October 2020– date –
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Japan Travel in the Know
Japan Travel in the Know: Go Off the Rails to Visit Small Towns in Hokkaido!
【Country towns struggle to survive】 Do your cities (towns or villages) have taglines? This is not a question as an attention getter (as I often do), but I’m really curious. In Japan, with decrease in population, the number of municipal... -
Marketing Tips
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: What Do You Work for?
【A disposable worker】 Today, by writing this article, I try to make a stir in the philosophy of productivity improvement. I know it's very tiny one, though. When I decided to resign from Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDAF), the title... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
Japanese Culture and Traditions: No More Self-Discovery, Be Wise Frogs in the Well!
【It's about time to stop expecting a lot for the journey of self-discovery】 In Japan for these 10 years or more, “the journey of self-discovery” has been very popular especially among young people. A typical pattern is: suddenly quitti... -
Marketing Tips
The Background of Product Development: Products Made by Homo Sapiens
【Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari】 I assume many of you have already read the book, “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari. It's full of intellectual excitement. Truth is always stranger ... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
Japanese Culture and Traditions: How to Make Beautiful Packaging
【Cultural difference seen in gifting】 I think many Christmas movies have this kind of scene: Kids get up very early, hop out of their beds, and excitedly run torward present boxes placed under a Christmas tree. They are jumping at the ... -
Marketing Tips
What Do You Work for? Money Is Not Worth Our Limited Time!
【Investing is more profitable than working according to Thomas Piketty】 Life is hard. No matter how hard we work, we will never be rich, and the gap between rich and poor is widening. This is not my personal feeling but a truth proved ... -
Marketing Tips
The Reality of Japanese Companies: We Are Always under Peer Pressure
【Most of your actions are not done by your free will】 How many times did you reach for a cup/glass to drink something today? Can you believe that you did it not by your free will but by a biological reaction? It is a well-known fact th... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
Japanese Culture and Traditions: A Blend of Many Cultures in Japan
Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's day, etc. These events are very popular in Japan, though the percentage of the Christian population in Japan is only 1%. You can see many different cultures are mixed up and changed into Japanese culture. -
Marketing Tips
Marketing Tips: Red Pill or Blue Pill? This Is Your Last Chance
【All good lies are mixed with some truths】 The new Prime Minister took office in Japan last month (September, 2020). He was the most unpopular candidate early this year, but now boasts a high approval rate of more than 70%. I think thi... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
Japanese Culture and Traditions: What Is Japanese Food Culture?
【Respect for nature, the core spirit of Japanese food】 UNESCO listed washoku (Japanese traditional cuisine) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. I think many Japanese people seem to misunderstand the key point of the event. They...
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