Now and Zen Japan

This episode we discuss fashion in Japan and premium dog food. Not two topics often mentioned in the same sentence, but very related to today's guest Mr. Loic Bizel. Loic started his own fashion consulting business in Tokyo nearly 30 years ago and runs two very successful fashion related websites (see links in the notes below). He was one of the co-founders of the fashion "flash sales" site Gladd.jp in 2009. He's referred to as a "Trendspotter" and "Cool Hunter" by the media and is considered one of the utmost foreign experts on Japanese fashion trends. In 2017 he started a new DTC business focused on premium dog food. Using his experience in eCommerce, spotting new "trends", and understanding the Japanese psyche, "Leo & Lea" specializes in a growing niche for organic pet food with a unique customer experience. This is another insightful and fun listening episode. Other topics we cover:

• Fashion in Japan is about being part of a community
• Why Japanese prefer to spend on fashion over home improvement
• How fashion trends start in Japan
• The role and importance of "Select Shops"
• How the Japanese fashion market has changed in the past 30 years
• The Moncler story of how puffer jackets went from niche to BOOM in Japan
• Defining Fashionable vs. Trendy
• Why Tokyo is the best fashion capital in the world
• Dogs in Japan are treated as family members
• Why Japanese are happy to pay a premium for organic dog food
• In Japan you are not a pet "owner" you are referred to as a pet "parent"
• Favorite Japanese word (Shoganai)

Loic Bizel: https://lebiz-consulting.com
Fashion In Japan: https://fashioninjapan.com
Leo & Lea Premium Dog Food: https://leoandlea.com
Japan Adventures via Camper Van = Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

• Use the code word "ZEN" to receive discounts

This episode I speak with Brendhan Kelly, the Hospitality Communication Manager for the Tysons Group of restaurants. Tysons is most well known for Ivy Place, Cicada, Smokehouse, and the iconic TY Harbor Brewery in Tennozu Isle. If you have dinned at any of these restaurants you were most likely impressed with the unique level of personalized hospitality. This is a direct result of Brendhan's input and influence. We discuss Tysons brand of "Global Hospitality" and how he trains and imparts this with staff and mentors and empowers them to become "experience creators".  You will also hear about how after years of consulting work, he suddenly switched careers in his mid-40's, walked into a Tysons restaurant and said "I want to work here". Other highlights from our conversation:

• The difference between "Service" and "Hospitality"
• A story about entertaining 350 South Africans during the rugby World Cup 
• How he empowers staff to give personalized service
• Pet peeve about restaurants in Japan
• The big break which catapulted him to his current position
• Mentoring techniques to teach better hospitality
• The best compliment he could ever receive
• The story behind the IPA name
• How his father's business and childhood influenced his interest in hospitality
• The one establishment which has better hospitality than his chain
• How hospitality affects the bottom line in the restaurant business

gugu Sleep Company https://gugu.jp
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life
Brendhan Kelly: https://www.tysons.jp/en/recruit/interview-brendan
Tysons & Company: https://www.tysons.jp/en/about

This episode I sit down with Katsura Sunshine, the only Western Rakugo Master Storyteller in the world and only the 2nd in the history of traditional Japanese Rakugo. He shares his fascinating journey from Canadian playwright and musical producer to Master Japanese Rakugo Storyteller.  We dive into the details of his three-year apprenticeship, the hardships and rewards. How he became an international Rakugo ambassador not only on Off-Broadway but around the world. Toward the end of the podcast we even get to hear a short traditional Rakugo story translated into English. Other topics we discuss: 

• The genius story behind why his Master made him bleach his hair blond
• Why he does not localize the traditional Rakugo stories when presenting in English
• How he got his first big break to internationalize Rakugo
• The differences between stand-up comedy and Rakugo
• Indentured servitude for three years and menial jobs is part of the apprenticeship
• The real meaning and purpose behind the apprenticeship
• How he convinced his Master to take him as an apprentice
• New Yorkers reaction when seeing him in kimono in public
• Rakugo stories are very family friendly, but there is an "adult" version as well

Katsura Shinshine's Website: https://www.rakugo.lol

More Now and Zen episodes: https://www.nowandzen.jp/
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life
gugu Sleep Company: https://gugu.jp

I’ve been doing the Now and Zen podcast for exactly 3 years. That’s 80 episodes with many great guests, wonderful stories, fascinating insights, and I’m often asked, who was my favorite guest.  That’s a lot like asking a parent, who their favorite child is, it’s obviously a tough choice and one best not publicly announced. However I can say one of my favorite episodes was number #48 from October 2021 with Kaki Okumura.  So it’s with much pleasure that I introduce today’s guest, once again Ms. Kaki Okumura. Kaki is Japanese but was born in the US, lives in NYC and was visiting Japan over the New Year holiday when we sat down again to record another awesome episode.  We discuss her passion for writing about “Japanese Principles to Live a Longer & Happier Life”.   Her insightful, logical, and empathetic writing style is so refreshing to read and is actually changing peoples lives. So much in fact, her writing caught the attention of international literary agents and she will be publishing her first book in March of 2023. We talk about healthy living inspired by Japan, guilt-free snacking, how to overcome self-doubt, and of course her new book titled “Wa, The Art of Balance”.  Other topics we discuss:

• What she means by “Learn to be healthier inspired by life in Japan” 
• “Health” is not just about diet and exercise but also feeling comfortable in mind and body
• Cultural differences between moderation and portions when dining in Japan vs. the West 
• The psychology behind why Japanese are so healthy 
• Japanese empathy (and phrase) toward boredom snacking and the concept of having a “Lonely mouth”  
• Personal empathy and the connection of living guilt free through moderation and being kind to oneself 
• The importance of counting memories not calories 
• Kaki’s challenges of being a successful writer while maintaining her “own voice” 
• Celebrating baby steps and taking on a playful mindset when setting goals 
• Explaining “YDK” a Japanese slang term for “Even a child can do it” or “Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained” being an important mindset 
• The inspiration and back story behind writing her first book “Wa, the Art of Balance” 

Kaki"s Website: http://www.kakikata.space
Kaki's Blog: https://kokumura.medium.com/

More Now and Zen episodes: https://www.nowandzen.jp/
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

This episode I speak with Joseph Delmastro, the author of Cultured Gaijin.   It’s a unique book set in 1970s Japan about what happens when Joseph, an airman stationed in Tokyo, breaks free from expectations and fully embraces Japan’s traditional way of living and loving.  However it’s much more than just a memoir, it’s also a travelog, a cultural and Japanese language reference guide, and it’s also a love story in more ways than one. You will hear all about the motivation behind writing his first novel, what made the details authentic, how the many colorful characters changed his life forever, and why there may be a second book or even a series in the works, this time focused on the 1980’s and 90’s. Finally Joseph offers free copies of his book to the first five listeners to contact him after listening to this episode. Contact details are at the end of the podcast and also in the show notes below. Other topics we discuss:

• How writing comments on a Youtube video led to writing his first book
• The life changing influence of climbing Mt. Fuji on his very 1st day in Japan in 1977
• The meaning behind the title “Cultured Gaijin”
• Explaining the Japanese concept of “Amae” (Dependence) and referencing two classic Japanese culture books every foreigner should read
• Highlighting Japanese culture through his own experiences in the late 1970”s
• Japanese hospitality has changed in the past 45 years
• How friends letters from over 38 years ago helped in many details of the book
• “A price will always have to be paid for the privilege of enjoying Japanese culture”
• A few favorite untranslatable Japanese words

The Cultured Gaijin Website: https://culturedgaijin.com/
Contact Joseph: [email protected]
Buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.jp/

More Now and Zen episodes: https://www.nowandzen.jp/

gugu Mattress Company: https://gugu.jp
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

Have you ever thought about working for a Japanese company in Japan, but were turned off by all the stories of long hours, low pay, slow career path, no incentives for performance, archaic hierarchy rule setting, social drinking requirements and more? Then this episode is for you. Alvin Tan is here to discuss his recent  controversial article on Medium titled “Why More Foreigners in Japan Should Work for Japanese Companies, Six reasons why you should consider working for one”. 

It was quite the combustible article in that it generated nearly 100 negative comments on Social Media. It seems that most of the Twitter-verse Japan experts firmly believe working for a Japanese company is a career death sentence. We discuss his 6 reasons why this is not the case. In fact I have also worked for two Japanese companies and I would not be where I am today without this great experience. Thus, I was inspired to offer my own 6 reasons why foreigners should work for Japanese companies. So together we examine 12 reasons why foreigners should work for Japanese companies.  Other topics we discuss:

• Was he surprised about the backlash to his article?
• Learning a lot about real Japan via Japanese corporate culture
• Mastering the Japanese concept of QC, Customer Service, or Hospitality
• The difference between Otsukaresama and Gokorosama?
• Why Japanese companies don't have clear job descriptions
• Credentials being less important than on-the-job training and a can-do attitude
• Unless you seriously mess up, one is unlikely to get fired
• The pay isn’t good, but the benefits are usually great
• Gaining a new circle of friends and meeting a significant other
• You get paid to practice Japanese
• Being a great stepping stone for better job opportunities
• Alvin's two favorite untranslatable Japanese words

Alvin Tan on Medium: https://medium.com/@alvintwrites
Alvin Tan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-tan

More Now and Zen episodes: https://www.nowandzen.jp/

gugu Mattress Company: https://gugu.jp
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

This episode we deep-dive into well-know, but often misunderstood Japanese culture topics with Kiyoshi Matsumoto. Kiyoshi is the author of the  book “Japan Unmasked, Understanding Japan and its people”.  Kiyoshi is Japanese but has lived outside Japan for 33 years working in the travel industry. During this time he has spend countless hours explaining Japanese culture to his foreign guests and realized there are a lot of common misconceptions about Japan and the Japanese. He wrote Japan Unmasked to set the record straight. This book covers many modern and contemporary topics and is not overly academic at all. Its a fun read and covers concepts such as Wabi-Sabi, Ma, Uchi-Soto, and many others. Kiyoshi lists his top three foreign misconceptions and why Face is everything in Japan. Other topics we cover:

• Uso mo houben (white lie) and how it relates to harmony in Japan
• The backstory behind writing “Japan Unmasked” 
• Why modern non-academic topics and chapter titles for Japan Unmasked
• Wabi Sabi and Ma explained from Kiyoshi’s perspective
• Impermanent, Incomplete, Imperfect, the three “I’s” of Wabi-Sabi
• 4.6 Amazon rating and the one review which made him most happy
• “Perfection” in Japan is used as a defense, and relates to face
• Why he has not had his book translated into Japanese, but predicts the Amazon ranking 
• True or false:  Japanese only smile in photos when they make the two-finger piece sign
• Top three foreign misconceptions of Japanese: Productivity, Personal Space, and No Individuality 
• Uchi-Soto (in-group & out group) and Omote-Ura (Public face and private face)
• His favorite untranslatable Japanese word

Japan Unmasked: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Kiyoshi-Matsumoto
Kiyoshi Matsumoto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyoshimatsumoto/

More Now and Zen episodes: https://www.nowandzen.jp/

gugu Mattress Company: https://gugu.jp
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

Drinking wine should be a relaxing event and lifestyle enhancer, at least this is how Swirl co-founder Federico Fanelli views it. Originally from Italy, Federico came to Japan on a mission to introduce the wine lifestyle to Japanese. After a few years selling wine B2B, he together with his co-founder started Swirl, an online wine subscription service. Swirl is a very user friendly website incorporating gamification, fun navigation, and a super easy searchable wine cellar with over 140 wines from 5 major wine countries. Today I speak with Federico about the inspiration behind Swirl, scalability in a market not known for wine drinking, why the wine buying experience is usually disappointing, how Swirl creates an enhanced customer experience, and why they chose the company name Swirl, despite this potentially being the hardest English word ever for Japanese to pronounce. Other interesting topics of discussion:

• How the business idea for Swirl was born while drinking at a wine bar with his now co-founder
• How the Swirl website uses "Gamification" to increase visitor conversion rates
• Creating an enhanced customer experience to make a wow wine experience
• Free unsolicited business ideas - for Swirl
• Why most foreign wine business in Japan usually have a foreign customer base 
• The wine selection process - Tasting over 2,000 wines to select 140 for the Swirl website
• Why there are no Japanese wines on the Swirl website
• Karate and a cultural anthropology book became the catalyst for interest in Japan
• Favorite untranslatable Japanese word - the Mottainai concept
• Importing wine into Japan is simple, but creating a wine business is a lot more difficult
• Most important lesson learned working in Japan

Swirl Wine: https://swirlwine.co.jp/
More Now and Zen Japan episodes: http://nowandzen.jp

Great Sleep Starts Here = gugu Sleep Company: https://gugu.jp
Japan Adventures via Camper Van = Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

Use the code word "ZEN" to receive discounts

This episode you will hear from Dominic Carter, an expert on Japan market entry, market research, and branding. Dominic shares great insight, knowledge, and current research results, for anyone working in Japan or looking to expand into Japan needs to hear.  You will learn the 3 Golden Rules for Japan market entry success, the 4 Marco Trends shaping modern Japan, as well as numerous great quotes about how to succeed in the Japanese market. This is must listen to anyone doing business in Japan. Other topics we discuss: 

• How the future of Japan will be better with a smaller working population
• Doing sales in Japan is more of an art than a science and what is "aggressive positioning"
• Why Dominic is overly generous in his offering of free, but valuable market entry content on his blog and social media
• The best definition of "insight" 
• Learn the "Four Macro Trends" shaping modern Japan and how they will affect marketing and the future of doing business in Japan
• "Scarcity Value" and how this relates to the youth of Japan
• Has the COVID pandemic caused "Internationalization" to go backwards in Japan?
• Great marketing examples which exemplify the risk adverse nature of the Japan market
• The Three Golden Rules to successful Japan market entry 
• Keeping your "foreignness" vs. localization for international brands
• His favorite untranslatable Japanese word

The Carter Group: https://the-carter-group.com
Dominic Carter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-carter-404b62/

More Now and Zen episodes: https://www.nowandzen.jp/

gugu Mattress Company: https://gugu.jp
Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

Sean Nichols has been an entertainer on Japanese TV,  a Manzai stand-up comedian, the global representative for Japan's biggest YouTuber,  went on tour with Aerosmith, but is most famous for his starring role in the Ultraman series - the only foreigner to ever appear in the 40 year history of the franchise. This episode he discusses the dream journey from watching Ultraman on TV as a child, to becoming "Sean White" for 50 episodes. Sean talks about the Japanese entertainment industry from starting his own talent agency to losing out in the final round of a stand-up competition due to one off-color joke, and taking the biggest risk of his professional career led to going on tour with Aerosmith. Other topics of discussion:

• The top 3 things Japanese always find humorous 
• His autograph seeking demographic ranges for 5 to 65 years old
• From actor to international representative for Ultraman
• How auditions and talent agencies work in Japan
• Best explanation of what is a “Tarento” 
• Representing the most famous Japanese Youtuber Hikakin and getting him on stage with Aerosmith
• Backstage Stories with Steven Tyler and the band
• How humor in Japan is different from western humor
• Japanese comedy-style Manzai explained 
• 3 tips for foreigners interested in getting into the Japan entertainment industry
• Advice on how to be funny in Japanese
• Favorite untranslatable Japanese word

More Now and Zen Japan episodes: http://nowandzen.jp

Great Sleep Starts Here = gugu Sleep Company: https://gugu.jp
Japan Adventures via Camper Van = Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

Use the code word "ZEN" to receive discounts