A few weeks ago my husband and I signed up as volunteers for a local Japanese Cemetery Cleanup Day (Organized by the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California), so last Saturday we headed out to Colma (south of San Francisco on the peninsula) for a half day of work and connection.
This weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Itsukushima Maru, a Japan Coast Guard ship visiting San Francisco, where I met some inspiring young cadets who live and study aboard for four years.
Last Friday, I found myself in a situation that many outdoor enthusiasts can relate to: the dreaded decision to cancel a camping trip due to a rain forecast. This would have been our first camping trip of the season, at a spot we've visited at least once a month from April to October over the past few years.
If you read my articles often, you’ll know I love making Tsukemono (Japanese style pickles). Well, I have a new easy favorite one for you to make!
As a European, I've always had a soft spot for mead (honey wine), and recently, I stumbled upon a new honeyed drink that has completely won me over: Choya umeshu made with honey! Umeshu is a Japanese plum wine made from ume plums, and Choya is one of the most popular brands out there.
If, like me, you have navigated the waters of international business, you’ve learned that communication styles can vary wildly between cultures. While we often associate laughter with humor and agreement, in Japan, it can mean something entirely different—like embarrassment or confusion.
We do get this question fairly often, but never from companies we’ve worked with for sometimes ten or more years. Those long-time clients know the value of our our work, they also know that we’re always updating our content to reflect new trends in work and people.
Moving to a new country can be an exciting yet challenging experience, especially for Japanese expats who may face culture shock. Understanding and adapting to a different culture can be overwhelming. 新しい国に移ることは、特にカルチャーショックに直面する可能性のある日本の 駐在人 にとって、刺激的でありながら挑戦的な経験です。異なる文化を理解し、適応することは圧倒されることがあります。
A Japanese engineer reached out to me with the following issue: “I want to set deadlines but I’m afraid my staff is going to accuse me of micromanagement.” This question shows an understanding of how culture causes people to perceive their manager closely following up on what they do differently, but obviously what to do in practice isn’t always easy. ある日本のエンジニアが次のような問題で私に連絡をしてきました：「締切を設定したいのですが、スタッフが私をマイクロマネジメントだと非難するのではないかと心配しています。」この質問は、文化が人々に自分の行動を細かく追うマネージャーをどう捉えるかについての理解を示していますが、実際に何をすべきかは必ずしも簡単ではありません。
