Over my 40 years in Japan, I have watched the country move through cycles of reform and retreat, modernization and retrenchment, each one teaching the same lesson. Japan does not change until it must, but once it does, it rarely turns back. Now, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and a newly formed LDP and Ishin […]
Over my 40 years working in Japan, I’ve seen waves of reform come and go. Some were driven by government, some by crisis, and some by global pressure. But the most meaningful change I’ve seen recently isn’t happening in boardrooms or ministries, it’s happening quietly, inside a new generation of Japanese managers. They are not […]
Japan’s strength lies in its attention to detail. Plans are drafted carefully, risks are evaluated thoroughly, and consensus is sought before decisions are made. But that same precision can also be a weakness. When good ideas pass through too many layers of validation and compromise, they often lose their meaning. The Japanese phrase 骨抜き (honenuki) […]
At a relative’s home, we came across a framed Buddhist verse titled “Words for Governing the Mind.” Though centuries old, the teachings it contains still resonate. They offer a way of thinking about values that, even if not always followed strictly, form a foundation for Japanese business practices today. Blessings are born from humility Japanese […]
Japan is known for stability and incremental change. But history shows that when shocks occur — political, corporate, or social — reforms can move surprisingly fast. Recent events, from the resignation of Suntory’s chairman to the aftermath of former Prime Minister Abe’s assassination, show how crises accelerate shifts that would otherwise take decades. Abe’s Assassination […]
One of the most misunderstood aspects of doing business in Japan is negotiation. Proposals don’t often generate immediate replies. A “no” is rarely spoken outright. Instead, silence or long delays are common, leaving you unsure whether there’s real interest or not. In Kanto, this pattern is especially clear. You may submit a well-prepared proposal and […]
Having lived and worked in Japan for over four decades—split almost evenly between Osaka and Tokyo—and with roots in a Kansai university education, we’ve had the chance to see Japan’s business world from both sides of the cultural spectrum. That background has shaped an observation we keep coming back to: when it comes to negotiating, […]
For years, childbirth in Japan has been seen through the lens of endurance. Epidurals, while common in many countries, were rare here. In 2017, only about 5% of births involved epidurals. By 2022, the figure had doubled to 11.6%, and by 2024 it had reached 13.8%. In Tokyo, more than 30% of women now choose […]
In business, the partners you choose can make all the difference. For a small or medium-sized enterprise in Japan, working with other SMEs can be one of the smartest moves you make. Over the years, we’ve built relationships with smaller companies whose CEOs are not only talented but deeply invested in what they do. These […]
Sometimes, being early is a strength. But it doesn’t always guarantee you’ll be the one to win. Back in 2011, we launched HealthyIM — a concierge service for medical travel in Japan. The vision was clear: Japan had some of the world’s best healthcare, but very few resources for international patients. We built a multilingual […]