Work Life Balance in the Japanese Tech Industry

Many people who consider working in Japan are curious about what work life balance is really like, especially in the tech industry. Japan has long been known for long working hours, but the situation today is more complex than that image suggests.

It has been over ten years since the highly publicized karoshi incident (death from overwork) cases led to government attention and workplace reforms. Since then, awareness around work life balance has increased. 

Companies talk more openly about overtime, paid leave, and flexible work styles. However, there is still no clear or consistent standard across the industry, and real change has been uneven.

Your experience can vary greatly depending on the company, team, and manager you work with. Some tech companies actively promote reasonable working hours, while others still rely on old habits and expectations. The Japanese tech landscape is changing, but it is far from uniform.

In this article, we will look at key factors that shape work life balance in Japan and discuss what you should pay attention to when evaluating companies and managing your own time.

1. Work Life Balance is your Responsibility

Work life balance is in the eye of the beholder. Balance between personal and professional life will vary from person to person. First to define what work life balance is, I am borrowing some insights from this Forbes article. Many factors make it complex, but to keep it simple, limiting work to a preset amount of time per week will be key. Understand what you value in your career and find the company that will match that as best as possible. Research and preparing the right questions for interviews will make the process smoother. This article about black companies is a good first step in weeding out red flags in your search. You can trust the Japan Dev list to have vetted those companies, but it is still important to do your own research.

2. My Observations in Tech in Japan

My personal experience in tech is a mixed bag. In some ways, different tech departments have a separate culture to the rest of the company. I believe there are two big reasons for the separation. 

The first is from an increased demand for skilled engineers. Japanese companies started recruiting the most skilled engineers, which led them to hire talent from abroad. Naturally, that changes the demographics of that company. These workers could have the opportunity to create their own culture compared to other departments with a different demographic. 

The second reason is that the nature of dev work is hard to understand for many people. Development teams can seem like a black box to non-engineers. Requests go in and somehow the deliverables come out. The lack of understanding could result in redundant or inefficient work being requested.  Business reasons can be prioritized over practical ones. Inefficiencies build up and result in tight deadlines and overtime work. I have seen this happen over and over again.

One recent episode stands out to me. I was facilitating a meeting on a major development project between an international team of engineers and the stakeholders who had to report to a Japanese client. They wanted to know how the data would be used and how the tables and other files would be populated in the system. The technical requirements were not complete. Mapping out how the database would be structured meant creating documentation that would be deleted in the next phase of the project. 

Naturally, the engineers could not see the value in doing this extra work. Unfortunately the complete map was promised to the client and the extra hours of work just had to be done.

Good tech team leaders try their best to insulate their subordinates from those inefficiencies by bridging the two departments. They will explain the whole picture plainly to the rest of the team and describe what tasks can be done and what requests might be more difficult. 

These tech team leaders are the most important people to talk to during the interview process. They are great resources to gather insight into the culture and workload of that company.

3. Interview Questions are a Two-Way Street

Getting Ready

So once you’re happy with the research and you have a good rirekisho submitted for the application, it is time to prepare for the interview. I would highly recommend taking a look through the Japan Dev posts to double check if you have missed anything. It might be good to mention that you would be keen to speak directly to the leader or team members that you might be working with in the company when deciding on a time. 

I imagine this would be a standard procedure for most companies. If they are unwilling or unable to arrange that I will get suspicious about the culture. 

Keep in mind that an interview is not only a way for companies to measure you up. It is an opportunity for you to poke at the company too. It may be the only chance you have to ensure they are a good fit for you. 

At the end of the day, both sides have to agree about your employment.

The Interview

As the interview dates approaches, you will want to have some good answers prepared. Going over common questions for interviews is always a good idea. 

But interviews are not a one-way street. You, as a prospective employee, are also interviewing the company to ensure a proper fit over the long term. 

Preparing questions is a great opportunity to show your interest in the company and could leave a good impression as well as give you insight into the culture. I try to tailor the questions to the company and expected work as much as possible. The following are some points you might consider.

Policy Changes in the Future? Remote Work Policies

During COVID, remote work had started to become common. Companies started hiring people from further away that normally could not commute due to family or other reasons. Now we are seeing those same companies pull back on the remote work policies, but keep exceptions for those that cannot commute. I had a unique situation where I entered a company at the tail-end of covid with a 100% remote work policy. As the pandemic cooled off, we were expected to come in 3-days a week if we were within a 1-hour commute radius. That was not what I had signed up for. To prevent that bait-and-switch, ask about their current policy and if there are any changes you might expect in the future. Remote work was important for my work style during that time, but it could be something different for you.

Unused Vacation Days

Another way to measure good company culture is to look at the use of vacation days. Traditional Japanese employees are notoriously bad at using paid time off. Good company culture encourages the use of PTO. But it is not good enough that the vacation days are used up. Some companies will push their employees to use remaining holidays during certain days of the year to make the numbers look good. Golden week or the end of the year are typical examples. In addition to asking about unused holidays, follow up with asking about how easy it is to get days off and be direct about the culture. Being in control of your vacation days is directly going to affect your work-life balance.

Turn-Over Rates

Another thing you may want to check is how long employees stay in the company. Especially the stats for new employees.

If many new employees are leaving after short terms, it probably means they have had trouble with the existing team. On the other hand, it is a good sign if new employees tend to stick around for the long run. 

Looking at the turn-over rate isn’t a perfect indication of how you will experience the company. Asking about it can open up the conversation about the realities of the work environment. Or, you could look up the company’s LinkedIn page and search up current and past employee information to get the big picture. 

Company Benefits

Some companies offer some great benefits to differentiate themselves from others. You will usually find these listed on their website, or even on the job description too.

Being able to take advantage of benefits like gym memberships or free language lessons can add to your experience. But be sure to ask about how often they are used by employees as well. 

Ask Directly if Employees are Satisfied

Be direct. This is not the time to be polite. You can say 社員の満足度は高いでしょうか？ (Sha-in no manzoku-do wa takai deshouka). 

Asking if the employees are happy with their careers might throw some people off. But it could also be a great way to open up deeper conversations about employee life.

4. Managing Expectations and Creating Habits Early

Up to this point, I have talked about what you can do before joining a company. But work-life balance takes some work to maintain throughout your career. It is important to manage expectations of colleagues and create your habits early on. What I mean is to make sure to set your boundaries especially regarding overtime work.  It’s natural for teams to get used to people doing overtime work if that is the norm. If you tend to stick around after-hours, that will condition your colleagues to start expecting it. By setting boundaries clearly for yourself, you can control how work life balance is in the long run. This will not only be beneficial to you, but also for your colleagues that might be able to follow suit. 

Social events and Nomikai

Apart from the daily work hours, there might be some company events meant to create bonds among the members. Most often these will be nomikai or “drinking events” held after hours. 

The word nomikai itself implies drinking alcohol. Many have been hosted in Japanese izakaya bars where alcoholic beverages are served.

To get away from that older image, social gatherings might take on a different name like lunch-kai, or shokuji-kai (lunch gathering or meal gathering). At any rate, a gathering is still a common way to build connections. In the past, nomikais might have been a mandatory affair and difficult to get out of. These days I get the impression that there is not so much pressure to join.   Although a nomikai is not work, socializing with colleagues after hours can still feel like unpaid work. The decision to go or not to go rests in your own judgement. 

For some, this event might be the only way they get to interact with other colleagues. It might even be a good experience to see your colleagues in this atmosphere.

Before COVID, I would take every opportunity to join these events because I enjoy the occasional gathering. I took extra care to make sure I could chat up the boss and get to know them on a more personal level.

These days I tend to have a lower social battery. I am a little more selective in which ones I go to and I can manage work relationships just fine without them. 

The key point about social work events is that they should be optional. But they can be worth your time to get a different perspective about your team. 

5. Take Control of Your Time with a Hobby / Asakatsu

One way to ensure you can create boundaries for yourself is to have a hobby after work. That could be a regular time you go to the gym every week, a Japanese language class, or even a traditional crafts class. 

Taking the time to learn something Japanese can earn you some bonus points with your colleagues. It shows your efforts to understand and be a part of the culture. At the very least it will be a good conversation point and possibly something you can say in a “jikoshokai.”

If you schedule your personal time regularly, it will be easier to control your overtime in the long term. Having something to look forward to outside of work can be a healthy way to let off steam when the going gets rough.

Learning something new can give us a sense of accomplishment and growth, even when our careers might seem to be slowing down. After work is not the only time you can have control of. The time before starting the work day could be the most quiet and productive moments.

The idea of “Asakatsu” or morning activity has gained more popularity. Utilizing the morning hours can set the tone and prepare you for the rest of the day.  

People can engage in a morning yoga or gym session to avoid the crowds after work. For others, it could be studying for a new certification. For me, it was as simple as walking 40 minutes to work and pouring myself a drip-coffee while catching up on some news before the day started. It felt like a private meditation session to clear my mind and begin everyday with a win. 

6. Have a Gauge of Personal Mental Health

Everyone will have a different idea of what a good work life balance is. 

Everyone has a different idea of what an ideal work environment looks like.

That means no one can give you the answer to managing the perfect work life balance for everyone. I can only share what works for me and hopefully you will take away some ideas for yourself. 

Friends and Family are Great Resources

I believe that the best way to find what will work is a dynamic process of self reflection. Make time for yourself to reevaluate your own goals in life and see how they align with the work you do. For me, having friends or peers that know you are the best indicators of mental health. They hold up a mirror and can help you understand your condition most objectively. The friends that I see more often are great for pointing out if my energy is lower than usual. These people might be a part of the same company or members of a mutual hobby. Regular interaction means they can tell if I am stressed and can be a good outlet to vent any complaints to. Even when there is nothing to complain about, it is nice to just have someone to take my mind off of work. The friends I see less frequently remind me about my long term goals and gauge my overall situation. These are my close buddies from university or maybe family who understand me a bit more personally. They hold me more accountable for my career choices and can give honest feedback. They are not afraid to tell me if my work life balance is fine or if something is off. 

The key for me is to keep communication open outside of work and not rely on just myself. 

Professional help is always available

These days you can find therapists online. It’s easier to find someone that speaks your own language and more convenient than actually getting out of the house. From what I understand, Japanese clinics are not very good. They try to prescribe medication before really understanding who you are. I think it makes sense to research online resources before considering the domestic options. 

Sleep

Sometimes all you need is a good rest to recharge. I know I enjoy a cheeky nap after lunch if that is possible. Consistent sleep habits are essential to perform at your maximum. A well rested body and mind is key to avoiding mistakes and being a happier human being. A good sleep set up with a decent mattress and pillow can make a world of difference as well. I invested in a more expensive mattress that helps me fall asleep faster and deeper. If you have a sleep tracker app, you might be able to calculate the optimal time to go to bed and wake up.

Onsen / Ofuro / Sauna

There is a word in Japanese that is associated with the feeling of relaxation and being tuned up after coming out of the bath. “Totonoeru” evokes a good sensation and is a part of the culture of cleaning the body along with the mind. On my days off I love to go to an onsen (hot spring) resort to experience some totonoi. I will just sit inside the bath and let the tension melt away. Tokyo has some hidden gems of hot springs or ofuro (bath houses that are not natural hot springs). These can be a good place to bathe on a more regular basis. My local onsen costs me only 550 yen per entry. 

More recently sauna culture has grown among the younger generation and those options might be more appealing to some. 

There are so many options available if you do your research. Just be sure to confirm with the regulations regarding tattoos if you have any beforehand.

Finding a good spot and creating a good routine will supercharge your energy and cultural literacy living in Japan. It will make you feel more part of the local community. For a crash-course in onsen etiquette, try referring to this article.

7. Summary

Most companies in Japan say they care about work-life balance. In general, conditions are slowly improving. However, this does not mean burnout has disappeared. 

Your experience will still depend heavily on the company and the team you join.

Because of this, it is important not to rely only on the company to protect your work-life balance. You need to take an active role yourself. 

This starts with choosing the right company, asking good questions during interviews, and understanding how overtime, vacation, and remote work are handled in practice.

After joining a company, setting clear boundaries early is key. How you manage your time, habits, and expectations will shape your long-term experience. Having activities outside of work, using your free time well, and paying attention to your mental health all help create balance.

In the end, work-life balance in Japan is possible, but it is not automatic. By making informed choices and taking control of your own time, you can reduce the negative parts of work and build a healthier, more sustainable life.