Rules for English- Speaking Women and ian-jo

and men too (to some extent) who are working for a Japanese company.

We've heard a lot about how stressful the Japanese workplace is. Harassment by male colleagues or even your boss can be very common if you're a foreign English-speaking woman. Here are some rules she may need to be aware of:

....if you think you took a day off as part of your sick leave, get ready to work an extra day for that.

* Gossip: Both men and women, young and old, adore your privacy. Don't ever share a personal story with your colleagues if you don't want the cleaner talking about it.

The rest are in a letter to the editor of the Japan Times Online here

Another letter discusses the meaning of the word ian-jo which former prime misister Nakasone claims was a recreation center for men to chat, gamble, and knit. OK, he didn't actually say knit. But he was trying to wiggle out of an embarrassing part of a book he had written years ago in which he stated the he had established an ian-jo for his men. Most people thought that meant a place where his men could visit so-called comfort women (often sex slaves), but Nakasone set everyone straight by explaining that it was all innocent fun.

The writer stated that ian-jo, used in the context that it was used in the Imerial Army had a "special meaning" with a "sex element" added. The writer is Japanese.