Drinking? Don't carry. Carrying? Don't drink. (Part 2) 飲む？持つな。持つ？飲むな。
This mantra (if you plan on having alcohol, don't carry your laptop with you) was drilled into me when I first joined the Big-4 consulting company I would spend 3 years at in 2015. This training as well as the accompanying article shows that although after-work drinking culture has started changing recently, these types of accidents still happen.
Last week I wrote about the drinking part of the story, this week it’s all about data security!
Why oh why would someone have a USB stick (or laptop) with accessible confidential data on it with them? Let's not even consider going out on the town, why not have that information in a secure cloud environment?
I think it's a mix of old-fashioned attitudes and legacy systems. When working in Japan, I was often amazed at old soft- and hardware used in high powered systems and the reluctance to launch even simple security updates. The fear that something would break seemed more important than the realization that with every skipped security update the organization is exposed to more risk.
Then there is also the ingrained belief that Japan is generally safe so if you lose something you can reasonably expect the item to be returned to you. It's true compared to other place I've lived in, but I've had a leather jacket stolen at Narita and a friend had a wallet stolen from her home (in the days you didn't lock your sliding front door).
These 2 things combined can cause a lot of trouble, especially if you're now an expat in a new environment - easily distracted and confused by different cultural norms and rules.
So, does your company in the US have a policy in place about data security? Is it the same as at your Japan HQ? Do you inform newly arrived expats of this policy? If you've never thought about it, it may be time to ask for help 😊
Here's where we can help! We have plenty of experience training companies with Japanese DNA who need help with new hires or expats. Reach out today for a free assessment and bespoke training based on your needs!
Want to know more? At Japan Consulting Office, we specialize in equipping professionals to thrive in cross-cultural environments. Whether you’re looking for group training or one-on-one sessions, we’ve got you covered!
If you want to learn more about bridging language and cultural gaps in Japanese business, why not join one of our sessions! Here’s the link to upcoming sessions (make sure to select your timezone
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/02/japan/society/japan-youth-employment-workplace/
