TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Japanese workers in Taiwan have found office life more comfortable than in Japan—they note that Taiwanese coworkers are friendly and work-related stress is lower.

In interviews with UDN, several Japanese citizens working in Taiwan related their experiences in different industries. They mention that usually Japanese colleagues will maintain a “distance” in the office, but that Taiwanese coworkers are more willing to form friendships.

The interviewees also noted that there are similarities in work cultures between Japan and Taiwan, which makes it easier for them to adapt.

Kinoshita Kensei (木下研生), who has worked in public relations Japan, China and Taiwan, said that Taiwan’s corporate culture is “bold” with a willingness to try new approaches, whereas Japanese corporations are more cautious and risk averse.

A Japanese teacher said that working in a foreign country is less stressful, though admits that there are language barriers.

Kensei noted that while he praises Taiwan’s office culture, the country lags behind Japan in staff training and company loyalty.

According to Ministry of Labor statistics, more than 20,000 foreign white-collar workers have come to work in Taiwan each year in the past three years, and Japanese make up the majority of those workers. The largest share of foreign white-collar workers last year were from Japan, followed by those from the U.S., Malaysia and Canada.

Last year 31,025 work permits were issued for white-collar foreign employees, with 8,575, or 27 percent, of those being from Japan.

1111 Job Bank Vice President Daniel Lee (李大華) said that Japan is a major economic power in Asia and with its historical ties to Taiwan, the two nations are well-connected economically. He added that as corporate cultures are similar, it is easier for Japanese to adapt to life and work in Taiwan, compared to workers from South Korea.

Yes123 spokesman Yang Tsung-pin (楊宗斌) echoed Lee’s statements, saying that Taiwan’s dependence on the Japanese economy is high. Taiwanese companies are some of the major suppliers to Japan’s technology industry. Therefore, it’s no surprise that local companies look to hire Japanese employees. There are also many Japanese companies that regularly send employees to Taiwan for assignments.

Yang added that foreigners enjoy life in Taipei because prices are relatively lower, and Japanese workers in particular find cultural differences to be less pronounced than in other countries.

In a recent survey by InterNations, Taiwan was ranked no. 1 in quality of life for expats, partly for its healthcare system and cost of living.