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Everyone knows that job stress has an obvious negative implication on health, specifically, the cardiovascular system. While various studies have been conducted and validated to establish that job strain increases the risk of a first coronary heart disease, little was known about the connection between stressful jobs and recurrent coronary heart disease.
Recently, however, scientists have decided to bring their research to the next level by studying nearly a thousand men and women who returned to work after having a heart attack. Observations were made for the first six weeks after their return to their jobs, and the again two years later. Early findings show that the people who return to a chronically stressful job after a heart attack are twice as likely to experience another heart attack than those with stress-free jobs. Job strain, as specifically defined by researchers, involves high psychological demands with low decision control. If the stress of the job doesn’t change upon return to work, there is a much higher risk of having another heart attack or developing angina and coronary heart disease.
A heart attack occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the heart becomes blocked. Due to the lack of blood flow, it results in a permanent damage to the heart. Blood vessels are blocked by advancing atherosclerotic plaque lesions, a sudden formation of a blood clot, or from the spasming of a coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart.
Many people have the notion that a heart attack is caused by a slow, progressive build-up of plaque. To think that a blood vessel takes a lifetime to become completely clogged is simply not true for most cases of heart attacks. When an unstable, atherosclerotic plaque lesion, filled with cholesterol and fat, suddenly breaks apart, thus forming an open wound within the artery wall, a heart attack occurs. Blood platelets and clotting proteins rush to the wound and form a clot, called a thrombus. In a matter of moments, the clot can enlarge and may cause obstruction of blood flow to the heart with resultant angina (chest pain). If the blood flow becomes completely obstructed, a heart attack ensues.
In addition to the evidence linking workplace stress and heart disease was another study on the occurrence of cardiac events and heart attacks on Monday than any other day of the week. A study carried out by Japan’s Tokyo Women’s Medical University and published in the American Journal of Hypertension showed that many workers suffer a significant increase in blood pressure as they return to the office after the weekend.
High blood pressure is associated with a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke, and the results could help to explain why there are more heart attacks on Mondays than at any other time of the week.
While workplace stress can have a negative impact on your health, marriage, on the other hand, can be good for your health. However, it is important to be more specific as a bad marriage can increase the risk of heart disease as compared with married couples who are having great relationships.
There should be enormous amount of research has to be taken place to answer the queries like – What is Teacher Stress? What is Teacher Job Satisfaction? How far Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction are correlated? How far Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction are related to Pupil out comes in different areas of classroom learning? The impacts of Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction on achievement of Educational objectives are to be answered.
The absence of a high dropout rate and job turnover among Indian teachers does not necessarily mean that they do not experience stress and lack of job satisfaction. This may be due to entirely different reasons like non-availability of alternative job opportunities and fear of taking risks. It is hard to believe that they do not experience stress and are not frustrated and disillusioned with their professional life under the situations prevailed in the institutions and social conditions. Experiencing constant dissatisfaction with the job has many repercussions for the individual’s adjustment to work as well as in personal and social life and may have magnetic impact on individuals’ total personality and resulting substandard performance.
Coats and Thoresen (1976) in their review of studies on Teacher anxiety quote the NEA report to show the growing incidence of teacher anxiety. Kyriacou and Sutcliffe (1978) in a study of 257 in a study of 257 teachers of 16 schools in England noted that 15.6% found being a teacher ‘very’ stressful while 4.3% found it ‘extremely’ stressful (total 19.9%). David, W.Chan and Eadaoin, K.P.Hui (1998) reported that regardless of gender and guidance status, teachers with low stress and high support levels generally reported less general psychological symptoms, and teachers with high support level reported less specific symptoms related to anxiety and sleep problems. Whereas the studies of Arikewuyo and M.Olalekan (2004) disclosed that the average Nigerian teacher prefers to organize him/herself in such a way that his/her pedagogic duties will not be hampered by domestic chores. It also implies that, whenever the teacher is stressed, he/she consoles him/herself with the fact that work is not everything and therefore feels less stressed. The teachers never use the active cognitive strategies. Their feeling is that nothing probably can be challenged in stressful situations. The teachers also express mixed feelings about the adoption of inactive behavioural strategies.
While in the case of Teacher Job Satisfaction the studies of Garett, R.M. (1999) that the evidence available from mature educational systems identified a complex picture in which job satisfaction, itself a multi-faceted concept, was closely related to the other key factors of work life complexity and work centrality. The studies of Zembylas, Michalinos; Papanastasiou, Elena (2004) findings “An adapted version of the questionnaire developed by the “Teacher 2000 Project” was translated into Greek and used for the purposes of this study that had a sample of 461 K-12 teachers and administrators. This showed that, unlike other countries in which this questionnaire was used, Cypriot teachers chose this career because of the salary, the hours, and the holidays associated with this profession. While Naik, G.C. (1990) found that ad hoc teaching assistants of the M.S.University, Baroda, were satisfied with their jobs mainly because of their favourable attitude towards the teaching profession, financial consideration and the facilities which they were getting for further studies; marital status, age, experience and gender did not affect their level of job satisfaction; leadership qualities of heads of institutions promoted job satisfaction, and group goals and objectives were essential parameters in determining the job satisfaction of teachers. Sex, experience and background variables had no bearing on job satisfaction.
Objectives of the Study:
I) Studying the significance of – (1) relationship between Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction; (2) relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Stress; (3) relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Job Satisfaction;
II) Studying the Significance of difference between demographic and professional variables like Sex, Locality, Qualification, Age, Marital Status, Experience and Type of Institution in respect of Teacher Stress and Job Satisfaction.
Hypotheses:
1)There is no significance of relationship among the selected sample of Secondary School Teachers in their Stress and Job Satisfaction
2)There is no significance of relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction Scales.
3)There is no significance of difference between the Teachers in their Stress and Job Satisfaction taking the Variables like Sex, Locality, Qualification, Age, Marital Status, Experience and Type of Institution.
Sample:
The sample selected for the present investigation is covering with 178 secondary school teachers from different Institutions situated in different areas. Random sampling technique is followed to draw the sample for the present study.
Procedure:
In order to test the hypotheses the investigator is planned and executed in four phases. In the first phase developing and standardization of Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction self-rating scales. In the second phase measuring the Teachers’ opinionnaire with the help of above two self-rating scales. In the third phase using appropriate statistical procedure is adopted to find out the significant relationship between Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction. In the fourth phase using appropriate statistical procedures to find out the significant difference between the different demographic variables of teachers in their Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction.
Analysis of Data:
The following statistics ere calculated for arriving at conclusions like co-efficient correlation to find the relationship between Stress and Job Satisfaction and also obtained the Critical Ratio values variables wise.
Table 1
Table showing significance of ‘r’ between
Teacher Stress and Teacher Job Satisfaction
Variable category
N
df
‘r’
Probability
Teacher Stress
Teacher Job Satisfaction
178
176
0.69
Significant at 0.01
Level
Table 2
Table showing the inter-correlation Matrix of various
Dimensions of Teacher Stress of Uday’s Scale
Intensity of work
Students’ Behaviour
Professional growth
Extrinsic Annoyers
Total Teacher Stress
Intensity of work
1.00
0.46
0.36
0.58
0.41
Students’ Behaviour
1.00
0.62
0.45
0.38
Professional growth
1.00
0.54
0.61
Extrinsic Annoyers
1.00
0.45
Total Teacher Stress
1.00
Table 3
Table showing the inter-correlation Matrix of Various
Dimensions of Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale
Professional
Teaching Learning
Innovation
Inter-Personal Relations
Total Teacher Job Satisfaction
Professional
1.00
0.56
0.48
0.37
0.29
Teaching Learning
1.00
0.65
0.45
0.34
Innovation
1.00
0.39
0.47
Inter-Personal Relations
1.00
0.38
Total Teacher Job Satisfaction
1.00
Table 4
Table showing the significance of difference of Mean Between Teachers
taking the various variable into consideration in their Stress
Variable category
Mean
S.D
N
C.R
Male Teachers
Female Teachers
92.65
99.28
22.97
20.91
86
92
2.01*
Rural area Teachers
Urban area Teachers
100.11
93.15
22.13
18.61
67
111
2.16*
Teachers with TTC
Teachers with B.Ed.,
94.74
102.54
22.36
19.33
56
122
2.29*
Below 35 years Experience
Above 35 years Experience
85.37
90.64
22.91
22.74
80
92
1.54@
Married Teachers
Unmarried Teachers
102.37
96.74
19.31
22.09
94
84
1.8@
Below 15 years Age
Above 15 years Age
97.29
103.51
20.86
19.46
98
80
2.06*
Residential
School Teachers
Non-residential
School Teachers
96.72
91.14
21.73
17.85
74
104
3.87**
**Significant at 0.01 level
*Significant at 0.05 level
@Not Significant at any level
Table 5
Table showing the significance of difference of Mean
Between Teachers taking the various variable into
consideration in their Job Satisfaction
Variable category
Mean
S.D
N
C.R
Male Teachers
Female Teachers
94.65
100.26
21.62
20.22
86
92
1.78@
Rural area Teachers
Urban area Teachers
99.49
92.12
18.71
16.87
67
111
2.65**
Teachers with TTC
Teachers with B.Ed.,
95.54
101.45
20.44
18.51
56
122
1.84@
Below 35 years Age
Above 35 years Age
94.75
85.73
21.69
22.72
98
80
2.69**
Married Teachers
Unmarried Teachers
100.85
93.74
22.29
19.43
94
84
2.27*
Below 15 years Age
Above 15 years Age
102.15
93.69
19.63
20.86
92
86
2.36*
Residential
School Teachers
Non-residential
School Teachers
101.52
92.59
21.37
18.52
74
104
1.98*
**Significant at 0.01 level
*Significant at 0.05 level
@Not Significant at any level
Conclusions:
1) There is significance of relationship between Stress and Job Satisfaction among the Secondary School Teachers.
2) There is significance of relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Stress.
3) There is significance of relationship between the dimensions of Teacher Job Satisfaction.
4) In respect of Teacher Stress, there is significance of difference between the variables – Sex, Locality, Qualification, Age and Type of Institution. Whereas the Teachers in respect of Experience and Marital Status categories do not differ significantly.
5) In respect of Teacher Job Satisfaction, there is significance of difference between the variables – Locality, Experience, Age, Marital Status and Type of Institution. Whereas the Teachers in respect of Sex and Qualification categories do not differ significantly.
From the above findings it is concluded that the Teacher Stress and Job Satisfaction aspects are independent and interdependent.
References:
1) Ahuja, D.C., ‘Mental health Hazards among School Teachers’, The Educational Review, 8, 1976, 155 – 157.
2) Barr, A.S., ‘Measurement of Teaching Efficiency’, In growing points in Educational Research, Official Report of American Educational Research Association, 1949.
3) Garrette, H.E., ‘Statistics in Psychology and Education’, New York, David Mc.Kay Co., Inc., 1966.
4) Guilford, J.P., ‘Psychometric Methods’, Mac.Graw Hill Publishing Co., New York, 1954.
5) Guilford, J.P., ‘Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education’, Mac.Graw Hill Pub.Co., Inc., Tokyo, 1978.
6) Gupta (1981),’Job involvement and need patterns of Primary School Teachers in relation to Teacher Effectiveness’, Ph.D.,Edu., All.Univ
7) Jenkins, C.D., ‘Psychological modifiers of responses to Stress’, Journal of Human Stress, Dec., 1979, 3.15.
8) Kyriacou, C. & Sutcliffe, J. ‘Teacher Stress – Prevalence, Sources, and Symptoms’, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 1978, 48, 158 – 167.
Those who are in tuned to what is happening in the auto industry know for a fact the current trend concerning U.S.’ Big Three and Japan’s version of the Big Three. While General Motors, the Ford Motor Company, and the Chrysler Group are experiencing tough times, Japanese car manufacturers are enjoying continued success.
Last year, General Motors and Ford declared loosing a substantial amount of money as they struggle to compete with Japanese made vehicles. Chrysler, on the other hand, is steadily loosing money prompting DaimlerChrysler AG to put the American brand in the auction block. The Big Three from U.S. have also been cutting down shifts on their plants and even closing facilities as well as reducing their workforce.
Meanwhile, Japan’s three biggest car manufacturers have been enjoying increased sales in the United States and all over the world. And even as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are slashing U.S. jobs, Toyota, Honda and Nissan are busy setting up plants in the U.S. and in their home turf as well. The increased attention to constructing and expanding plants in Japan is the result of the increasing demand for luxury models and hybrid vehicles.
Most of those vehicles are made in Japan and that is also where Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti are based. Tsuyoshi Mochimaru, an auto analyst for Deutsche Securities in Tokyo, has this to say about the trend: “It doesn’t make sense to produce everything abroad. The idea is that rethinking quality begins in Japan.”
The focus in their homeland by constructing plants in Japan is evident in the planned setting up of production facilities by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. In 2005, Toyota opened an engine manufacturing plant in southwestern Japan. The said facility is tasked with producing engines for luxury models of the Lexus division.
Recently, the surging car manufacturer announced that they will be expanding the said plant as the demand for luxury vehicles from Lexus increases. The expansion will begin next year and will create additional 500 jobs for the area. The said facility was the first production plant constructed by Toyota in Japan in about 20 years.
Honda, the second largest car manufacturer in Japan, is also planning to construct an assembly plant in Japan. Completion of the said plant is expected by 2010. By constructing the plant, Honda will be providing 2,200 direct jobs and hundreds more indirectly. The said plant will be Honda’s first plant to be constructed in Japan in 30 years. This shows the increasing success being enjoyed by Honda. In the U.S., the car manufacturer is now closing in on Chrysler Group in terms of market share.
Nissan, another Japanese car manufacturer with increased sales of hybrid and luxury vehicles in the United States, is also planning to expand their operation in Japan. Last year, the company completed the construction of an engine plant in Japan producing engines for their luxury vehicles under the Infiniti brand, vehicles that are aesthetically sound especially if equipped with Nissan spoiler.
Recently, the company announced that they will be investing in the expansion of their Yokohama plant to produce more engines as the demand for their vehicles in the United States seems to be gradually increasing.
It can be remembered that Japanese car manufacturers constructed plants in the United States to appease Americans who are blaming them for the reduction of the workforce of U.S.’ Big Three. While these Japanese car manufacturers have already plants in the United States, select models are made in Japan and exported to the United States. The Toyota Prius is one concrete example of that.
Amid the shrinking market, the Nissan Motor Co. has announced the slashing of up to 1,500 blue and white-collar jobs in Japan through a voluntary retirement programme for its employees. The scheme, set to begin this coming June, will be open to workers aged 45 and above in non-managerial posts, a Nissan spokesman said. It will be the very first job cut Nissan will be entertaining in its hometown.
Japan’s third-biggest automaker has seen its domestic sales of non-mini vehicles dropped in the middle of tough competition thus forcing the company to announce a cutback in production at two domestic auto plants from April to June. Additionally, Nissan also closed down one of three lines at another factory in southern Japan just last September. The closure was attributed to the slow sales of the Nissan Teana high-end sedan.
The Teana, a front wheel drive mid-size car, was introduced in 2003. The car is exported as the Maxima and the Cefiro to specific markets. It shares the same platform with the North American Maxima, Altima and the Presage. Under the hood of the Teana is either the 2.3 or 3.5 liter engine which blends well to the automatic transmission. It is also equipped with trusted auto parts like the Nissan AC condenser, engines, suspensions, brakes, radiator, and more. The car is offered in four trim levels – the 230JK, 230JM, 230JS, and 350JS.
“The program will probably cost Nissan about 20 billion yen ($169 million) and we don’t expect much of an impact on earnings,” said Koji Endo, a senior auto analyst at Credit Suisse Group in Tokyo, who rates Nissan shares as “neutral.”
“The program is part of the number of actions to boost performance,” said Simon Sproule, the Nissan North America Corporate Communications Vice President. Nissan will also release 11 new or redesigned vehicles this fiscal year.
The automaker has offered a similar program in the United States, where more than double the expected number of employees accepted the package. A total of 775 workers agreed to leave the Smyrna, assembly plant and Decherd engine and transmission factory, both in Tennessee, the company said last month.
Nissan turned to buyouts after U.S. sales of its cars and light trucks dropped 5.3 percent last year to 1.02 million and that is its first annual decline since 2001. Nissan’s U.S. sales increased by 3.2 percent during this year’s first three months. The U.S. accounts for almost 30 percent of the automaker’s global sales.
Nissan, held 44 percent by Renault SA of France, introduced a few new models last year. Moreover, it endeavors to produce new product lines soon. Also, the automaker recently cut jobs in the US, where its sales slumped last year, where it said 775 workers at two Tennessee plants had accepted voluntary retirement last month.
Chief executive Carlos Ghosn had promised last month to draw up additional measures to help Nissan meet its targets, but the company has missed the targets. Nissan slashed its annual profit forecast after seeing a 22 percent decline in earnings in the October-December quarter. The backtracking forced Ghosn to declare his company in a “performance crisis.”
Earlier this month, Nissan said it may miss a key sales target it aimed to hit next fiscal year, in another blow to Ghosn’s comeback plans. The Japanese automaker is aiming to sell 4.2 million vehicles worldwide in the fiscal year ending March 2009 as part of its three-year revival plan.
But weak performance in 2006, blamed on a dearth of new products in North America and slow sales in Japan, may mean it might take longer to meet the target, said a Nissan spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The company is due to announce full-year results and updates to the “Nissan Value-up” business plan on April 26.
After I graduated college with a B.A. in Music, I decided (as many recent college grads do) that I would set out and see the world. Unfortunately, one month after I graduated, student loan bills started rolling in. After receiving many “cease and desist” letters from the loan company after trying to coax them into giving me a year off to see Europe and the Americas, I realized that I had no choice but to get a job. After seeing so many of my friends graduate college only to find debt and low wages on the other side, I knew that I couldn’t just settle down and fill the first position that would hire me. My mind began to stir with ways I could travel AND make money.
After my ass had become sore from my own kicking, wishing I had majored in journalism (hehehe I got into the field anyways!), I read an article in a music magazine about working on a cruise ship, so I applied. As it was, the cruise ship was only a few weeks away from its trans-Atlantic Mediterranean cruise and their dinner-music string quartet desperately needed a cellist. Having played double bass extensively, but never cello, I applied anyways and spent the following week learning all the Brahms and Strauss I could on that old bugger. Unfortunately, the audition piece was from the Baroque period, but I managed through it and got the job.
And what a job it was! I was able to see places I’d never dreamed of, all while enjoying the full amenities of a 5-star cruise ship. My room and board were paid for, so my seemingly small paycheck was all able to be funneled into my student loan. It was fantastic, but as all dream jobs go, it didn’t last very long—my stringed comrades and I were replaced with a set of speakers and an iPod by the next cruise season. Apparently the ship had been serving sub-par beef and our jobs were the first to go in order to provide better food for the patrons.
This job left me with a rare disease that sends those who suffer from it all over the world in search of a cure… I had caught the traveling bug! With my student loans finally paid off, I had literally no savings to fund such a trip, so I needed to find a job that would either take me on the road, or let me take it. After tossing around the idea of being a trucker, I later rejected the idea because I’d embarked on road trips all around the Southwest… there’s nothing to see out there! Just a lot of flat, straight roads and cows everywhere, and boy do those cattle stink! I needed something that would take me further away from home and I found such a job building, oddly enough, tradeshow exhibits.
At first I thought, how hard can it be? Nailing together some plywood, maybe a little painting and gluing? Boy was I wrong. The exhibit manufacturer is a truly artistic outfit and the design behind their exhibits shows. I was able to travel all across the United States and as far west as Asia building these exhibits. Though I’m not getting paid to rosin a bow and draw strings anymore, I enjoy the work I do. Being an exhibit manufacturer It’s still a venue for my creativity, I still get to work in harmony with my colleagues, and between the setup and dismantling of the exhibits, I get to go out and explore the cities we visit. In fact, we’re in Tokyo right now for three days! You would not believe how amazing this city is! I can’t wait to see it after the sun goes down! Sayonara!
In an economy where companies are cutting jobs and it’s hard to find jobs more and more people are going overseas to teach English. The pay and benefits are great and there is a whole new experience waiting around the corner. Teaching experience is not a requirement. As long as you are proficient in English there are masses of English institutions that are looking to hire you. Whether you are looking for a institution to teach English overseas or you are looking to teach English privately, this can all be found online.
Through the online network, English teachers interested in teaching English can find place to teach English in Korea, teach English in Japan, teach English in Osaka, teach English in Tokyo or anywhere abroad and also teach private students interested in learning English. English education is gaining popularity all over the work and teachers and students will be able to benefit from online services available to them.
The site providing the English tutorials feels privileged to be an extraordinary portal, which offers the talented individuals amazing opportunities for showing their aptitude. The site on a regular basis offers a plethora of private one on one sessions for students and tutors who are situated in Japan, China and Korea. To commence lessons a minimal fee is applied, and that too only once the student and teacher are ready to get started. For registration, no fee is applied.
An additional feature, which the site offers is the option of finding jobs in a preferred country through simply accessing job board and submitting the resumes via the resume boards. Along with this, the site keeps on offering unique and exciting solutions time to time. On the resume board, the potential enthusiast will be able to find in the top job searcher through all posts and latest posts. Also, search can be made by entering a particular keyword in the search box of resume board.
Before you arrive, make sure that you make the necessary arrangements with a valid working visa/permit which may be arrange through your English education employer. One more point that you should keep in mind while registering with the site, is to ensure that you are already within the country where you wish to search private learners and are set to begin immediately.
When a student selects you then you might choose to accept or refuse the student’s request. The first rejection does not involve any cost whereas on second denial, penalty will be applied on you, as the learners will pick you as per your profile and the information you provide.
If you have the skills and expertise to teach English, you can find various online opportunities to earn a good income for yourself. There are students that are always searching for the online programs that can help them in learning English. Teaching English is one of the lucrative and profitable professions for those who have the right skills and experience for teaching students in various parts of the world.
Since varied options for English teaching jobs are available online, the teachers can find the best opportunities by making use of the various options that are made available for teaching English as a secondary or foreign language to the students. The online service providers have well qualified and talented teachers that get excellent opportunities to share their knowledge and show the skills possessed by them to the students.
If you find yourself capable of teaching English online, all you need is to get yourself registered to begin searching English teaching jobs. There is no requirement for you to pay registration fees. Also there are online facilities for one on one private tutoring. While you need not pay the registration fees, there is a small fee applied at the time when both the students and the teachers begin with mutual consent to take lessons.
It is extremely easy to search for the jobs by simply accessing the job board to search for the various jobs to teach English in Korea, Japan, China and other international jobs. You can also post resumes on the resume board where it employers will contact you suitable job in accordance with the preferred location. Once posted, you can get access to all the job openings to teach English overseas.
Finding jobs onliine teaching English in Shanghai, teaching English in Tokyo and various other destinations is gaining popularity these days. It is helpful for both the teachers who want to opt for English teaching jobs, for recruiters looking for English teachers as well as for the students for getting educated and become proficient in English. English is the most used global languages and is preferred by more students as it can be helpful in opening better job opportunities throughout the globe.
Teachers have opportunities for teaching English in Beijing, teaching English in Osaka and other destinations abroad where they can provide the students with the adequate knowledge about the English language.
English teaching jobs are one of the most satisfying and exciting career options as the teachers are well paid and also enable them to meet new people from various parts of the world who have keen interest in learning and practicing the language. With the availability of jobs online, it is easier to have great teachers teaching students the basics of English.
Students learn English not only for the improvement of their communication skills but significant knowledge of the language can help the person in working with different parts of the world without English being a language barrier.
Tokyo Tower is a 333 meters high steel structure, similar in style to the Eiffel Tower, situated in the Minato area of Tokyo right next to the Shiba-Koen park and is well worth a visit as there are amazing views from the two observation decks and plenty of attractions underneath in ‘Foot Town’.
From the ground it looks quite impressive and in daylight it is distinctive by its red and white paint job; by night the tower looks very pretty when it’s all lit up. At one time it must have been one of the tallest structures around however these days it’s dwarfed by Tokyo’s many skyscrapers.
I visited Tokyo Tower with friends on a very wet evening in late May 2009. As with most Japanese tourist attractions, there were plenty of friendly staff in smart uniforms waiting in the entrance hall to guide you and help you buy your ticket. Most of the staff seemed to speak some English. We bought tickets for both the Main Observatory, at 150 meters, and the Special Observatory, located at 250 meters. According to their current prices, that’s a total of Y1420 (about £9).
After buying our tickets, we went by lift to the Main Observatory. This observation deck is laid out over two floors. Here, we spent some time having a drink and listening to live music in the lounge-bar area known as Club 333. The bar was quite busy but we still managed to find a table and we found the combination of low lighting, panoramic views and live jazz very pleasant and relaxing.
After that, we had a walk around the upper level of the Main Observatory which, as you might expect has large windows all the way around and extensive views across Tokyo. Information about the skyline and various landmarks was displayed in both Japanese and English. Even with the rain coming down, there was plenty to look at and it was lovely to see all the lights coming on as the sky darkened.
When we had finished in the Main Observatory, we proceeded to the upper Special Observatory via the lift. Being much higher than the Main Observatory, the Special Observatory is smaller and the views are much more expansive, giving you a real idea of the layout of the city. Of course, in the dark, it was difficult to distinguish particular districts however one area that did stand out was Shibuya which appeared as this little colourful, flashing island among the yellow and white lights of the surrounding streets.
As we were walking around the upper level, we were sure that we could feel the tower moving in the wind! We pretended to be scared for a little while but I’m sure it’s normal for this kind of structure (maybe it was a bit worse than usual because of the bad weather) but in any case we soon forgot all about it and got on with enjoying the fine views.
When we had finished here, we went back down in the lift to the exit floor and had a quick look around one of the gift shops. Actually, before that we visited the toilets which were, as is normal in Tokyo, western style and clean.
The gift shop was full of the usual kind of souvenir rubbish which can be fun if you want something to remember your trip. I’m not normally susceptible to this kind of thing but, seeing as Japanese tat is my favourite kind of tat, I bought a pink Tokyo Tower dangler for my mobile phone. There are a lot of other strange attractions around the base of the Tower in ‘Foot Town’. Maybe kids would enjoy waxworks and bendy mirrors but, since each of these extra attractions required a separate entrance fee and we were getting hungry for dinner, we didn’t bother.
All in all, we had great fun at Tokyo Tower and would recommend it as a tourist attraction. How much longer you will be able to visit the tower, however, is a little uncertain. The tower is currently used to broadcast analogue TV but now a new, taller broadcasting tower is being built to accommodate Japan’s switch to digital television in 2011 and I wonder if they will keep the original tower as an attraction and piece of heritage or simply pull it down and redevelop the land.
Getting There
The closest subway stations are Onarimon Station on the Mita Subway Line and Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Subway Line.
Hamamatsucho Station on the JR Yamanote and JR Keihin-Tohoku Line is about 15 minutes walk.
When you are visiting another destination, you would ideally want to get adjusted in a short period of time and quickly move on to getting your work done. If you take too long with the adjusting phase, there might not be as much time left to get on with your job and finish the work that you were sent out to do in the first place. In order to facilitate this, there is what is known as serviced apartments on offer. In fact, people across the world over know that Tokyo serviced apartments are probably the best in the world of serviced apartments.
There is a clear reason for this accolade; it is not without proof. Over time, the concept of service apartments has reached pretty much all corners of the world. But, in Tokyo, the apartments come very close to bringing you a homely feel. In fact, the service provider takes extra care in providing you with possible every amenity and creature comfort that you might ever need. You will not have any reason as such to complain about and might even get too used to the feeling of staying in such a well equipped place. This unique charm of Tokyo serviced apartments has captivated numerous travelers to the region.
In terms of what is on offer, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Pretty much everything you can dream of is provided in these Tokyo serviced apartments. Everything, right from a fully furnished and loaded kitchen to even a fully equipped living room should keep you entertained and in comfort whenever you are in home. People who like to cook themselves a meal will be absolutely thrilled to make use of the amenities available in the kitchen for them. All these options make this an absolute dream to be in and potentially something that you wouldn’t want to let go of quickly!
One has to speak about the location of these apartments as well, without which the description would be rather incomplete. Almost all of the Tokyo serviced apartments are located in very welcoming neighborhoods where you might find the beauty of nature intertwined with the modern concrete structures to create a perfect symmetry. The location is something that draws in people every now and then and in most cases, you might even be surprised that you are actually living in such a place. Many people can only dream of buying houses in such areas and hence, a serviced apartment has got to be the next best option that they can go in for.
Added service to the apartment like a maid, a fully loaded fitness center and even a round the clock security system are all part of the deal. All in all, you won’t have much to complain about with these apartments. In fact, this is easily one of the better choices to take up and definitely something that you should consider if you want to enjoy the good life while in Tokyo. Check out some of the Tokyo serviced apartments at a reputed realtor to learn more about them.
Do you dream of a job promotion, yet somehow it never comes? Perhaps it’s because you’re dreaming too much and not taking initiative. If you want to get promoted, you’ve got to take action. Here are 7 action steps to help turn your dream promotion into a reality.
1. Be on time all the time
It may seem like a no-brainer, but how can you expect a promotion at work if you’re consistently late? Employees who squeak in even a couple minutes late are sending signals to the boss that work is where they’d rather not be. Show your boss you’re eager to begin your day by showing up at least 10 to 15 minutes early, with time to spare to make your coffee and get settled before working.
2. Work extra hours
This, of course, is a tricky one. While you don’t want your job to dominate your life, you do want your boss to see you as someone who will give a little extra to the organization, and that includes offering to stay late if needed.
3. Dress for success
Image is everything. If you want to be seen as a professional, then you have to start dressing like one. While this may seem shallow, your appearance is a visual cue to the boss of what type of employee you are. Will you be one who slaps something on in the morning for your dead-end position, or are you one who dresses like you already are a professional?
4. Learn something new
Go the extra mile by learning new skills. Find out about the technical knowledge required in the position you’re aiming for and then learn about it, either by enrolling yourself in training programs provided by your employer, or enrolling in classes in your community or online. Nowadays it’s important to have some knowledge about computing, and you should learn it even if the company doesn’t provide it or tell you to do so.
If your company has offices in other countries, you may consider learning a new language, specifically one that is used in one of your major offices. This means that you can function wherever you may be assigned. Just in case your company needs a new manager in Tokyo or Paris, they’ll know who to promote.
5. Ask for more responsibilities
Asking for more responsibilities signals to the higher-ups that you may be ready to move up the company ladder. You’re no longer the average Joe or Jane who’s just putting in time, but rather someone who has initiative and cares about the success of the company.
6. Learn public speaking
This may not be necessary for some positions, but often when you move up in a company, you may be called upon to give a presentation, or address a group of people. Be ready for it by acquiring some public speaking skills. This will not only help in giving presentations to groups of people, but will also help with small group interactions, where you might be called upon to present an idea to your boss and other leaders of the company. You can take public speaking courses at the community college level, or join a Toastmasters group, where you will receive much needed practice giving speeches.
7. Make yourself known to the Human Resources Department
No one knows the staffing needs of the company better than the Human Resources Department. Get to know members of that department so you can stay informed of future job openings. Make it a point to let them know who you are, and that you’re interested in moving up. That way, when a position does become available, you will be among the first people they consider. Of course, this also can be a bit tricky. The last thing you want is to be phony and pushy. Try to make your presence known without becoming that annoying person they all try to avoid.
These are just some of the ways to go the extra mile to move up at work. Yes, it all takes effort. But, hopefully, the rewards will be great.
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