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Marketing Tips
The Myth of the Pyramids: How to Build Pyramids
【The pyramid construction is a public project to create employment】 It only took 20 years to make the pyramid of King Khufu by using many slaves. Is there anyone who still believes all this? Some decades ago, the Japanese biggest const... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Sacred Chaos: Why Japanese Summer Festivals Are Essential for Local Relationships (And Our Complicated Faith)
We are a nation that is both deeply pragmatic and quietly spiritual. We have three times more shrines than convenience stores. Natsu Matsuri is essential, not for the gods, but for workplace harmony—and convincing ourselves that summer is finally, truly over. -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Productivity Killer: Why Japan’s “Do You Have a Minute?” Is the Most Disruptive Question in Office History
Why is Japan's most polite question—"Do you have a minute?"—the biggest productivity killer? I dissect the high-context culture of the Japanese office, where "Wa" equals mutual surveillance. I argue this constant interruption forces a cognitive shift that minimizes deep work, and propose a flexible design solution to fight the deadly disease of loneliness—or failing that, a strategic escape ticket to Tokyo. -
Marketing Tips
The Deepest Blue: From Samurai Workwear to Furniture Upholstery (The Allure of Japan Blue)
"Japan Blue," the color of the Tokyo Olympics, was named by a British chemist in 1875, who saw the entire nation draped in indigo workwear. Natural indigo is notoriously difficult, requiring delicate adjustment, but it yields unparalleled depth. This commitment to meticulous craft defines Okayama Denim, which is internationally prized despite our small market size. When our Singaporean dealer insisted on a collaboration, we partnered with the top maker, "Japan Blue." Now, you can order our furniture upholstered in their special denim—a synergy of modern design and ancient skill. The best part? This furniture denim is fade-resistant. There's truly no reason not to buy it. -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Lesson We Learned from the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011
【The Great Tohoku Eearthquake was like the end of the world】 At the moment, I was in the building of the Ministry of Finance in the middle of Tokyo and thought I was going to die, staring out a window. Street lamp posts widely swang li... -
Marketing Tips
Which Is More Important, Speed or Quality?
【Speed and quality are not trade-off】 Leap before you look. Haste makes waste. These are famous ancient proverbs, meaning opposite to each other. It seems a speed-vs-quality issue has been long bothering us human beings. Speed, however... -
Marketing Tips
The Dollar-Store Revolution: Why “Kaizen” Beats Bureaucracy
I’m using my talent for "logical nonsense" to speak up for the invisible 99% of Japanese businesses. Join me as I challenge the government’s elite advisors and prove that a $1 hair dryer holder can teach us more about productivity than any spreadsheet in a Tokyo skyscraper. -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Invincible Extension of My Fingers: A Love Letter to Japanese Chopsticks
If you eat with a fork, you might be an avant-garde designer finishing a shirt with salad dressing. Explore the humorous world of Japanese "chopstick monogamy," the terrifying social pressure of proper technique, and how a nation's obsession with wooden textures defined the soul of CondeHouse furniture. -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Abyss of “Karoshi”: Why Japan Can’t Stop Working Itself to Death
Tourists love Japan’s order and politeness, but that beauty has a price. Join me as I reveal the shadow behind the "Japan-Sickness"—from my own 100-hour overtime months at the Ministry of Finance to the evolutionary reasons why island societies struggle with peer pressure. It's time to talk about "Fairtrade" for human labor. -
Marketing Tips
How to Survive Meetings and Make You Look Smart Out There
【A hardship destined for Japanese workers】 You won't read to the end of this article because the average human attention span is down to only eight seconds. It's one second shorter than that of goldfish. I remember I read many articles...
