mastercondehousecojp– Author –
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Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Disease of Youth: Why the Japanese Uniform Is a Symbol of Rebellion and Belonging
You love the aesthetic of the Japanese seifuku from Sailor Moon. But what is the reality? Youth is a disease from which, I hope, I have recovered. We explore the Uniform Paradox: Japanese teenagers rebel against school rules but never the uniform itself—a profound ambivalence that defines our culture. -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The 100-Year Bet: Why We Plant Oak Trees in Hokkaido (and the Martin Luther Paradox)
Why does planting a tree feel so profoundly positive? You cannot plant a tree without a radical, almost arrogant degree of hope for a future you will not see. For us, this means taking a 100-Year Bet: planting oak trees today that the children who join us will likely never see turned into furniture. This is the profound irony of investing in a raw material only for an entirely unseen future generation. -
Marketing Tips
Do Trade Shows Really Help Businesses Grow?
Why are things going well with Milano Salone? I think one of the primal reasons must be the good environment in Milan in April. Comfortable weather, nice food, beautiful streetscapes, etc. Indeed, it's a trade show, and most people come there for business, but we're not always serious and don't focus only on our jobs. Entertainment is necessary even when we are at work. -
Must-Visit in Japan
Hidden gems in Hokkaido : To see Drift Ice in Okhotsk coast of HokkaidoÂ
There are so many hidden gems in Hokkaido. You can see beautiful scenery e.g.; lakes, mountains, forest, sea and so on. I would like to share some gems in Hokkaido. 【Drift Ice (Ryuhyo)】 Drift ice along the Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido is ... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
The Howard Hughes Dilemma: Why We Commute Two Hours to Work in Stylish Offices
What is the meaning of work? I begin by contemplating the Howard Hughes Dilemma—the tragic loneliness of a titan who isolated himself from his work. This contrasts sharply with the Stylish Paradox of Tokyo's furniture makers: beautiful, showcase offices paired with full remote work. I ask why workers commute two hours a day to the office, concluding that the underlying drive is a profound mystery of human connection. Our upcoming office renovation is a trial to prove that the opposite of Howard Hughes is a good chair and a friendly colleague. -
Must-Visit in Japan
Hidden gems in Hokkaido : Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival
There are so many hidden gems in Hokkaido. You can see beautiful scenery e.g.; lakes, mountains, forest, sea and so on. I would like to share some gems in Hokkaido. 【The Place, SOUNKYO Onsen】 SOUNKYO is a picturesque gorge located in t... -
Must-Visit in Japan
Discovering Jewelry Ice: Where Can You Find It?
Have you ever seen "jewelry ice?" It is completely different from drift ice, made of not sea water but fresh water, and so, it's highly transparent like a diamond. River water turns into ice on the surface at river mouth, and the ice pieces, before getting washed ashore, drift in the sea for a while, get rounded off, and are more brightly polished. According to Wikipedia, this natural phenomenon occurs only along the coast of a small town in Hokkaido even in all the wide world. -
Marketing Tips
The Levitt Principle: How Removing Barriers and Redefining Purpose Creates Billion-Dollar Hits
I analyze the success of the Convenience Gym, which found a million members by removing every possible barrier to exercise. Then, I examine the hit Men's Parasol, which succeeded by simply redefining the item's purpose. Both confirm Theodore Levitt's Principle: "Sell the hole, not the drill." I apply this to our craft by proposing to engrave family names on dining chairs—shifting the purpose from "comfort" to "making the place where family members return to." (The only downside: it risks making parents terribly sad after the kids fly the nest.) -
Must-Visit in Japan
Hidden gems in Hokkaido : Three Must Eat major cuisines in Hokkaido
There are so many hidden gems in Hokkaido. You can see beautiful scenery e.g.; lakes, mountains, forest, sea and so on. I would like to share some gems in Hokkaido. Today, let's talk about "Three Must Eat major cuisines in Hokkaido." 【I... -
Japanese Culture and Traditions
KFC, Cake, and Loneliness: The Bizarre Ways Japan Celebrates a “Culturally Blank” Christmas
Why do Japanese people eat KFC and cake on Christmas? I analyze this "culturally blank" phenomenon, tracing the origins of the traditions from aggressive commercial marketing to intense social pressure to avoid being a "loser." I conclude by inviting readers to Hokkaido to trade the chaos of collective anxiety for the silence and true, natural beauty of a White Christmas.
