Indian teacher working in Japan says even ‘30 minutes’ of extra work is paid: ‘They are always thankful’

Indian teacher working in Japan praises work culture. (lucknowiinjapan/Instagram)

An Indian woman working in Japan as a teacher has drawn attention online after sharing her experience of the country’s disciplined and fair work culture, especially in schools. Japan is often associated with punctuality, efficiency and strict professional rules.

Pragati, an Indian teacher based in Japan, shared her thoughts through an Instagram video on her page lucknowiinjapan. In the video, she spoke about the work culture in Japanese schools and explained how teachers’ time is respected, regulated and fairly compensated.

In her video, Pragati highlighted that even a small amount of extra work is officially recorded and paid for. She revealed, “Even if you work 30 minutes more than your scheduled work hours you get paid for it.” She stressed that this rule is followed strictly and without exception, making it clear that overtime is not treated casually or ignored.

One of the most notable parts of Japanese school culture, according to Pragati, is the strict rule on working days. She also mentioned, “One is not allowed to work for more than five days in a row.”

Beyond rules and compensation, the teacher also spoke about the culture of respect that exists within Japanese workplaces.“They are always thankful if we do extra work and never force us to work beyond our hours. The manager himself said thank you to me,” she added.

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A post shared by Pragati 🌸 Between Saffron & Sakura (@lucknowiinjapan)

Pragati’s video quickly gained attention online and sparked a wave of reactions, especially from Indian netizens who compared the system with their own work experiences. One user commented, “I wish this were practised across all industries in India.” Another wrote, “Dream life of Indian teachers.”

Another user said, “Breaks my heart to see how far we have to go to match these standards. Breaks my heart that despite working extra, neither are we paid good or give a hike or valued.”