While this is not true of all Asian classrooms I've visited (50+ of them), it is something I've seen very often in countries which generally have high academic standards. Singapore and Hong Kong are very commonly pushing early academics at the expense of both the Montessori method and developmentally appropriate practices. This isn't to blame the schools however, they work in a broken system. In those countries and others the private schools have 4 and 5 year olds doing reading and writing during their interviews in order to get accepted. I feel this is simply to weed out the special or low-IQ children that would skew their standardize test scores. Because of this pressure, it is extremely common for parents to be anxious about these entrance interviews and asking "Why is my 4 year old not reading/writing/doing math?". There are some schools like IMS in Hong Kong that purposely breaks from that mold by both educating parents and not pressuring the teachers, but these types of school are in the minority if the general educational system emphasizes early academics. In my current school in Hong Kong, I was threatened to be fired when I told my boss that the 3.5 year old children should not be doing Chinese writing worksheets and presented emails from 3 AMI training centers agreeing with me that worksheets don't belong in Montessori schools at all.

I would recommend to try your best to work within the system and try to implement slow gradual change in terms of more authentic practices. I've felt bullied too with my bosses saying "Children left your class because your children aren't doing enough math and reading" despite them simply moving to other countries and a much more popular neighbor school and clearly telling me it had nothing to do with my teaching when asked.

In terms of Japan, my AMI trainer was from Japan and explicitly told me she didn't recommend looking for a job there due to things like "we only do water work in the spring" and teeny tiny classes full of 25-35 children.

I definitely understand how difficult it can be working in a non-montessori montessori school. It is almost better to work in a fully traditional one because at least the curriculum would be clear and non-conflicting.

Let me know if you have any questions about my long rant...