I （fourth year, Faculty of
Policy Studies), stayed in
Hong Kong for about 7
months to work as a trainee
from March 2008 to
September 2008. I would like
to talk about how I felt a
different standard between
Hong Kong and Japan and
also on what I thought from
these experiences.
Hong Kong is a very
energetic and active city. I
wonder when they stop
chatting and sleep. The
company I worked had 8
Japanese workers, including
myself, and 13 local workers.
It mainly targeted on Japanese
companies in Hong
Kong and I worked as a
Japanese staff assistant.
Hence, I was able to figure
out characteristic points between
Hong Kongers and the
Japanese.
First of all, we need to
clearly separate each responsibility
in Hong Kong. If one
doesn’t let a Hong Konger
know his/her responsibility (job
duties) clearly, he/she may
not fulfill the job duties or
might not do it at all. In that
case, a Japanese would ask
why it isn’t finished. But in
Hong Kong, it is very natural
and one would probably answer,
“because that is NOT
my job”. As long as one
doesn’t clearly tell someone
their responsibility, that responsibility
does not belong
to them. Therefore, it seems
irresponsible and troublesome
sometimes.
On the other hand,
Japanese tends to leave each
responsibility unclear. I think
this comes from thoughts
that cooperate to virtue.
Generally, we like to help
each other out and I agree
that this way is very smooth.
Then we don’t need to talk
about job descriptions all the
time. But unfortunately, when
a trouble comes up, it is
difficult to distinguish whose
responsibility it belongs to.
The way I think changed a
little bit since I acknowledged
the different ways of thinking.
Before, I would almost
order people what to do
because that was the only
way for others to understand
their responsibilities.
My experiences
Through these experiences,
I realized that mutual understanding
requires compromising.
When we live in a
certain country or area for a
long time, it is normal to
think that your culture is the
standard. I guess it is tough
for everyone to fully adjust
himself or herself to the
different area. It just means
that everyone has his or her
own standards and that
nobody has the right to deny
it. That’s why everyone must
compromise at some point to
live with people with different
backgrounds. It may be
difficult to adjust, but you
can always find things to
compromise.
Lastly, I would like to
thank everyone who has
given me this unforgettable
opportunity. I strongly believe
that this experience will be a
great advantage in my near
future.