Anyone with even the slightest interest in cross-cultural communication in Japan has likely read an article, liked a tweet, or watched a video featuring Rochelle Kopp, founder and managing principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting. Before founding her company, Rochelle accumulated a wealth of experience by working for U.S.-based international consulting firms and the Tokyo headquarters of a major Japanese financial…

Becoming an English conversation instructor is one of the most common ways to build a career in Japan. Despite that fact, it can be difficult to find accurate, balanced information on what the teaching experience is like and where it can lead. To address this issue, I reached out to my network to help me authentically portray the English teaching…

I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Amélie Geeraert, Kokoro Media editor-in-chief, ever since we started producing articles and building brands for combrains, the parent company of Kokoro Media, in 2018. Over the years, Amélie’s passion for Japan has inspired her to create some amazing articles including fascinating interviews with artists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists from all over the country. Now…

First of all, I sincerely wish you the best for 2021, wherever you are.  Originally, I wanted this article to be bright and hopeful. I wanted to talk about what good things could be expected in Japan for the year to come. But this is proving to be difficult. At the time I am writing these words, Tokyo and nearby…

Dear readers, The entire Kokoro Media team would like to thank you for all of your unwavering support since the creation of Kokoro Media three years ago. Today, I am writing to inform you of two significant updates. First, I will be stepping down from my role as Kokoro Media Chief Editor in order to move on to the next…

Tim Sullivan, Japan-based cross-cultural educator, storyteller, and prominent expat voice on LinkedIn, has never been shy about openly sharing the joys of (semi-)retirement. Tim’s life is framed by Japan, from his formative youth to his golden years, enriched by cross-cultural business consulting experiences in North America and Hawaii in between. After getting to know Tim over the years, I couldn’t…

In 2021, I did my first interview with Go Nakano, CEO and founding member of the peanut butter company Happy Nuts Day. He talked about creating products that reflected his values and hoped to encourage the birth of new regional ventures in Japan. In Spring 2022, Happy Nuts Day announced that they were about to turn an abandoned school in…

“We who have witnessed the obscenity of war and experienced its horror and terrible consequences have an obligation to rise above our pain and suffering and turn the tragedy of our lives into a triumph.”–Ron Kovic The 1945 firebombing of Tokyo by U.S. warplanes is the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. In one night, over 100,000 civilians…

With perseverance, determination, and the right credentials, it’s possible to build the career of your dreams in Japan. For Japan’s foreign residents, a career in corporate recruitment is one of the most viable pathways to success. Recruitment isn’t for the faint of heart, but great rewards await those who approach the industry with the right skills, attitude, and mindset. Fortunately,…

This article is particularly exciting for me because I had the opportunity to chat with one of the world’s leading authorities on shochu, Chris Pellegrini. A Japanese spirit evangelist, Chris is passionate about spreading the gospel of shochu and awamori. He made a convert out of me! From talking shochu 101, to clearing up the differences between shochu and Korean…