Despite government attempts to increase labor mobility and gender equality, Japan’s labor market remains notoriously rigid. The lifetime employment system is still common and coveted. Obtaining the lauded status of seishain (permanent/regular employee) at an established organization means following a well-trodden path with little room for detours. Deviate from the status quo, for whatever reason,…
Saving the Cats of Amami Oshima Island
Amami Oshima cats live on an island between Kyushu and Okinawa, blessed with hot weather, white beaches, beautiful sea, corals, and a tropical forest with unique fauna and flora. In 2021, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, it is lesser known for its “feral cat management plan,” a euphemism for culling cats that…
Guy Perryman: Positivity, Persistence, and the Power of Music
For those of us living in Japan, Guy Perryman, the omnipresent radio DJ, voice actor, event producer, and writer needs little introduction. Since 1990, Guy has been sending good vibes over Japan’s airwaves via interfm radio programs and commercial narration work for major brands such as NHK, Uniqlo, Sony, and Honda. Even if you live…
Manabu Goto: Improve Your Japanese with Japan’s Senior Citizens
“All we have is the knowledge passed on to us by our elders, experiences we inculcate and hardly negate. But to bridge the generation gap, one needs to adapt to the new while retaining the goodness of the old.” This quote from Indian actress Sonali Bendre best represents my conversation with Manabu Goto, founder, and…
Life After Japan: The Lasting Impact of Living and Working Abroad
For those with more adventurous personalities, taking advantage of the opportunity to live abroad is an obvious choice. For many of us, however, the idea of living in a new country, with all the language and cultural differences that come with it, is a difficult decision, even for an incredibly appealing country such as Japan….
Buying an Akiya or Vacant House in Japan
Akiya, or vacant houses in Japan, have become a hot topic on international news websites. Articles about Japan giving away countryside houses for free or for 500 US dollars have fueled the dreams of people desiring to come and live in the Japanese countryside. Reality is much more complex—although rural real estate in Japan can…
Landing a Job in Japan in 2022: Career Outlook for Foreign Residents
To be honest, when I first conceived of this article, I was overly optimistic. In the fall of 2021, COVID-19 cases in Japan were at an all-time low, and there was that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it window where students and workers from abroad could once again enter the country. Then came the Omicron wave, and despite World Health…
Nagareyama City Mayor Yoshiharu Izaki: Diversity and Municipal Marketing in Japan
I first learned about municipal marketing in the mid-2000s while I was earning my MBA in California. During that time, The City of Riverside Development Department hosted an on-campus presentation about promoting the city to businesses around the country, and the world, to create a vibrant community and increase economic activity. Upon graduating, I joined…
Gary Luscombe: Crossing Cultures to Work in the Japanese Hospitality Industry
The traditional inn—the ryokan—is where Japan’s rich history intersects with the unparalleled hospitality and customer service that the country is known for. Steeped in tradition, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to work at a ryokan as a foreign resident of Japan. Thankfully, Gary Luscombe, who works at Amami Onsen Nanten-en, has…
Aguyoshi’s Funny Tokyo Street Dances
Aguyoshi is a very peculiar dance duo. You may have seen some of their intriguing, poetic, and funny videos on social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram. Formed by contemporary dancers Aisa Shirai and KEKE, the duo explores the streets of Japan (mainly in the wider Tokyo area), letting the places’ shapes and rhythms influence…