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Tuesday, 09 March 2010 21:32 |
I recently started my own IT consulting business here in Japan (www.theitgarden.com),
and needless to say it was quite a learning experience. Hoping to
relieve others from some of the tedium, I compiled an outline of the
process along with some tips for starting your very own Japanese
company.
Get a JETRO Library Card - www.jetro.go.jp
JETRO stands for “The Japan External Trade Organization,” and they're a
prime information resource for starting your own business in
Japan. Although their free consulting services only apply to
foreign companies seeking to start operations in Japan, their free
library contains a surprisingly comprehensive amount of information in
English, so it's a fantastic place to educate yourself. In fact,
much of the basic information about |
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Monday, 15 February 2010 20:30 |
A week before moving to Japan I was called to jury duty. My
happiest day was calling them and telling them that I can't make
it...ever. They added a note to my “juror profile” regarding the
international move, and asked me to call them when I move back to the
USA. “Yeah...sure...I'll do that,” I sarcastically replied.
And that was that. All I had to do was move out of the country,
and I was officially exempt from jury duty forever.
Wrong.
Over the next several years I was called to jury duty many times.
The summons notifications were mailed to both my old address in North
Hollywood as well as my parents' address in West LA. I was no
longer a |
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Friday, 12 February 2010 11:55 |
Recently
I started working in the 800-person IT department of a large Japanese
financial firm. Being the only white boy and only native English
speaker in my 30-person section, I stand out quite a bit. I've
only been here a month; however, the piquant Japanese-ness of the
office permeates my very essence. Thus, I've compiled a short
list of survival tips for other Westerners finding themselves imbued
with overwhelmingly Japanese coworkers.
Lie Your Ass Off
You will be asked many many times how old you are, if you have a
significant other, where you're from--and in extreme examples--if you
can use chopsticks. They'll also |
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 11:11 |
The incumbent prime minister Hatoyama and his new government have been
working to pass legislation that will place a 100-yen tax on each and
every pack of cigarettes sold in Japan. I was shocked this wasn't
done 10 years ago. Japan has a major problem with smoking
addiction, and here are some possible reasons why:
They're Cheap
A pack of cigs cost about 300 yen ($3 US). That's an awesome deal
compared to a place like Singapore, where they are around $12 US a
pack. Most industrialized nations tax the crap out of cigarettes
to promote a healthier, non-smoking population while boosting tax
revenue. As I'm sure many |
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