Business Success Japan

Anthony Griffin is a marketer and communications coach who helps Japanese companies market to international audiences. Before founding Saga Consulting, he served as the marketing and communications manager for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. As a communications coach, he has helped Fortune 500 executives earn global-level promotions.

Before moving to Japan in 2009, he managed the workflow of over 250 marketing projects a year for the City of Riverside, California. As a marketing consultant and copywriter, he leveraged his M.B.A. degree to help local businesses achieve exponential returns on their marketing investments.

A lifelong learner and teacher, Anthony speaks Japanese proficiently and often gives marketing and communication lectures at universities and corporations.

Anthony's Links:

- Saga Consulting: https://www.consultsaga.com/
- Kokoro Media: https://medium.com/kokoro-media

Anthony's first interview: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/jR8FOrVhZIb

On May 11th at 2 p.m., Tokyo Comedy Bar will be hosting a live fireside chat with previous guests of the Business Success Japan podcast. While we’re still working out some of the details, we’re hoping to donate any profits on the tickets to TELL Japan, which is an organization dedicated to providing effective support and counseling services to Japan’s international community and its increasing mental health needs.

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

This episode is a replay of an interview originally published on March 14, 2022.

Rochelle Kopp is the founder and managing principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting, an international training and consulting firm focused on Japanese business. Her area of expertise is Japanese culture and business practices, particularly Japanese communication style and organizational behavior and decision-making in Japanese firms. She’s also a prolific writer and actively posts much of her practical and insightful work on LinkedIn.

Just a few topics covered in today's conversation include:

-Servant leadership and why it could be a good fit in a Japanese business context.

-What is the rice paper ceiling, and what should non-Japanese people do when they encounter it?

-How HR traditionally functions in Japan, why, and how it should change.

-An example of how to effectively deepen work relationships with Japanese counterparts without meeting in-person.

Rochelle's links: 

Japan Intercultural Consulting: ⁠https://japanintercultural.com/⁠

Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/JapanIntercult⁠

Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochellekopp/⁠

Related Episodes:

Learning the Dance of Effective Cross-Cultural Communication in Japan with Kevin Crowell: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Learning-the-Dance-of-Effective-Cross-Cultural-Communication-in-Japan-with-Kevin-Crowell-e153r78

Building Lasting Relationships Amidst the Covid-19 Digital Transformation in Japan with Will Jasprizza: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Building-Lasting-Relationships-Amidst-the-Covid-19-Digital-Transformation-in-Japan-with-Will-Jasprizza-e12dldf

Evolving Trends in Japanese Subsidiary Companies and the Lasting Power of Monozukuri with Francis Pacheco: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Evolving-Trends-in-Japanese-Subsidiary-Companies-and-the-Lasting-Power-of-Monozukuri-with-Francis-Pacheco-e14ne9c

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

BJ Fox is a Tokyo-based British comedian and business-owner. Having first arrived in Japan in a corporate role within the video games industry, he has now written and starred in Japan's first language sitcom, launched Amazon Music's first original podcast and founded Tokyo Comedy Bar, Japan's first stand-up club!

BJ's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fox-760b032/ Tokyo Comedy Bar: https://www.tokyocomedybar.com/ Urawaza Eigo: https://www.urawazaeigo.com/

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

[This interview was originally published on January 10th, 2022.]

Menya Hinga is an American who immigrated to Japan over a decade ago. He now works as a health and performance coach to high-performers who are struggling to manage stress and weight gain, learn to eat better, move more and stress less in order to transform their health and performance. Some topics covered in this episode include the importance of focusing on providing value as a content creator, the power of small shifts in making big changes, why time management is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and why things will likely take longer than you expect when starting a business in Japan.

Menya's links: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menyahinga/

Website: ⁠www.menyahinga.com⁠ 

Community: ⁠https://holisticfitness.mn.co/⁠

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

Daniel Nestle, Leader of Communications for LIXIL Americas, is an award-winning global communications and marketing leader with over 20 years of success in the B2B services, manufacturing, finance, and education sectors. His broad areas of expertise include digital communications (CommTech), integrated marketing communications, content marketing, social media strategy, and brand storytelling. Earlier in his career, Daniel spent 16 years living and working in Japan, first as an educator and later as a corporate marketing and communications professional. He speaks Japanese. Daniel obtained his MS in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University as well as a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. An active content creator, in 2020 he launched his weekly podcast, The Dan Nestle Show.

Listen in to hear Dan’s thoughts on 

-why networking and making connections is especially important early on

-how writing careers may change, and what you should do about it

-why adapting your approach in the workplace isn’t inauthentic

-why understanding culture is fundamental to building trust in the workplace

-the unique power of the “outsider-insider” in an organization

Subscribe to The Dan Nestle Show wherever you listen to podcasts or at https://dannestle.show Connect with Dan on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/nestle Follow Dan on X-formerly-known-as-Twitter at https://twitter.com/dsnestle

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

[This interview was originally published on November 11th, 2021.]

UPDATE: Richard Katz is publishing a new book on entrepreneurship in Japan. If you're interested in pre-ordering, be sure to subscribe to his substack to get 30% off the hardcover version. It's one of the best ways to support writers, as it signals interest to publishes and encourages them to do larger prints and invest more in advertising: https://richardkatz.substack.com/p/30-off-for-my-book-on-japan-entrepreneurship

Today's guest Richard Katz has worked for decades as a journalist working on the Japanese economy, and he has written two books on Japan: "The System That Soured" and "Japanese Phoenix." He is now working on a third, about how to nurture a new generation of high-growth, innovative small and medium enterprises in Japan. He has published various op-eds and essays in publications such as "Foreign Affairs," The "Financial Times," Toyo Keizai, and the "Wall Street Journal Asia." A few of the topics covered in today's conversation include the dormant entrepreneurship in Japan, the broken promises made to working women, and why structural issues around finance in Japan may be one of its greatest hindrances to growth.

Richard's Links: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-katz-937308204/

Blog: ⁠https://richardkatz.substack.com/welcome⁠

Entrepreneurial Revival In Japan: A False Spring or Real Opportunity? (⁠UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy⁠): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xo1LYV860g

Further Reading: 

Why Nobody Invests in Japan: ⁠https://www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/redeem/5gAlISIPRr8⁠

Old corporate champions can’t save Japan: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/05/30/old-corporate-champions-cant-save-japan/

Japan’s Looming Climate Showdown: ⁠https://www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/redeem/rdp-a4Eil74⁠

An Election Mandate For Growth and Redistribution: https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/464660

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated and making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

A brief update on the podcast publishing schedule in the coming months.

Kasia Lynch is a trilingual American who spent 8 years in Japan, including high school, college, graduate school, and her professional career. She earned her Bachelor’s from Boston University and Master’s from Tokyo’s Ochanomizu University. 

Kasia’s career utilizing Japanese language and cultural skills began in 2003 with concert promotion, and later moved to interpreting/translating, electronics, and the automotive industry. She was able to do this while living in Japan, Poland, Italy, and the US. 

Since starting Ikigai Connections in 2018, Kasia has been featured in various Japan-related podcasts, websites, and webinars, including the US-Japan Bridging Foundation, the US JET alumni association, Laurasian Institution, and BFF Tokyo. Her goal is for NihongoJobs.com to become the go-to job board for all Japanese jobs in the US.

Topics covered today include:

-finding a Japan-focused job outside of Japan

-how to build a career as a successful 架け橋人材 (or “cultural-bridge employee”), and why it’s so valuable

-getting your desired role even when you don’t fit the job description

Kasia's Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasiaikigai/
ikigaiconnections.com 

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated enough to keep making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message

Nicki is a single mother and entrepreneur with one leg firmly planted in Amsterdam and one in Tokyo. Back in 2011 she moved with her then husband to Tokyo as a trailing wife. Unable to find a job and reach her objective to be at a native level in her Japanese ability two years in, she decided to start her own company called “Tokiotours”. 10 years later she’s had a child, is divorced and has her “home base” back in Amsterdam from where she runs her tour guide business together with a business partner located in Tokyo. What started out as a simple side business has grown into a flourishing business with 50 local guides working for her from various destinations. Not only does she offer private guided tours to tourists, but she also focuses on market explorations for the B2B market where she helps companies take their first steps on the Japanese market.

Topics covered in today's conversation include:

-how and why pregnant foreigners in Japan struggle to get their needs met

-how and why the famously high-quality customer service in Japan can be so inflexible

-differences in relationship-building and privacy in Japan

-how expatriation can impact a couple’s relationship

-how family and the “domestic sphere” is viewed differently in Japan

Nicki's Links:

-⁠www.tokiotours.nl⁠

-⁠www.tokiotours.com⁠

-⁠www.facebook.com/tokiotours⁠⁠www.facebook.com/verkenjapan⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tokiotours/⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/verkenjapan⁠⁠https://Instagram.com/tokiotours⁠⁠https://Instagram.com/verkenjapan⁠⁠https://instagram.com/Nicki_Amsterdam⁠

⁠=https://twitter.com/tokiotours⁠

-⁠⁠Nicki@tokiotours.com⁠⁠

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated enough to keep making content: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

Be sure to follow or subscribe for more Japanese language and cultural insights. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review so that other people can find it as well. And of course, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please email me at ⁠⁠businesssuccessjapan@gmail.com⁠⁠.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/message