In today's episode, I chat with Sam Thornton: a self-described bridge to Japan for startups and enterprise software vendors. He works to fuel growth in Japan for software companies by working to help employers acquire the talent they need for success in an ever-shrinking working population. In the episode, Sam shares his experiences transitioning from an English teacher to a recruiter, some of the "why"'s behind the talent crunch many companies face in Japan (and what that means for job-seekers), as well as what it really takes to pass N1 on the JLPT.

Today's word:

じこしょうかい

ji-ko-sho-u-ka-i

自己紹介

meaning: self-introduction

Sam's Links:

company: https://www.peloton.co.jp/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-thornton/

email: [email protected]

clubhouse: @samubansonton

Related Episodes:

Pursuing Mastery of the Japanese Language with Graeme Lawrence: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Pursuing-Mastery-of-the-Japanese-Language-with-Graeme-Lawrence-ekp1p5

Discovering Ma: Finding Success in Japan by Learning to Pay Attention with Byron Barón: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Discovering-Ma-Finding-Success-in-Japan-by-Learning-to-Pay-Attention-with-Byron-Barn-ejiru4

Managing Professional Relationships and Gaijin-Cards in Japan with Mac Salman: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Managing-Professional-Relationships-and-Gaijin-Cards-in-Japan-with-Mac-Salman-eh93ek

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

In today's episode, I chat with Maya Matsuoka, who is the assistant director at the Japan Association of Travel Agencies, or JATA. Maya is a multilingual professional who has worked in Japan for 19 years with extensive experience in the travel industry. She has also recently launched a great new website called Discover Deep Japan, which provides a bank of high-quality resources to help readers better understand the Japanese marketplace and what is needed to find success in Japan. If you’re interested in contributing to the Discover Deep Japan website, please reach out to Maya directly.

In the conversation, Maya shares some of her unique experiences building a new life and career in Japan. She also offers some insights into changes in the Japanese travel industry, as well as what may or may not change due to Covid-19. Maya also explains why it's important to gain some mastery of Japanese in order to be more effective working with Japanese people, as the language and its culture are tightly interwoven.

Today's Language: 

ごくろうさまです

go-ku-ro-u-sa-ma-de-su

meaning: "Thank you for your hard work." "You worked hard."

usage note: only acceptable to use with someone in an inferior position compared to you in the context (e.g. a boss to his subordinate)

Maya's Links: 

New Website on Doing Business and Working in Japan: https://japanexpertinsights.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-matsuoka/ 

Japan Association of Travel Agents: https://www.jata-net.or.jp/english/

Clubhouse: @mayamatsuoka

Related Episodes: 

Tourism and Covid-19: Effects and Opportunities in Japan with Bonson Lam: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Tourism-and-Covid-19-Effects-and-Opportunities-in-Japan-with-Bonson-Lam-ehut7k

Anne Hooghart on High- and Low-Context Cultures: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Anne-Hooghart-on-High--and-Low-Context-Cultures-eg3asl

Pursuing Mastery of the Japanese Language with Graeme Lawrence: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Pursuing-Mastery-of-the-Japanese-Language-with-Graeme-Lawrence-ekp1p5

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

In today's episode, I get to share a conversation I had with Katheryn Gronauer, founder of the company Thrive Tokyo. Katheryn is a professional trainer, coach, and content writer who helps high-level professionals understand Japanese business culture through training and coaching programs. She’s a graduate of Sophia University with a degree in International Business & Culture, a qualified Trainer and Change Management Facilitator, and a wellness coach. In the conversation, we discuss the struggles expats and their families face when moving to Japan for work, what the honeymoon period can look like for different individuals, and the importance of prioritizing holistic wellness to help cope with culture shock before it even takes root.

Today's Word: 

ていしょく（定食）

te-i-sho-ku

meaning: set meal (e.g. at a restaurant or cafeteria), typically focused on providing a "balanced" meal

Katheryn's Links: 

company website: www.thrivetokyo.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/katheryngronauer

Instagram: www.instagram.com/katheryngronauer

Clubhouse: @thrivetokyo

Related Episodes: 

Sébastien on Omotenashi and Special Diets in Japan: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Sbastien-on-Omotenashi-and-Special-Diets-in-Japan-ef8coh

Faye-Sensei on Culture Shock and the Power of Open-Mindedness: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Faye-Sensei-on-Culture-Shock-and-the-Power-of-Open-Mindedness-ees6v8

Discovering Ma: Finding Success in Japan by Learning to Pay Attention with Byron Barón: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Discovering-Ma-Finding-Success-in-Japan-by-Learning-to-Pay-Attention-with-Byron-Barn-ejiru4

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

In today’s episode, I chat with Seira Yun. Seira is the founder and CEO of Discover Deep Japan, and a social entrepreneur with years of experience leading teams across countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He holds a Master's in Social Innovation from the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, and is also fluent in Japanese, Korean, English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

Japanese of the Day:

もったいない

mo-tta-i-na-i

meaning: wasteful, waste

Seira's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seirayun/

Company: https://discover-deep.com/

Related Episodes:

Navigating Gender, Race, and Culture in the Japanese Workplace with Jessica Kennett Cork: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Navigating-Gender--Race--and-Culture-in-the-Japanese-Workplace-with-Jessica-Kennett-Cork-enu4ro

Diversity, Inclusion, and Cross-Cultural Leadership in Japan with Takahiro Shikano: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Diversity--Inclusion--and-Cross-Cultural-Leadership-in-Japan-with-Takahiro-Shikano-eoek3e

Finding Your Niche, Succeeding Socially, and Navigating Bureaucracy in Japan with Richard Mort: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Finding-Your-Niche--Succeeding-Socially--and-Navigating-Bureaucracy-in-Japan-with-Richard-Mort-epnuf9

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

In today's conversation, I speak with Chie Schuller of THK Manufacturing of America, where she is a leader in international relations and cross-cultural engagement with a focus on US-Japan relations. She shares insights from her long history of working as a "bridge" between Japan and the United States. We also discuss the importance of sharing cultural context in situations with potential miscommunication, emotional intelligence in the workplace, the importance of setting clear expectations in cross-cultural environments, and what the traditionally Japanese view of leadership as "parenting" has to do with management practices.

Today's Language:

それはちょっとむずかしいです

so-re-wa cho-tto mu-zu-ka-shi-i-de-su

literal meaning: "that is a little difficult"

real meaning: no

Chie's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chie-schuller/

Clubhouse: @chieschuller

Related Episodes:

Kasia on Hourensou: Improving Communication in Japan With... Spinach?: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Kasia-on-Hourensou-Improving-Communication-in-Japan-With----Spinach-ed15d8

On Being an Effective Communicator in Japan with Anthony Griffin: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/On-Being-an-Effective-Communicator-in-Japan-with-Anthony-Griffin-el1v9m

Navigating Gender, Race, and Culture in the Japanese Workplace with Jessica Kennett Cork: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Navigating-Gender--Race--and-Culture-in-the-Japanese-Workplace-with-Jessica-Kennett-Cork-enu4ro

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

In today's episode, I talk with Richard Mort, an international communication specialist who has decades of immersion in Japanese language and culture, cross-cultural understanding, and fluency in French and German. He shares his experiences, and we discuss finding your niche in Japan, finding family and woman/friendly companies, navigating the Japanese education and healthcare system when you need special accommodations, and why trying to master Japanese may not be the best use of your time.

Today's Language:

にほんごじょうず

ni-ho-n-go jo-u-zu

meaning: good at Japanese [casual]

Conversationally polite version: にほんごはじょうずですね ("Your Japanese is good!")

Richard's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmort/

Company: http://www.nativechecker.com/

Related Episodes:

Japanese Body Language: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Japanese-Body-Language-eas7c0

Cultivating Creativity in Japan: Succeeding by Being Radically Yourself with Angel Guevara: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Cultivating-Creativity-in-Japan-Succeeding-by-Being-Radically-Yourself-with-Angel-Guevara-eift3u

Pursuing Mastery of the Japanese Language with Graeme Lawrence: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Pursuing-Mastery-of-the-Japanese-Language-with-Graeme-Lawrence-ekp1p5

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

Today, I chat with Masanori Nagamine, a Japanese municipal official working to attract global startups, accelerators, incubators, and Venture Capitalists in IT and Life Science to the city of Kobe. Tokyo had better watch out, because Kobe is just one of the cities across Japan are fighting to attract international talent and startups. The city of Kobe is one of these Strategic Economic Zones, and in this week’s episode Masanori tells us a bit more about what support and obstacles foreigners can expect when founding a startup outside of Tokyo. Between generous subsidies, the Startup Visa, a lower cost of living, and the Kobe 500 Accelerator, listen in to hear why Kobe may just be the right home for you and your startup.

Today's Language:

ぼうねんかい 

bo-u-ne-n-ka-i 

Meaning: year-end party (usually for work), or "forget the year meeting" 

Kanji: 忘年会 

Masanori's Links:

Masanori’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masanori-nagamine-438a9417b/

Seattle Branch of the City of Kobe: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kobe-trade-information-office/

Kobe's startup ecosystem https://kobestartup.com/ 

Startup Visa https://kobestartup.com/ecosystem/startup-visa/ https://kobestartup.com/news/  

Kobe's general business information https://global.kobe-investment.jp/dl/document_pdf_e.pdf 

Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster https://www.fbri-kobe.org/kbic/english/

Related Episodes: 

Making the Most of a Nomikai: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Making-the-Most-of-a-Nomikai-ed786u  

Anil Raj on Entrepreneurship and Mentorship in Japan: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Anil-Raj-on-Entrepreneurship-and-Mentorship-in-Japan-egfc87  

Understanding the Japanese Marketplace with Natalie Meyer: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Understanding-the-Japanese-Marketplace-with-Natalie-Meyer-ejo3l3  

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Today, I talk with Takahiro Shikano, a global marketing strategist and partner solutions leader specializing in launching and growing sales of cutting-edge technology products across Fortune 500 partner networks who is currently a Global Account Marketing lead at Microsoft Corporation. In today's conversation, he shares his insights into what diversity and inclusion looks like in a Japanese professional context, as well as what his experiences have shown him it takes to be an effective leader cross-culturally.

Today's Phrase: おきゃくさまはかみさまです

o-kya-ku-sa-ma-wa ka-mi-sa-ma-de-su

meaning: The customer is god. [roughly the Japanese equivalent of "the customer is always right"]

with kanji: お客様は神様です

Taka's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/takashikano0219/

Related Episodes:

Discovering Ma: Finding Success in Japan by Learning to Pay Attention with Byron Barón (https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Discovering-Ma-Finding-Success-in-Japan-by-Learning-to-Pay-Attention-with-Byron-Barn-ejiru4)

On Being an Effective Communicator in Japan with Anthony Griffin (https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/On-Being-an-Effective-Communicator-in-Japan-with-Anthony-Griffin-el1v9m)

Navigating Gender, Race, and Culture in the Japanese Workplace with Jessica Kennett Cork (https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Navigating-Gender--Race--and-Culture-in-the-Japanese-Workplace-with-Jessica-Kennett-Cork-enu4ro)

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

In today's episode, I share a conversation with Jessica Kennett Cork, Vice President of Community Engagement and Communications at YKK Corporation of America. In this week’s episode of the podcast, Jessica Kennett Cork shares her experiences as a foreign woman working in Japanese companies, as well as her insights into how to successfully navigate cultural expectations regardless of your gender or race. She also explains how decision-making functions within Japanese companies, and why it’s so important for non-Japanese employees to cultivate “global dexterity.”

Today's word:

りんぎ

ri-n-gi

Meaning: The formal passing around of a written proposal in order to gain approval from all stakeholders within a company, typically in a bottom-up manner, that occurs in large and traditional Japanese companies.

Jessica's Links:

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-kennett-cork-ab41a812/   

Book Recommendations:

-JETRO booklet: https://www.jetro.go.jp/costarica/mercadeo/communicationwith.pdf   

-"Global Dexterity" by Andy Molinsky: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15824353-global-dexterity?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=xG3eVsNCFD&rank=1   

Related Episodes:

-Kasia on Hourensou: Improving Communication in Japan With... Spinach? (https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Kasia-on-Hourensou-Improving-Communication-in-Japan-With----Spinach-ed15d8)   

-On Being an Effective Communicator in Japan with Anthony Griffin (https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/On-Being-an-Effective-Communicator-in-Japan-with-Anthony-Griffin-el1v9m)   

-Meetings in Japan: Honne, Tatemae, and Nemawashi… Oh My! with Ken Okamoto (https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Meetings-in-Japan-Honne--Tatemae--and-Nemawashi-Oh-My--with-Ken-Okamoto-ekhnqr)   

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].

Today, I chat with IT recruiter and consultant Paul Roberts, a Tokyo-based IT recruiter with over twenty years of experience in the industry. He shares his own career and life experiences in Japan, and he touches on many interesting and practical topics such as work visas, networking, entrepreneurship, just to name a few.

Today's Word:

Paul's Links:

Related Episodes: 

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at [email protected].