Mr. Baseball - Basic Gaijin Expectations

Mr. Baseball - Basic Gaijin Expectations

For more posts similar to this one, see General Working Conditions, Life in Japan

Technically, English teachers are actually working directly for a Japanese company or Japanese school board. But the expectations of the average gaijin-san are much less demanding than those of Japanese salaried employees. The Japanese are generally aware of how different their society is from the West, so most won’t give foreigners much grief for not adhering to the Japanese working standards such as staying late for no apparent reason and looking frantically busy at all times. 

Large English conversation chains tend to be a bit more strict when it comes to dress codes, punctuality and Japanese customary manners than other employers of English teachers. However, despite working directly for Japanese organizations, foreign personnel are held to a far lower standard of behavior and performance than their Japanese counterparts.

To understand the way Japanese people view foreign workers in their midst, please refer to the movie Mr. Baseball. There’s a scene where one of the Japanese players explains just what Mr. Baseball’s role on the team is – a helper. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s just there to help out for a short time to fill a hole that’s missing on the team. 

The same attitude applies to English teachers in Japan. Ultimately, you are not truly a part of the team. The team, as it applies to English teachers in Japan, is a metaphor for society at large. English teachers in Japan are simply in Japan for awhile to help out filling in the enormous English teaching chasm that exists. Nothing more is expected. 

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