japan– tag –
-
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... -
You Can Hear the Sound of Silence in Hokkaido in Winter
【Funny Japanglish by the Prime Minister】 In 2000, the then Japanese Prime Minister wanted to make greetings in English at the first summit meeting with President Clinton. He tried to cram the following exchange of basic phrases: "How a... -
Great Expectations Are Hope That the Sun Also Rises
【The wane of the king TOYOTA】 Elon Musk started TESLA in 2003. Only 17 years from then, he finally snatched the world top position from TOYOTA in the total market value. The news made me feel the big change of the times and also someho... -
Experience the Real Japan: Small Town Adventures 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... -
Myths about Japanese Gifting and Packaging You Should Know
It is sometimes thought to be impolite in Japan to open up a gift in front of the gift giver, to say nothing of tearing off wrapping paper. Mind you, it’s not a religious taboo, and won’t be impolite if you ask for permission beforehand. I guess there are two reasons for the rule unique to Japan. -
What Makes Japanese Food Culture So Special?
【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... -
How to Co-exist with Nature in Japan
【Necessity is the mother of geographical characteristics】 As you can see it in the image below, Japan is a country of backward parking. Even speeding drivers follow the rule. Do you know why that is? Some people outside Japan may think... -
What Is True Rich Life? Market Principles Are Always Right?
【Furniture making is an endangered business in Japan】 Last month, the Ministry of the Environment announced that a butterfly species (shown in the above image) endemic to Japan might have been extinct. The butterflies inhabited only in... -
Kyoto’s Rules: What Not to Do When You’re There
Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, is well known for its rich history and culture. The language of Kyoto people is sometimes difficult to understand even for Japanese people living outside Kyoto. Let's see the points we have to be careful about in communication in Kyoto. -
How Over-Engineering Problems Slow Down Japanese Businesses
【Using a chainsaw to cut butter】 The above words are a wise saying by Barry Commoner, an American biologist, to express the inefficiency of nuclear power generation. By the way, the topic of this article is not about energy policies; N...