Hello!
This is my third blog post. So far, the biggest structural inequality that I have noticed that seems to be very normal in Japan is the work culture. From my understanding and observations a lot of people are overworked. This is normal to many Japanese people. Some even stay at work after 11pm, leading them to miss trains. To this effect, many companies will pay for taxi or a car, which is even written into the hiring papers. This work culture is also seen in the late hours of many of the bars. Bars are usually packed with working men who need to drink after work. Many of them drink with their coworkers (what they call their “work family”), this is customary for Japanese work culture.
In this third week, I also had the pleasure to get to explore the mountains of Japan. During this trip we stayed at a hotel that offers an onsen. In an onsen, you follow traditional procedure to wash and purify your body. The tradition starts with stripping naked and taking a shower. After the shower you join other naked women in the hot spring. The water is extremely hot for me, but a normal and soothing temperature for the Japanese women. The nakedness is to be representative of the way in which we came into this world: pure and clean. This was the first time I have experienced culture shock in Japan. Despite, this it was an amazing experience.
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