There is a lot of folklore (for lack of a better term) about salarymen. We even have this book as some bathroom reading material!
Copied from Wikipedia, here are the stereotypes of a salaryman in Japan:
- Lifestyle revolves entirely around work at the office.
- Works over-time on a daily basis.
- Diligent but unoriginal.
- Thoroughly obedient to orders from the higher levels of the company.
- Feels a strong emotional bond with co-workers.
- Drinking, golf, and mahjong are the three main social activities that provide stimulation outside of work.
- Lack of initiative and competitiveness.
- Wears a suit, necktie, and dress shoes to work every day without fail.
- Late night karaoke and binge drinking.
Near Christian's office, there are many "salarymen" places to eat for lunch. They are all small restaurants that cater to the 12-1 lunch crowd. Lunch is cheap and fast.
On many evenings, you can see salarymen hitting the bars after work. This is a generalization, but many wives do not expect their husbands home early.
Company loyalty is key, and longevity at firms is rewarded much more than merit. It would be really odd to have a boss younger than you.
Overtime is a huge part of a salaryman's job. Many Japanese men do not leave work until 10 pm. Of course, they are paid for this extra time. I'm not quite sure if they are productive during the day.
One really sad ramification of this "salaryman" system is that if a salaryman (particularly an older one) loses his job, there is a lot of shame. There are stories of older men who don't tell their wives they no longer have a job. They get dressed every morning like they're going to work, and then they sit in a park all day, only to return to have dinner with their wives.
