[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"siteSettings":3,"post-work-in-japan-and-brunei":24},{"data":4,"sourceMap":-1},{"headerPages":5,"settings":9},[6],{"slug":7,"title":8},"about","About",{"contactEmail":10,"faviconUrl":11,"heroDescription":12,"heroImage":13,"heroTitle":18,"ogImageUrl":19,"seoDescription":20,"seoTitle":21,"siteAuthor":22,"siteName":21,"socialLinks":23},"matsushita_sei@kindai.ac.jp","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.sanity.io\u002Fimages\u002Fzbxc2ul2\u002Fproduction\u002Fbd8e5c871dc32af558af4cdabe8efda12a8066c1-32x32.png","Share your stories, thoughts, and insights while studying at Kindai University, Osaka, Japan.",{"_type":14,"asset":15},"image",{"_ref":16,"_type":17},"image-e5476b326a4484e8c912f842b742f8be4de00edf-2993x1995-jpg","reference","Go Global.","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.sanity.io\u002Fimages\u002Fzbxc2ul2\u002Fproduction\u002Fc032be9c0b341a63d784449e3db69c83fdb2b4c0-2848x1504.jpg","This is an English-language media platform run by students and staff at Kindai University in Osaka, Japan. Here, exchange students and local students share stories, reflections, and insights about campus life and their experiences in Japan.","Kindai Global Media","Global Education Center, Kindai University",null,{"data":25,"sourceMap":-1},{"_id":26,"author":27,"body":33,"group":238,"image":23,"imageUrl":23,"publishedAt":242,"title":243,"visibility":244},"iZmE6w6BSMCojUl5KkywGS",{"avatar":23,"description":28,"fullName":28,"name":29,"slug":30},"","2697303039a",{"_type":31,"current":32},"slug","2697303039a-46jf",[34,46,58,66,115,122,130,138,145,153,160,168,184,208,230],{"_key":35,"_type":36,"children":37,"markDefs":44,"style":45},"138147bfffb3","block",[38],{"_key":39,"_type":40,"marks":41,"text":43},"138147bfffb30","span",[42],"strong","Brunei and Japan and their work culture",[],"normal",{"_key":47,"_type":36,"children":48,"markDefs":57,"style":45},"0379166a426a",[49,53],{"_key":50,"_type":40,"marks":51,"text":52},"0379166a426a0",[],"In attending the course, I have gain new information about the current work culture of the world, particularly Japan. I am also able to gain new perspectives from other students about their country’s work culture and opinion on it.\n\n",{"_key":54,"_type":40,"marks":55,"text":56},"0379166a426a1",[42],"Similarity of Brunei and Japan",[],{"_key":59,"_type":36,"children":60,"markDefs":65,"style":45},"9e3c3ea068aa",[61],{"_key":62,"_type":40,"marks":63,"text":64},"9e3c3ea068aa0",[],"One of the similarities of Brunei and Japan is in terms of their power distance and individualism. Power distance is the extent of less power members to accept that power is distributed unequally, while individualism is the degree of people to act as individual or as a group (Hofstede et al., 2010). Hofstede et al. (2010) found that Brunei have a high-power distance of 70 and a score of 30 in individualism meanwhile, Japan have a score of 54 in power distance and 46 In individualism. Although the score is quite different, when compared to western countries, Japan and Brunei is quite similar. This means both the countries have respect in seniority and centralized authority, as well as loyalty and strong relationships for groups and society.",[],{"_key":67,"_type":36,"children":68,"markDefs":114,"style":45},"5b7ce610dee3",[69,73,78,82,86,90,94,98,102,106,110],{"_key":70,"_type":40,"marks":71,"text":72},"5b7ce610dee30",[],"Work life balance has also been a challenge in both Brunei and Japan. In Brunei the common struggle among employees is the balancing personal growth and professional obligation. Employees, particularly teachers, have faced huge mental health changes, it’s reported that they face high levels of stress and expectations which affect their personal and professional lives. Support networks like the ",{"_key":74,"_type":40,"marks":75,"text":77},"5b7ce610dee31",[76],"em","Talian Sejahtera ",{"_key":79,"_type":40,"marks":80,"text":81},"5b7ce610dee32",[],"and the use of ",{"_key":83,"_type":40,"marks":84,"text":85},"5b7ce610dee33",[76],"Maqasid Syariah",{"_key":87,"_type":40,"marks":88,"text":89},"5b7ce610dee34",[]," principle have been established to address their work life balance and well-being. However, effectiveness depends on active participation of the employees. Meanwhile, in Japan, the cultural value of ",{"_key":91,"_type":40,"marks":92,"text":93},"5b7ce610dee35",[76],"Ganbaru",{"_key":95,"_type":40,"marks":96,"text":97},"5b7ce610dee36",[]," and",{"_key":99,"_type":40,"marks":100,"text":101},"5b7ce610dee37",[76]," Wa",{"_key":103,"_type":40,"marks":104,"text":105},"5b7ce610dee38",[]," have led to employs to highly dedicated to working for the companies. This can lead to employees to prioritize their companies need over their wellbeing, resulting in overworking and burnout leading to ",{"_key":107,"_type":40,"marks":108,"text":109},"5b7ce610dee39",[76],"Karoshi ",{"_key":111,"_type":40,"marks":112,"text":113},"5b7ce610dee310",[],"or death from work. Study indicated that mental health issues have been on the rise. Receiving help and getting treatment have been ignored and delayed due to society seeing it as weak resulting in under reported and untreated mental health problems. Reforms, work life balance policies and mental health awareness are being promoted. However, due the deep-rooted culture and systemic value, it led to ineffective reforms.",[],{"_key":116,"_type":36,"children":117,"markDefs":121,"style":45},"393cbb7371fe",[118],{"_key":119,"_type":40,"marks":120,"text":28},"393cbb7371fe0",[],[],{"_key":123,"_type":36,"children":124,"markDefs":129,"style":45},"4b96e5962f3f",[125],{"_key":126,"_type":40,"marks":127,"text":128},"4b96e5962f3f0",[42],"Class discussion and video insight",[],{"_key":131,"_type":36,"children":132,"markDefs":137,"style":45},"d769563cd54e",[133],{"_key":134,"_type":40,"marks":135,"text":136},"d769563cd54e0",[],"Within the course, we also engaged in active discussions with each other. Once we completed a quick survey, we discussed each other’s opinions and choices. This helps me to understand and learn more deeply about my other classmates. It allowed me to learn about their opinion regarding their work preferences, their priorities and at the same time learn how their country operates and how the current work-life balance is compared to my own country. We were also able to watch interview video with Gregory Clark, where he explains about Japan being very different from Korea and China. He also explains how Japan is a right-handed country, which has helped in reducing the damage cause during the Dread Depression",[],{"_key":139,"_type":36,"children":140,"markDefs":144,"style":45},"80edba705443",[141],{"_key":142,"_type":40,"marks":143,"text":28},"80edba7054430",[],[],{"_key":146,"_type":36,"children":147,"markDefs":152,"style":45},"402569028916",[148],{"_key":149,"_type":40,"marks":150,"text":151},"4025690289160",[],"Overall, the class have given me a lot of insight into Japan and other countries work culture. It also showed me how the Japan society has evolved very differently compared to other countries",[],{"_key":154,"_type":36,"children":155,"markDefs":159,"style":45},"b3f0204d6343",[156],{"_key":157,"_type":40,"marks":158,"text":28},"b3f0204d63430",[],[],{"_key":161,"_type":36,"children":162,"markDefs":167,"style":45},"1d35fbd7bf70",[163],{"_key":164,"_type":40,"marks":165,"text":166},"1d35fbd7bf700",[42],"Reference",[],{"_key":169,"_type":36,"children":170,"markDefs":183,"style":45},"551fef101f8e",[171,175,179],{"_key":172,"_type":40,"marks":173,"text":174},"551fef101f8e0",[],"Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). ",{"_key":176,"_type":40,"marks":177,"text":178},"551fef101f8e1",[76],"Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind",{"_key":180,"_type":40,"marks":181,"text":182},"551fef101f8e2",[]," (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.",[],{"_key":185,"_type":36,"children":186,"markDefs":205,"style":45},"3d5db1694686",[187,191,195,199],{"_key":188,"_type":40,"marks":189,"text":190},"3d5db16946860",[],"Haga, T., Tanaka, H., Fujiwara, K., Suzuki, Y., & Matsumoto, Y. (2024). The impact of work hours and cultural expectations on mental health in Japan. ",{"_key":192,"_type":40,"marks":193,"text":194},"3d5db16946861",[76],"Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (JHASS), 6",{"_key":196,"_type":40,"marks":197,"text":198},"3d5db16946862",[],"(3), 163–174. ",{"_key":200,"_type":40,"marks":201,"text":204},"3d5db16946863",[202,203],"82dc8f2dc549","underline","https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.36079\u002Flamintang.jhass-0603.750",[206],{"_key":202,"_type":207,"href":204},"link",{"_key":209,"_type":36,"children":210,"markDefs":228,"style":45},"5b33bc160894",[211,215,219,223],{"_key":212,"_type":40,"marks":213,"text":214},"5b33bc1608940",[],"Afdanizan, N., Mumin, M. A., Padilla-Valdez, N., Yueh, L. K., & Rahim, A. (2025). Evaluating institutional support systems for teacher well-being and worklife balance in Brunei Darussalam: Policies and practical outcomes. ",{"_key":216,"_type":40,"marks":217,"text":218},"5b33bc1608941",[76],"Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9",{"_key":220,"_type":40,"marks":221,"text":222},"5b33bc1608942",[],"(7), 983–997. ",{"_key":224,"_type":40,"marks":225,"text":227},"5b33bc1608943",[226,203],"16b7dfd1336f","https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.55214\u002F25768484.v9i7.8794",[229],{"_key":226,"_type":207,"href":227},{"_key":231,"_type":36,"children":232,"markDefs":237,"style":45},"59a0a3cb36f9",[233],{"_key":234,"_type":40,"marks":235,"text":236},"59a0a3cb36f90",[],"post here...",[],{"name":239,"slug":240},"Intercultural Dimensions & Understanding (Fall 2026)",{"_type":31,"current":241},"intercultural-dimensions-and-understanding-f2026","2026-10-04T09:13:20.714Z","Work in Japan and Brunei","public"]