The most embarrassing job failure among Japanese biz people
<The most embarrassing job failure among Japanese biz people> 1. Was tongue-tangled on the phone 2. Hung up the phone instead of putting the caller on hold 3. Misused honorifics 4. Sent an email to the wrong person 5. Fell asleep at the desk 6. Said my name instead of the company name 7. Shut […]
Koikeya's Karamucho
Karamucho Koikeya's Karamucho With its success as Japan's first mass producer of potato chips and its position as a comprehensive maker of snack foods, Koikeya put on sale in 1984 the popular snack Karamucho. At the start, however, their boasted spicy hot flavor was not accepted initially making it difficult to market. So, let's take […]
Mochi and Its History in Japan
Mochi（餅 もち）and Its History in Japan The Roots of Mochi Are in Rice Balls When you hear the word mochi, you probably have the image of sticky rice cake made by pounding steamed rice with a pestle in a mortar, where the pounded rice is pulled into small pieces and rolled into balls. However, this […]
The Anatomy of a Monster Parent in Japan
By an Australian living in Tokyo The term “monster parents” has exploded in popularity since it was coined in 2007. Yoichi Mukoyama, a former teacher and now an education commentator on NHK, wrote about the increase of parents who made unreasonable demands on teachers and schools. Catchy and easy to understand, it described a type […]
The Decline of Neighborly Relations in Japan
Greeting Your Neighbors When Moving in By an Australian living in Tokyo When I got married to my Japanese husband, one of the rituals I had to perform as a new bride was to greet all the neighbors of my in-laws. My husband, my mother-in-law and I went to about six houses bringing them each […]
When Working with Japanese Coworkers
How to Work with Japanese Coworkers By Patricia Pringle They hired me for my expertise, but… Joe was a process engineer at a Japanese company, working on a product that would be designed in the United States, manufactured in Japan, and then sold in the United States. He was an expert on the design lifecycle […]
What is Ema in Japanese?
Ema （絵馬 えま） Japan is a land of many deities. This is the time of the year when Shinto shrines receive a flood of supplications to the god of knowledge. These ema (wooden votive tablets) bear students’ prayers for passing school entrance examinations. Since people are always requesting special favors, gods in Japan aren’t able […]
What is your image of a head-hunting company in Japan?
What is your image of a head-hunting company? 1. A chance to increase my annual income 2. A chance to assess my value 3. Benefi cial to changing jobs 4. A good source of information 5. Lack of the protection of personal information 6. Doubtful since the system is not clear 7. None of […]
What are the strengths of Japan and Japanese?
What are the strengths of Japan and the Japanese? 1. History and tradition 2. Beautiful nature 3. Art and culture 4. Low crime rate 5. Diligent work ethic 6. Freedom and peace 7. Humanity and politeness 8. Advanced scientific technology 9. High educational standards 10. Economic prosperity Source: The Cabinet Office David Atkinson was once […]
What is Pachinko?
Pachinko （パチンコ） Pachinko is a game invented in Japan and sometimes described in English as “Japanese pinball.” Some new ideas and devices have been added to pachinko machines such as incorporating the function of a slot machine. Most people play pachinko just for fun, but some do it for a living. Pachinko is not a […]