In September of 1989 I took an assignment to work onsite at a foreign-capital company in Tsukuba, Japan for three months—a short-term assignment that would eventually stretch to five months. I had been conducting management development training in California for “high-potential” Japanese managers from The Company since 1987, so I knew quite a few people […]
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Tag: living in Japan
The truth about “form”
Tsukuba Monogatari: 25th post Until I had lunch with Yamazaki-san and Koizumi-san the other day, I had always thought it was the value that Japanese place on “form” that makes them want to mark beginnings and endings, comings and goings. You may die of loneliness in between, but you will be properly welcomed when you […]
Leaving works
Tsukuba Monogatari: 23rd post There must be a Murphy’s Law to account for this phenomenon: Just as you enter the homestretch, and you think you won’t possibly be able to finish all your reports, feedback meetings, Christmas shopping, packing, etc., in time to get onto your plane – everyone in the world suddenly wants to […]
How to have a one-on-one with a Japanese...
Tsukuba Monogatari: Twenty-second post I requested a one-on-one with Morita-san, Marketing Communications Manager, who is sending a subordinate to our U.S. training next year. He had stated in a written questionnaire that he expected the training to give Uno-san “a complete understanding of U.S.-Japan trade issues” – so I thought I’d better have a little […]
How to survive karaoke (or bonenkai, par...
Tsukuba Monogatari: Twenty-first post Sing “Love Me Tender” as a duet with a Japanese man who has a loud voice, and lip synch. “Love Me Tender” requires a vocal range of about 3 notes and is mercifully short. Sing early. That way, you can get it over with and enjoy the rest of the evening […]
How to experience a Japanese bonenkai
Tsukuba Monogatari: Twentieth post Just as I was starting to think evil thoughts about Japanese people, my spirits were lifted from the valley of the shadow of cultural adjustment by two Eastern Region sales guys who recognized a soul sorely in need of fun and invited us (“us” means Jennifer and me) to the Eastern […]
Stages of adjustment
Tsukuba Monogatari: Nineteenth post Key: A: Arrive in Tsukuba; welcomed by ex-trainees; get car, company badge, e-mail account; take lots of pictures B-C: The novelty wears off; you start getting tired of gyoza and yakisoba; you get tired of wearing your one week’s worth of clothes over and over; you work, you sleep, you’re married […]
Culinary wonders, part 2
Tsukuba Monogatari: Thirteenth post For many years natto (gooey fermented soybeans) has reigned supreme as the Japanese food item most likely to arise in a conversation which begins with the question, “Can you eat Japanese food?” or “What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?” However, I believe natto has finally relinquished its throne to […]
The honeymoon is over
Tsukuba Monogatari: Twelfth post Now that I’ve settled into my apartment, seen all my ex-trainees, gotten my Company badge, cash card and e-mail account; now that I’ve gotten used to driving on the left side of the road and learned how to park and unpark in Japanese parking lots without the aid of a shoehorn […]
Culinary wonders
Tsukuba Monogatari: Eleventh post I dashed into a Hot Spar (Tsukuba’s answer to 7-11) the other day to grab something for lunch on my way back from the bank. I grabbed what appeared to be a tonkatsu (breaded, fried pork cutlet) sandwich, feeling the need to sink my teeth into some meat. When I got […]