John W. wrote:

> One of my oldest friends in Japan works for a prefectural government
> office (not in Tokyo). His hobbies are rock climbing and ultimate
> frisbee, among other thngs. He has ample free time to spend doing what
> he loves, spends every evening with his family, and proudly leaves
> home at 5:30 or so every day. He says he has been told that he has to
> work longer hours but he doesn't. He knows he does his job well,
> doesn't need the money from overtime, and would rather spend the time
> with his family. It's a choice, just like anyplace else, despite what
> the books/old men might tell you.

I heard a story of a newly-married guy who decided he was going to
buck the system and go home to his family every night at 5:30 or so.
Eventually his wife begged him to stay at work longer. It turned out
the neighbours had noticed his early arrivals and kept asking her about
them. Was everything OK in his work? Perhaps he was ill and had to
leave early? etc. etc. She became very aware that they were being
treated as an odd family because of his quite uncharacteristic behaviour.
It all got too much for her.

-- 
Jim Breen        http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/
Clayton School of Information Technology,
Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia
ジム・ブリーン@モナシュ大学