Japanese Job Interview
Japanese Job Interview -- (8) when asking questions from your side

Japanese Job Interview -- (8) when asking questions from your side The interviewer will almost certainly ask, "Do you have any questions?" The more questions you ask, the more interested you are in the job. On the other hand, if you don't have any questions, it will be a negative evaluation, so make sure to […]

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Work in Japan: Japan Biz Cultural Words
Marushin Hamburger

Marushin Hamburger and Its History Marushin Hamburger that is well known for its TV commercial jingle “Ma~rushin, Ma~rushin Hanbāgu (Hamburger)” went on sale in the 1960s at a time when a food called hamburger was not yet familiar to the Japanese people.  This product enabled real hamburger to be easily enjoyed simply by taking it out […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Japanese People Prefer Indirect to Direct and Hate Emotional People

Japan—a Nation of Indirect Talkers When we do teambuilding work with Japanese and non-Japanese companies, we ask our participants to do a self-assessment of their communication style. They discover their general preferences for direct and indirect speaking. They examine how they would communicate in different scenarios—for example, how would they let someone know they did […]

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Live in Japan: Japanese lifestyle and its social culture
What is "sekihan" or "osekihan"?

Sekihan or osekihan is a typical celebratory rice dish served on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and festivals. Glutinous rice is steamed with red beans and takes on a pinkish color from the liquid that comes out of the beans. Sekihan always has something to do with happy occasions, so it is had by […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
“People might betray a person. However, efforts will never betray a person.”

Shigenobu Nagamori is probably one of the most popular company executives in Japan now. So his business method and thinking is very influential among many business executives in Japan. Let us look at his thinking briefly. “People might betray a person. However, efforts will never betray a person.” (Shigenobu Nagamori, Founder, President & CEO of […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Match Made: After a Long Engagement, Japan and India Tie the Knot

India-Japan Relationship BANGALORE—It’s a marriage made in heaven: The bride brings to the altar the world’s fastest-growing middle class—young, well educated and with money to spend—and the groom the world’s most advanced manufacturing technology and billions of dollars worth of soft loans to fund badly needed infrastructure projects. India and Japan need each other. Their […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
What is "Nengajo?" In Japanese business, it is essential practice.

Nengajo is translated as New Year’s Cards in English and its shortened form, “gajo,” is also used. The custom of sending nengajo traces back to the Meiji period (1868-1912), when postcards were first issued in Japan. Until then, people visited their relatives and acquaintances to greet them at the New Year, but nengajo enabled people […]

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Live in Japan: Japanese lifestyle and its social culture
What is AKB48? Why is it popular? Part of Japanese show business

Watching an AKB48 concert is like spending time at a French maid café – except better. This explains why while pretty French maidens are desperately handing out flyers on the main strip of Akihabara’s Electric Town while the tiny AKB 48 Theatre is packed with fans. AKB48 is a group of 48 young female entertainers […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
What is Japanese Style Presentation?

The Dynamite Presentation that Backfired In Japan a dynamite presentation just might backfire. As an interpreter, I have been in many sales presentations. I recall this one meeting between a small American firm and a large Japanese multinational. By American standards, the presentation was sensational. There was lots of white space, lots of photographs, and […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
What is Japanese people’s attitude toward work?

1. I can get something other than money. (2) 2. I have misgivings about the future of my work. (1) 3. I want to keep the same job for a long time. (5) 4. I am looking for a job that suits me or one I enjoy. (3) 5. I want to experience various kinds […]

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