The concept of culture is multifaceted and includes the language we speak, the food we eat, the values we share, and even the clothing we wear. If you are planning to interact with a new culture, even temporarily, it’s easy to overlook the role that attire plays in everyday life. How you present yourself in…
Rochelle Kopp: Narrowing the Gap between Japan and the Rest of the World
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…
Cooking Japanese Food at Home is Easier than You Think
Aki Sugiyama and her business partner Lillian Rowlatt have founded Kokoro Care Packages, a unique subscription service that allows customers to be delivered different kinds of Japanese ingredients and food monthly or seasonally. When I first heard of this company, I was intrigued by our common choice for the word Kokoro in our respective brand…
Living and Working with Nendo, the Japanese Fiscal Year
When does a new year in Japan really start? The obvious answer would be January 1, just like many cultures throughout the world. However, there’s another “New Year’s Day” in Japan, and that’s April 1. When spring is in full swing, cherry blossoms bloom and life begins anew. Introducing the Japanese Fiscal Year: Nendo (年度)…
Yuki Nivez: Teaching Japanese with Empathy and Precision
When it comes to learning Japanese, there are deceptively simple questions that most teachers struggle to answer. For example, “What is the difference between the particles wa and ga?” Or, ”Why is this word typed without kanji?” When I saw that Yuki Nivez, founder of Bow & Arrow Language, was succinctly answering some of these…
Insights on Japan’s Food and Beverage Industry with GourmetPro’s Ugo Bataillard
Ugo Bataillard is committed to helping foreign brands discover the rewards of entering the Japanese food and beverage market. As CEO and co-founder of GourmetPro, he partnered with COO Vincent Nicol to form an exclusive network of local consultants to support international brands of all sizes. In this interview, Ugo and I discuss his entrepreneurial…
JR East Japan Station Work: Your Office on the Go
Although Japan’s population continues to decline, the same cannot be said about Tokyo. Despite the government’s best efforts, the nation’s economy is increasingly centralized in its sprawling capital city. This situation is palpable in Tokyo’s packed trains and cafes where an increasingly mobile workforce scrambles to find quiet spaces for Wi-Fi- and caffeine-fueled bouts of…
Kasia on How to Discover Your Purpose in Life and Help Others Do the Same
The Japanese concept of ikigai can be defined as one’s “reason for living” or “purpose in life.” Living in accordance to your ikigai results in a sense of fulfillment. Kasia, founder of Ikigai Connections, has taken this concept to heart and built a business that helps people all over the world live up to their…
Iwata-san: Learning about Life and Leadership in Japanese
One of the things I love about interviewing experts and business leaders is the opportunity to learn while I work. I get to hear their experiences, process their wisdom, and share it with anyone willing to read the final product. While I was working on a recent project, a Japanese startup founder recommended a book…
How to Express Your Individuality and Maintain Harmony in a Japanese Company
Foreign professionals in Japan often struggle to communicate new, diverse ideas and opinions to Japanese colleagues in a corporate world that prioritizes harmony and consensus. Modern Japanese companies that operate globally recognize the importance of employing a diverse workforce. However, according to a survey featured in the Nikkei Asian Review, few companies have been able…