About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Who is Uesugi Yozan?

Present-day site of Uesugi Castle

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
The Magic of Leaves: Business of Selling Leaves in Japan

The producer who gave purpose in life and independence to senior citizens, and vibrancy to a depopulated area      Even after turning 100 years of age, if people can find “the joy of having a role,” new flowers will continue to bloom throughout their lives. Once senior citizens understand that there are things that even […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Impressions about Japan and Japanese People

Source: Dentsu Inc. survey of 9,212 valid respondents, ages 20-59, in the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, U.K., France, Germany, Russia, USA, Canada and Australia. In July of this year, the Dentsu ad agency released the results of its survey on “Japan Branding,” conducted in 16 foreign countries […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
How to Get Your Ideas Heard in Japanese Style Decision Making

How to Get Your Ideas Heard in Japanese Style Decision Making Getting Japanese companies to embrace new ideas takes a bit of work. What should you do when you are a foreigner working in a Japanese company? By P. Pringle An Opportunity Too Good To Pass up This is an example of navigating the Japanese […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Spirit of the SAMURAI in Japan: Through the Blue-eyed Karate Student

Japan is home to many world-famous martial arts. Sumo, Karate, Judo, Kendo, Aikido ... and the Ninjas have a martial art called Ninpo, which is necessary for assassins. The common denominator of all these is the relationship between master and student. This way of doing things and thinking can be found in many Japanese companies. […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Japanese Common Business Practice: "Nemawashi"

By P. Pringle A CEO’s Complaint A couple of years ago, I met the promising new American CEO of a Japan-related company. He is a talented, fast-track executive who is successful in the industry.  When I met him, he was very frustrated. He complained about all this “noise” coming from Japan. He said that various […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
Japan's Senior Business: The Arrival of Senior Business in Japan

The companies shifting toward senior business and new product development In 2020, the average life expectancy in Japan was 85.9 years for women and 79.44 years for men. In addition, the fertility rate was 1.3 children per woman. Based on these figures, the general population of Japan is expected to fall by around 33m to […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
The Techniques of Becoming a 100-year-old Company in Japan

There are many long-lived companies in Japan. The number of them is the highest in the world! The number of companies that have been in business for more than 100 years was surveyed by country. Japan has the highest number of 100-year old companies in the world, with 33,076 companies. This accounted for 41.3% of […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
No Kidding on Business in Japan: Japanese Businesspeople don't accept jokes

By P. Pringle A couple of years ago, I worked with a Japanese company that manufactured high-tech devices. The products were designed by Americans with support from Japan. Towards the end of each project, the head office sent a team of highly skilled Japanese test engineers for a final check. Invariably, the American engineers complained […]

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About Japanese companies and Japanese business people
What is Omotenashi? About Japanese style hospitality

John Mori meets with Japanese experts whose lives revolve around the concept of delivering the ultimate in customer satisfaction, and asks, What is Omotenashi? What is Omotenashi or Motenashi?  Any foreigner who has lived in Japan for an extended period of time will have been asked this question: “What’s your favorite Japanese word?” In my […]

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