Genki? What’s Up? 69
As I prepare for a return trip to Japan, I've been thinking about anticipation, meaningful work, and why some of the most interesting ideas come from looking at familiar things differently.
This week's newsletter covers everything from the GLOBIS Alumni Reunion to AI and workplace engagement, with a pumpkin-flavored detour along the way. 🎃
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 68
From King Kong and Godzilla to Lady Gaga at Famima and a comparison of the Empire State Building and Tokyo Skytree, this week's newsletter explores how travel, workplace change, and iconic landmarks can help us see the world a little differently.
What are we overlooking simply because it has become familiar?
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 67
What do a Roman Stoic philosopher, a cross-cultural HR community, and a traditional craft village in Ishikawa have in common?
They all appear in this week's newsletter and, surprisingly, point to the same idea: the value of being present, learning from others, and appreciating what truly matters.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 66
The best insights rarely appear at first glance.
This week, a Japanese novel, a series of business workshops, and a temple in Ishikawa all reminded me why curiosity often serves us better than certainty.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 65
I spent this week thinking about three very different mysteries:
• Why a Japanese detective novel completely fooled me
• What happens when you stop being the first person to speak in a meeting
• Why Tokyo and Osaka still can't agree on which side of the escalator to stand on
As different as they seem, they're all connected by one idea: the risks of making assumptions too quickly.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 64
A chance meeting in Japantown. A reflection on employee engagement. A surprisingly fascinating story about flip flops.
This week's posts reminded me that some of the best insights about culture, connection, and belonging come from places we least expect.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 63
This month marks three years with JCO, but in many ways it feels more like the continuation of a journey that began 30 years ago as a Japanese Studies student.
That reflection, combined with some thoughts on gratitude, generosity, and one of Japan's most wonderfully practical inventions, became this week's newsletter.
As always, Japan has a way of turning everyday observations into bigger lessons about people, relationships, and patience.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 62
Where do you belong?
It's a simple question, but for anyone who has lived in multiple countries, the answer is often more complicated than it seems.
This week's newsletter explores the Japanese concept of ibasho (居場所), reflections on the California-Japan business community in the Bay Area, and one of the most unusual places I've ever visited in Japan. Different topics, but all connected by a common thread: the people, communities, and experiences that shape who we are.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 61
What do detective novels, bilingual workshops, and a historic cemetery in Yokohama have in common?
That was the question I found myself asking as I looked back on this week's posts.
I ended up writing about how our brains love solving puzzles, the hidden mental effort involved in working across languages and cultures, and the courage of some of the earliest foreigners who built lives in Japan long before Google Translate, international schools, or even reliable communication with home.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 60
This week's newsletter took me from a cozy Japanese mystery novel to Japan's demographic transformation, and finally to an attempted bonsai heist in Oakland.
On the surface, these topics have very little in common. But as I was writing, I realized they all explore the same idea: the importance of looking beyond first impressions. Whether we're trying to understand people, organizations, or even centuries-old bonsai trees, the most interesting stories are often hidden beneath the surface.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 59
This week I found myself writing about three seemingly unrelated topics: identity, professionalism in Japan, and a surprisingly entertaining Japanese prison gourmet drama.
Yet they all led back to the same idea: adaptation.
Whether we're interacting with family, friends, clients, or colleagues, we're constantly adjusting how we communicate and present ourselves. The challenge isn't avoiding adaptation. It's making sure the values underneath remain consistent.
Sometimes the deepest themes appear in the most unexpected places... even in a drama called Maison Prison.
Read more by clicking on the link!
Genki? What’s Up? 58
One of the things I learned from living in Japan is that constraints often lead to creativity.
This week's newsletter looks at that idea through three different lenses: the small sidewalk gardens that brighten Tokyo neighborhoods, conversations about AI at the Japan-U.S. Innovation Awards, and the summer traditions that somehow make Japan's intense heat feel worth celebrating.
Sometimes the most interesting lessons show up in completely unrelated places.
Read more by clicking on the link!