Exploring the Source of Motenashi, Japanese-style Hospitality
Exploring the Source of Motenashi, Japanese-style Hospitality Why do Uniqlo’s services captivate people around the world? Japanese-style services are now drawing envious stares from many countries. Despite the fact that there are cultures of hospitality all over the world, why does only the Japanese one attract people’s attention? How different is Japanese hospitality from that […]
Cup Noodle and Its History, the first instant noodle in the world
Cup Noodle's History The product introduced here is Nissin Food Products’ Cup Noodle, the world’s first cup noodle. Fittingly, this year celebrates the 110th birthday of Momofuku Ando, the father of cup noodles. To commemorate the 110th birthday of the great inventor is the history of its developments about Cup Noodle. It helps when you’re busy. […]
Japanese Sense of Humor on Business
Japanese Sense of Humor on Business Suzuki, one of my Japanese clients, was making an emergency visit to his company’s US subsidiary. Something had gone very wrong with one of their suppliers, and there were two days of meetings to discuss possible solutions. “I get so frustrated when the Americans start joking around. This is […]
What is “karaoke”?
カラオケ “karaoke” Karaoke is a compound term consisting of kara, which means “empty”, and oke, which is short for “orchestra.” It has become popular now all over the world. In karaoke, people sing along to music from which the vocals have been deleted. The song lyrics are displayed on a video monitor. Karaoke rooms, where people […]
Japanese Value Societal Harmony and Fitting One’s Role
Japanese Value Societal Harmony and Fitting One’s Role Japanese value societal harmony. Every person should fit their appropriate role. This is more important than individual freedom of choice. In Japan, there is a strong sense of what are appropriate activities according to a person’s age and gender. In business, the typical Japanese career lifecycle is […]
What is Hayashi Rice? Was a Mr. Hayashi the First Person to Make Hayashi Rice?
A Couple of Theories Behind the Invention of Hayashi Rice Hayashi rice (hashed beef rice) is prepared by simmering sauteed beef and onion in a demiglace and tomato sauce or demiglace and red wine sauce and ladling this over rice in the same way as curry rice. There are various theories about the origin of […]
Mizkan’s Ajipon and Its History
Mizkan’s Ajipon It is said that vinegar is the oldest flavoring created by human beings. It was brought to Japan from China during the period of Emperor Ojin (360 to 404). More than 200 years ago, Mizkan succeeded in producing vinegar using the lees of sake (rice wine) for the first time in the world. […]
Stephane Danton: A French takes on Japanese tea
A French takes on Japanese tea Frenchman Stephane Danton is trying to remake Japanese attitudes to tea. That might seem a little presumptuous. After all, Japan has turned drinking tea into an art form, and surely needs little help from a Westerner to understand its national drink. Well, maybe. Danton, 44, persuasively argues that the […]
Turning Agriculture into Industry— Rising Above Environmental Dependence
Plant Factories – Their Potential for Improving Food Availability Within Agricultural Industrialization & Constraint of Resources Developments involving the industrialization of agriculture are again showing new life. New production systems called “factory production” or “plant factories” are becoming established as heightened consumer concerns about food safety and security add to the background of increased instability […]