As
I have been living in Tokyo since February2001, you might be tempted to
think, that writing about my ‘second home’ would be an easy task. However
nothing can be further from the truth, Tokyo and Japan is almost as mystical
to me if not more, as it appeared the first time I visited in 1999. The more
I learn about Japan, the less I think I know. Do I sound confused? That is
because I am… This article is hopefully will give you some, (subjective),
pointers about the country both from business and cultural perspectives.
First of all, it is very important to note, that every foreigner ‘gaijin’
(i.e. person from outside) has different views about Japan, due to amongst
others, the different lengths of time they have been living here, age,
Japanese (and other) language skills, marital status, prior experience living
abroad, race, profession etc. In addition to the Japanese themselves, here
are a few categories of people, you might interact with when doing business
in Japan: Japanophiles They
tend to arrive in their early twenties, already well versed in or committed
to some traditional or cutting edge Japanese pursuit like martial arts, or
research in robotics or simply fascinated by the language. They might already
speak reasonable Japanese and will learn fast upon their arrival and will
live like fish in the water for long term. Many of them will graduate from
Japanese universities and develop extensive networks .Adventurers Young,
mostly Anglo Saxons are attracted by the constant demand for native English
teachers for a reasonable salary. However, the nightlife of Tokyo ensures
that most money earned in Japan stays in Japan… Many return to their home
country after2-3 years, whilst others learn Japanese and move to other
professional jobs like computer programming, journalism and headhunting. It
is said, that more than half of Americans were flipping burgers in a fast
food joint for a while in their youth, it is a fair bet, that a lot of Anglo
Saxons you encounter when doing business in Japan have been first immersed in
the culture of the country from the unique angle of teaching English. It is
interesting to note, that Adventurers can earn extra money over the weekends
by working for wedding organisers and acting as priests or at least
‘celebrants’ at increasingly fashionable western style marriage
ceremonies of Japanese couples .Professional
expatriates Most
expatriate professionals arrive to Japan on the back of significant
achievement in their home countries. The cost associated with labour,
schooling for kids, western style housing and other necessities in Japan are
very high, so expatriates tend to fill high-level positions requiring unique
skills and work experience. Most expatriates would arrive to Japan in their
30ies, young to adjust and learn, but most often late comers and certainly
too busy to master Japanese. Adjusting to and understanding the business
scene can take up to years for many, making staffing decisions a constant
challenge for many foreign affiliated firms here. I personally believe, that
it is fair to say, that achievements in previous postings in other countries
will not guarantee success in Japan and one needs to be careful when picking
foreign business partners, advisors or employees. However, once a
professional finds his or her personal strategies that fit best with Japanese
culture, the opportunities in the second biggest economy of the world are
immense. For example, the current head of Sony and the most respected
businessman in Japan, Carlos Ghosn, famous for the turnaround of Nissan, are
both foreigners. There are also well documented success stories in foreign
private equity professionals making fortunes in Japan. Japanese
who worked or studied abroad I
regret very much, that I did not have any Japanese classmate at Nyenrode. I
have found both in private and professional life, that knowing Japanese
people who have lived outside Japan can be extremely important when you face
issues arising from cultural differences. In
the second part of the article, let me share notes on some of my personal
experiences: Best
experience(s) I
often recall the glory days of the 2002 world cup when Japan, somewhat
unexpectedly qualified for the second round and the nation seemed to have
been transfixed. The love of football was instrumental for me to find friends
here. I am also amongst the foreigners who are open about their love of
Karaoke, one of the best form of entertainment ever invented. I have also
developed an addiction to ‘Onsen’ baths (Japanese hot springs). Proudest
moment(s) Any
time I get something done or read in Japanese. Most
unexpected moment Strictly
speaking, I should be grateful for a senior and well respected (and at the
time drunk) Japanese businessman for grabbing me by my shirt at a party and
calling me names. This episode seemed to suggest, that no matter how hard I
would keep studying the Japanese language and how hard I would try to ‘fit
in’. I would almost always be viewed as an outsider first and as an
individual second. It is fair to say though, that whilst being an outsider is
often times a burden, it also does offer significant advantages… Most
boring thing to talk about As
I don’t drink alcohol, I am clearly part of a minority even in the west,
but in Japan I almost need to give a written assurance for my concerned
Japanese friends that I am not terminally ill, when they find out that I
really just want to have an orange juice. Weirdest
thing to see The
gothic girls on Sunday afternoons near the Harajuku station are dressed in
ways you would expect only to see on the Halloween night programme of MTV. Weirdest
things to do I
did sleep a couple of times in capsule hotels, where exhausted professionals
working in the city but living in the suburbs can rest after a long night
followed by early start next day. I prefer to have an extra set of emergency
clothes in the office than paying 100 USD for a 40 minute sleepless taxi ride
to my home on the edge of Tokyo. Playing Pachinko is another Japanese thing,
unlike capsule hotels, I never figured out the point though. Most
frightening moments Earthquakes,
earthquakes, earthquakes. Best
Japanese movies for anyone interested in the country Watching
Japanese art films with original sound but with English subtitles is good
fun. You will never regret to watch anything from Beat Takeshi (director and
actor). On top of my list from him would be ‘Kikujiro’ (1999) and I have
found a relatively unknown art film ‘Laundry’ (2002) the most insightful,
melodramatic and still very entertaining piece about Japan from a director
called Junichi Mori. If your career brings you to Japan for an extended
period, remember the name ‘Crayon Shin-can’, the cartoon boy character
that beats the combined team of Beavis and Butthead and all the South Parkers
in every pursuit of stupidity in funny ways you will find no words to
describe. Most
surprising professional experience I
have always found it amazing that Japanese tend to follow strict text book
attitude towards calculation of relatively holistic factors (in this case in
the wider context of business valuation), for example stock Betas. I think,
there is a great market here for anything numerical, from Horoscopes to 25
dimension charts. However, for every area where the Japanese appear overly
precise, I have found out during my client work, that Japan remains absolute
world leader in many fields requiring precision manufacturing, where firms
from other countries don’t even dream about competing. Longest
manual ever received I have recently purchased a special phone from NTT Docomo which is compatible with not only all GSM standards, but also with the two different non GSM based mobile phone systems of Japan and South Korea. (The point here, double check if your GSM would work in Japan before you visit.) This third generation handset complete with two cameras for Video telephony and loaded with zillions of functions I have no clue about, came with an English manual of no less than 602 pages. Needles to say I am already capable of making and receiving phone calls and reset the clock when I am in a different time zone. All rights reserved.
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