Is Japan a great place to work? Not according to the U.N...

How have you found your work life experiences in Japan? Mine have been fine overall, but I say that with a level of understanding that a) I'm an outsider, and there's some things that I'm sure I've had leeway on as a result, and b) I'm white and from a first world country. I know that acquaintances I've met through our local international university haven't had such positive encounters with employers/potential employers during their time here, with racist undertones (or outright racism) a common theme. There have also been numerous examples in the media where companies have avoided hiring "foreigners" due to their names on resumes, for instance, when those "foreigners" have actually had Japanese nationality.

Being a woman, a non-Japanese individual, or of a sexual minority often doesn't equate to humane workplace treatment here. Pic Credit: Public Domain

It doesn't seem to be an isolated few cases, either, with a working group from the U.N. expressing concerns about the treatment of employees in Japan. Those who are female, non-Japanese, and of sexual minorities were specifically listed by the study, with some systemic human rights issues happening in Japanese businesses not being addressed in sufficient ways.

The U.N. working group noted that in many first world countries it's mandatory to have workplace training and policies relating to human rights, but in Japan only 28% of large companies (and a tiny 7.8% of smaller ones) factor this in.

It's a good reminder that even if your work experiences here have been a net positive, many people still have to deal with really unhealthy workplaces and conditions – and bringing awareness to it is a big part of fixing the problem, in my opinion.

Have your work experiences here been a net positive or negative? Have you ever found yourself being discriminated against because you're not Japanese?