Japan’s Newly Made Innovative Products
Move It! “Hakobunder,” an eco-friendly Cycle Trailer from Aichi Prefecture-based Belair Systems, features a gutterless joint (patent applied for) designed to attach to the seat post of most bicycles. The noise-free joint has been specially designed to guard against lateral tipping over. The manufacturer foresees such applications as transporting waste for discarding, working home vegetable […]
Only Fast-food Chain in Okinawa
A&W Root Beer, the venerable American fast food chain, only operates in Japan’s southernmost prefecture, Okinawa. I suppose the main reason is because of the large concentration of U.S. military on the island. Unlike the paper cups used by other fast food chains, the root beer (which contains no alcohol) consumed on the premises is […]
The Principles of Cheap, Good, and Fast for Business Success
The Principles of Cheap, Good, and Fast for Business Success Many stores are closed due to the new coronavirus, but services essential to daily life are still running. Not only supermarkets and convenience stores but also barbershops are one of them. Recently, there are more places where you can cut your hair at around 1,000 […]
How can we make the sale in Japan?
How can we make the sale in Japan? By Ryoji Shimada “Cold calling is not standard in Japan” Some non-Japanese people ask “What I really want to know is how to do cold calling with the Japanese. I want to know how to call up and make the pitch for a sale.” In my experience, […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (5): Umbrella Pilfering
Umbrella Pilfering The Japanese are famous for their honesty. Over the years, foreign visitors have been amazed at how wallets have been left in very public places – restaurants and restrooms – and they have been returned with its content completely intact. There is one exception to the impressive honesty of the Japanese – how […]
What is “Ochugen”? What is“Oseibo”? What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (4): Culture of Giving a Gift
Culture of Giving a Gift: “Ochugen” and “Oseibo” In Japan at midsummer, gifts are exchanged between companies or individuals. These gifts are called “ochugen.” This practice traces back to the custom of sharing with relatives and neighbors one’s offerings to the souls of family ancestors during “bon” (the Buddhist souls’ day festival). Nowadays, however, it […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (3): Slippers Culture
(3) Culture of Slippers Japanese are sometimes amused when foreigners make cultural faux pas, but when it comes to mistakes about changing shoes, some people get genuinely upset. The need to change shoes is not specifically a religious practice and performed in other countries. However in Japan, the Shinto belief of frowning upon impurities is […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (2): diagnose personality by blood type
There is a tendency to diagnose personality by blood type in Japan. “Before coming to Japan, I had no idea what my blood type was,” says Christine, a 21-year-old Swiss woman studying at a Japanese university. “But time and time again, Japanese friends would look so disappointed when I said I didn’t know. Finally, I […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (1)
Heated bidet toilets and convenient store rice balls top the list of Japanese things foreign residents love about this country. “The toilets freaked me out at first. But now I’ve looked into bringing those seats home with me. It’s too bad though American bathrooms don’t have electric outlets in the right places,” says Jeremy, an […]
Who is the decision maker in a Japanese company? What is “Senpai” and “Kohai”?
Who is the decision maker in a Japanese company? What is “Senpai” and “Kohai”? “Senpai” and “Kohai”: Japanese-style hierarchy within a company In Japanese companies, ranking is based primarily on age and length of service. Things are changing, but most Japanese multinationals follow the traditional lifetime employment model for their elite employees. New hires enter […]