Congratulations on covering the Year 2000 problem in Japan in your June 1997 issue ["2000 Will Be Too Late", page 53].This is the first time I've ever seen your magazine (I live in Toronto, Canada) and was pleased to see the coverage... [and] even more pleased to see that my website (http://www.year2000.com/) is mentioned.

Japan has been a concern of mine for a long time. From this end, there has been no indication that Japan was awake to this issue. This is repeatedly confirmed by conversations with vendors trying to acquire business in Japan.

Despite this feedback and the lack of visible activity, I've been reluctant to believe that Japan could be this far behind. I could explain away the perceived lack of activity in several ways [including that] vendors not knowledgeable about Japanese culture may be seeing a lack of activity due to their sales approach and not a lack of concern, [or] Japanese companies may be solving this entirely in-house because of the loss of face to admit that they have this problem (which is embarrassing even to us in America).

I find it difficult to believe that no action has been taken by a country which is known for its ability to plan for the future. Anyway... glad to see some coverage.

Peter de Jager

Your article on "workers' rights" ["Worker Rights and Obligations in the Japanese IT Industry," June, page 35] could have not been printed at a better time. I am in the midst of negotiating a new contract with an employer here in Tokyo, [and] this contract is probably one that would compare with the worst ones you have seen on workers' rights.

I am an IS manager/software development manager working on a yearly contract. In reference to your comments on noncompetition and nondisclosure agreements, I have never before seen a contract such as the one I am currently reviewing. [For example,] although the employment contract is only for one year, the noncompetition term is for three years after termination. Three years that I am prevented from seeking any type of opportunities with any of the "customers, partners, their affiliates, or branch offices anywhere in the world." And the nondisclosure agreement is for "all periods after termination." I guess that means forever.

In addition, there are clauses [such as] "The employee agrees not to take any action or make statement of a critical or derogatory nature against any employee or officer of the Company." Can they really do this in a noncompetition, nondisclosure agreement?

For those of us who do not fully understand legal terms, it is not easy to understand exactly what we are signing.

name withheld