan. They put a high stress on workers to perform tasks accurately and well, but there is pressure not to work overtime because it costs the company extra money and they don't want to get in trouble from the government for too many overtime hours. 

In the end, I realized that this stress was affecting me too much mentally, physically, and even in my home life. My family had been encouraging me to leave for a while and after being verbally and mentally abused I realized I would be happier somewhere else. 

I think like many other foreigners, I was just desperate to get out of English teaching, believing that I needed to advance my career and fulfill myself more, but I have heard a similar story many times from foreigners in Japan who are wanting to do something else besides English teaching but who have a low Japanese ability.

So, if you are searching for a job in Japan that is not English teaching, please be aware that sometimes in the Japanese workforce there are these companies that expect you to be just as a Japanese and be eternally loyal and grateful for your employer. But Japanese people need to realize that the world is changing and no longer will this generation tolerate these type of working conditions, with so much overtime, little pay, and little respect are soon going to be part of the past in Japan. 

Finally know that you can leave a company without the two weeks notice, my job did try to force me to come back, but I argued that I was not mentally well enough to work at that time. This was not a complete lie either, as I had trouble sleeping due the the stress and had seen a doctor earlier the last week due to my stress-related health problems. 

Quitting suddenly may not be polite, especially during the busy season, but you should always prioritize yourself, because to the company you are just a replaceable asset.