• Salaries in Japan
    July 5th, 2010By Category: Starting a Business
    Under new government requirements, aimed at boosting corporate openness, Japanese listed companies now have to disclose the pay of executives who received 100 million yen ($1 million) or more as part of their year-end of financial year AGMs. In FY2010 the highe ... » Continue Reading
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    English Speaking Japanese Companies
    June 30th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    The company behind fashion brand Uniqlo, Fast Retailing Co., is making English the “official language” among its management and head office staff from March 2012. The company is also putting an emphasis on those with foreign experience among it's new recruits. Fast ... » Continue Reading
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    Tips for Sales Jobs in Japan Part II
    June 28th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    Last time we spoke of many attributes of a salesperson’s mindset, knowing that before a salesperson goes out to meet a customer or prospect, they need to be in top-state. These tips are universal, but were added here to help those interested in working in sales positi ... » Continue Reading
  • The Senbei Cafe
    June 9th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    This is Takako Endo (遠藤 貴子) – the lady entrepreneur behind a new food brand, Twhy Twhy. Tokyoite Takako has just launched the new website – www.senbeicafe.com – from which she sells senbei (rice crackers) in a variety of cool and unusual flavors. For example, visit th ... » Continue Reading
  • Your Resume in Japan
    June 4th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    Upon identifying the teaching job you wish to apply for, the process of creating a resume tailored for that position begins. Whether simply remodeling your existing resume or starting from scratch, a useful exercise is to write a list of the specific primary skills or a ... » Continue Reading
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    Japanese Company Meetings
    June 2nd, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    Japanese meetings are an entirely different beast to what goes on in an American-style office.  Not too long ago, I worked for a Japanese  IT company in Tokyo.  My department was divided into a wide assortment of sub-sections, but we all had a weekly meeting to discus ... » Continue Reading
  • On Self Publishing in Japan…
    May 19th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    I was recently contacted by the Hall Houston, the author of Provoking Thought to contribute a piece to his blog A teacher in Taoyuan about my experiences as a self-published ELT author. The content of that piece is as follows. For those of you working in the ELT industr ... » Continue Reading
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    Is it more difficult for foreigners to start a business in Japan?
    May 19th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    The simple answer to the question above is YES. But it can also be more rewarding! This is the third article in a mini-series that outlines what it takes to set up your own business in Japan. This article discusses the practical challenges facing entrepreneur ... » Continue Reading
  • Japan’s Top Boss
    April 26th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    The news of GEOS closing has thrown Japanese management into the news recently, especially in the foreign community.  On a slightly brighter note, the Sanno Institute of Management in Japan surveyed this year’s new graduates about their “Ideal Boss,” and what they l ... » Continue Reading
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    The Story of Geos
    April 26th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    We've taken a look at GEOS and the news late last week of its bankruptcy filing.  Here is what we know so far. GEOS filed for bankruptcy due to an inability to continue to manage its debts.  It seems as if the company  has been unable to let go of a large number of ... » Continue Reading
  • List of Geos Schools due to close
    April 22nd, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
        This is a list of GEOS school locations that will close as part of the companies bankruptcy. This list is available on the GEOS website in Japanese along with a list of schools that will stay open for the foreseeable future.   Get advice on wh ... » Continue Reading
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    Have a great business idea for Japan?
    March 15th, 2010By Category: Uncategorized
    At some point, most expats in Japan have a rare moment of inspiration; “Now that would definitely be a hit in Japan!” we say confidently, or “Why didn’t anyone think of that before?” Indeed, great ideas abound but few of us have the courage to bet our livelihood on th ... » Continue Reading

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