July has seen an intensification of the trade war between the US and China. Most business people are worried but not, it seems, Japan’s richest man Masayoshi Son. He’s found another ingenious way to bring profits to his enormous technology conglomerate, SoftBank. He’s using Chinese money, channeled through New York, to increase SoftBank’s stake in …
SoftBank’s maestro has America and China singing his tuneRead More »
Japanese football supporters amazed journalists covering the World Cup in Russia by cleaning up the sports stadium. They used plastic bags they’d brought with them to clear away their rubbish. One tabloid paper called them “the best fans in the world”. The Japanese are known as being clean and tidy but this team effort reveals …
Last time I walked through Shinsaibashi in the centre of Osaka, I seemed to hear more people speaking Chinese than Japanese. Most Chinese visitors to Japan say they are charmed by the hospitality of their polite hosts and this is good for relations between the two countries. But some people complain that parts of Japan …
Is tourism polluting the charm and beauty of Japan?Read More »
While President Trump has been making headlines recently, Shinzo Abe of Japan has often been at his side. He joined the President in Washington, then at the G7 meeting in Canada. And although Mr Abe did not go to Singapore, he helped set the agenda for the historic meeting between Mr Trump and Kim Jong-Un …
There’s a famous line in the children’s story Alice about believing six impossible things for breakfast. Believing that the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un will happen in Singapore next month is a bit like believing in a fairy tale. Diplomats in Japan support the idea of talks but feel the summit has been …
Would the Red Queen believe in the Trump-Kim summit?Read More »
Shinzo Abe’s friendship with Donald Trump is being sorely tested by a trade dispute over steel. Mr Trump is refusing to remove tariffs on Japanese steel imports and Japan has now responded by starting legal action at the World Trade Organisation. It leaves Mr Abe in the awkward position of siding with China in a …
Trump’s Trade War with China pits Japan against its US allyRead More »
As the #MeToo movement spreads, Japanese women are challenging old ideas on gender. They are angry at harassment and discrimination. The issue of motherhood is also entering the debate. With a rapidly falling birthrate, what should Japanese think about their role as parents? Read how the media at home and abroad are covering the issue …
Outlined below are some tips and practical advice for anyone considering working in Japan or are here already wondering how to go about job hunting. How much Japanese do you need to know? This depends on the type of job and level of interaction in Japanese that it requires. If you are going to be …
Prime Minister Abe made a sweet gesture to the South Korean President Moon Jae-in this week: he gave him a cake to celebrate his first year in office. Although there are rivalries between South Korea and Japan, they are aiming to cooperate on the North Korean issue. The Chinese premier Li Keqiang also attended the …
Abe the diplomat takes cake to sweeten the Korea dealRead More »
There are many talented people in Japan such as the Asia’s Got Talent stars XTRAP (see above). Talent is seen in a different way in Japan to other countries. Personal brilliance is not always encouraged in a group-oriented culture. However, as pay rises some companies are prepared to pay a lot of money to hire …