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, […]
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 […]
Shiseido’s Eudermine
Shiseido Eudermine When speaking of a representative cosmetics manufacturer in Japan, the first one that probably comes to most people’s minds is Shiseido. Shiseido was early to promote sales in China and other foreign countries and has now become a proud Japanese brand throughout the world. Did you know that the cosmetic product that Shiseido […]
Useful Japanese word (5): 手締め（てじめ） “tejime”
“Tejime” “Tejime” means closing with handclapping. It is a sort of ceremony marking the successful end of an important activity. But nowadays it is commonly done at the end of a casual drinking session with your coworkers or bosses. All of the participants do a series of claps in unison. Variations include ippon-jime, in which […]
What is the Technical Intern Training Program for Foreigners? An easy-to-understand explanation of the new system!
What is the Technical Intern Training Program for Foreigners? An easy-to-understand explanation of the new system! The number of foreigners currently living and working in Japan was more than 2.8 million as of June 2019, an increase of 98,323 (3.6%) from the end of the previous year, a record high. Most of them have permanent […]
What is a "Specified Skilled Worker" Residency Status about "raw materials industry" in Japan? It has been started April 2019
In order to make it possible to accept foreign human resources in Japan in industries where there is a serious shortage of workers, on April 1, 2019, a new status of residence was granted: "specified skill". 14 fields such as nursing care, construction, and food service industry are designated. One of them is "raw materials […]
Play or Work: New SOHO building in Tokyo Bay area
It is not a posh hotel or sample rooms of an expensive condo. It is a newly built SOHO (Small Office, Home Office) building in the bay area of Tokyo. Some people feel that play and work should never be mixed. But here, the boundaries between play and work seem non-existent. Sure enough, various parties […]