Workplace Situation Trainer
What would you actually do?
7 situations that SSW workers face in the first year — from overtime pressure to safety incidents. Choose your response, then see what Japanese labor law actually says.
Knowing the rules is not the same as responding correctly
Most workers know they are allowed to refuse unreasonable overtime. Fewer know how to refuse it in a way that doesn't damage the work relationship. Japanese workplace communication has norms around indirectness, face-saving, and timing. Practice builds the instinct to navigate these norms under pressure.
7 situations you will actually face
Unclear instructions from a supervisor. An overtime request you weren't expecting. A payslip that doesn't match your contract. Making a mistake at work. Calling in sick. Receiving critical feedback. A housing deduction you didn't agree to. These are not edge cases — they are the normal experiences of the first year.
Japanese phrases included
Every situation includes the Japanese phrase you would actually use — with pronunciation and a note on why that phrasing works. Knowing what to say and knowing how to say it in a way that lands correctly are two different things. Both matter for workplace relationships.
What this covers
This trainer presents 7 realistic workplace situations that SSW workers commonly face in Japan. For each one, you choose how you would respond — then see the reasoning behind the right answer and the cultural context that explains why.
Communication
Understanding instructions, asking questions
Work Hours
Overtime requests and pay tracking
Accountability
Reporting mistakes, the 報連相 principle
Health & Attendance
Calling in sick the right way
Pay & Deductions
Reading your payslip
Feedback & Hierarchy
Public criticism and supervisor dynamics
Accommodation
Housing deduction disputes
This is different from
Scenario Practice
Covers rights violations — illegal fees, passport seizure, wage theft. This trainer covers normal day-to-day professional interactions.
Go to Scenario Practice →Interview Prep
Covers how to answer job interview questions by track. This trainer covers situations after you are already on the job.
Go to Interview Prep →Vocabulary Trainer
86 workplace phrases in flashcard/quiz mode. This trainer focuses on what to say and when — not just the words themselves.
Go to Vocabulary Trainer →Scenario Practice
Recognize exploitation and rights violations before they happen — practice identifying warning signs
First Week Simulation
15 situations across your first 5 days in Japan — arrival, workplace, payslip, and rights
Workplace Phrases
60 essential Japanese phrases — greetings, instructions, safety, scheduling, and reporting issues