Conde House Japan– Author –
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Myths About Efficiency and Rationalization You Probably Still Believe
【All the cities become similar to each other】 Before the COVID, I traveled around the world. When it was best in efficiency but worst in working environment, I visited five countries in a week. Such hasty trips got me disoriented. For ... -
Do You Know Zappos? A Great Lesson Learned from Their Business
【The customer-obsession policy of Zappos creates many loyal customers】 The other day, right after passing through the cashier of a supermarket, a pack of eggs slipped from my shopping basket and fell to the floor. In that moment, every... -
The Truth of Consumer Behavior: Love It or Not Rather Than Good or Bad
【MBA frameworks are no longer sufficient】 AIDMA, PDCA, SWOT, PEST, 3C, 4P, STP, KGI, KPI, etc. I was so excited when learning these business frameworks in an MBA course more than 10 years ago. I naively believed I had gotten a key to t... -
The Beautiful Illusion: Why Our Eyes are Wired to Change
In Japan, we say you’ll get used to an "ugly" face in three days. Join me as I explore why my friend’s movie-star girlfriend wasn't what I expected, the cynical wisdom of Japanese proverbs, and how CondeHouse convinced the world that a knot in a piece of wood is more beautiful than a perfect surface. -
The Heritage of Trust: Why “Made in Japan” is a Time Machine
In 1955, Doc Brown thought Japanese tech was a joke. By 1985, it was the best in the world. As Tesla overtakes Toyota, join me as I reflect on the hard-won legacy of "Made in Japan," the emotional history of our manufacturing ancestors, and why CondeHouse is committed to preserving this global trust for the next generation. -
Why Spring Bursts Brightly in Hokkaido
【A home is a place to long for from a distance】 A journey itself is worthless, but it's what we learn from a journey that counts. It is a part of the subject of my previous article. As some of the readers may notice, it is inspired by ... -
The Identity Crisis of Hokkaido: A Journey Through “Desperate” Town Taglines
When conservative civil servants try to be creative, the results are often hilariously sorrowful. Explore the baffling world of Hokkaido's town taglines—where bells and flowers become "unique" features—and discover why Asahikawa chose furniture over its 100 rivers. -
Which Is More Important, Productivity or Human Dignity?
【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 very tiny one, though. When I decided to resign from Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDAF), the ... -
The Machu Picchu Trap: Why You Should Stop Looking for Yourself and Start Digging
If travel truly made you wiser, you'd notice how bored everyone is by your stories. Explore a humorous yet biting critique of the modern "self-discovery" trend and discover why Hokkaido's craftsmen find more truth in wood than others find in Machu Picchu. -
The Neanderthal Test: Why Furniture Design is an Act of Fiction
History should be about human drama, not just dates. Join me as I reflect on my brief stint in teaching, deconstruct the "Sapiens" superpower of shared fiction, and explain why the most important part of furniture development isn't the CAD data, but the ability to see the "ghosts" of chairs that don't yet exist.