April is a very critical month in Japan. It might actually be the most important month of the year. Symbollically, it represents a time of change, rebirth and new beginnings. Practically, April is the time when students begin the new school year, where job hunters hopefully find and start their new jobs, and where people already in their place of employement get their transfer notices. In Japanese this is called ”tenkin” or 転勤.
As a stranger in a strange land, I am exempt from many of the culture norms. Even though my contract is renewed at the end of March like everyone else, I will not be moving to any other schools or branches. I am grateful for this, since many others are given less than 10 days notic, and may have to relocate a great distance from their friends and family. They also may have to do this every three to four years. This can cause a lot of stress, and I try to avoid that at all costs.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not against company transfers per say. I can see many good sides to transfering employees around. For example There are times when office politics can demoralize and bring down the mood in the office. A fresh change of faces can aleviate this problem. Transferred employees are also learning new skills and face new challenges. This is a great way to keep people from becoming stagnant.
There is one thing, however that I cannot get my head around. And that is how little choice an employee has in choosing when, and more importantly where he or she will go.
Just recently, I found out that three of the staff in one of my Junior High Schools are being assigned to different areas. One of them is being sent all the way to Hokkaido. That is quite far from here. I can only imagine the hassles that must bring. Housing must be found, kids must be relocated, and lives must be re-adjusted. the very idea of such a move leave my head spinning.
I want to emphasize that we aren’t immunue to this in the west either. Sure, many places have forced transfers, and if you are in the military, you go where you are told to go. However, from my experience in working for western companies, you are usually given a limited amount of choice in being able to accept a transfer. You are even allow in most cases to turn down a transfer(at risk of loses the benifits that may bring.) Many companies also warn of the possibility when you apply. I remember that applying for a management position at a certain office supply chain brought the prospect of transfering. So you at least have a heads up. In Japan, it appears you are destinied for a life of endless migration just by being born into the system. At some point, I sure this must be taught in schools.
It is this lack of control that leads me to not agree with the forced transfer system in Japan.
This might be another example of a Japanese culture trait I am just unable to comprehend, and therefore unable to accept. It leaves me with a rebeliious urge to take as much control of my own life as I can. The idea of a company telling me, with little notice, that I have to relocate my life on a whim, is completley unacceptable to me. It just leads me to feel the Japanese are not really so much in charge of their own lives, but rather are born into a system where they are drawn along like marionettes in a bizzarre performance.
This might be an unfair comparaison, as it appears all humans have strings that guide them on their long journey in life, and any culture they are raised in. It’s very difficult to not be influenced or controlled by work, family, goverment, or even ones peers. I suppose I’d just rather cut as many of those strings as I possibly can. I’d like to think that we as humans are no longer owned by our companies or goverments. I could be wrong.
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