Thanks to good exposure on the Internet, I regularly get enquiries from people asking for additional advice about their personal situation. I welcome the email, but would ask that people follow some simple rules of engagement: 1. Please always send your resume (not photos) with your first...

For many of us, me especially, 2002 will be a year to forget. The tech meltdown turned into a global economic slump, of which Japan continued to be one of the central (non-) players. However, it was good in one respect: it gave all of us a dose of realism and reset expectations. In a way, the trials and tribulations have made us stronger. Looking forward to 2003, I believe that the...

One of the things that Westerners can do well with in Japan is becoming a practioner of English - especially copywriting and editing. Finding yourself a niche can give you a satisfying and secure job for as long as you want to stay in Japan. There are 3-4 areas of writing that can yield you a viable living: i)...

With all the recent news about Japanese price deflation, it seems not much attention is being paid to the other side of the equation: namely salary deflation. Although I'm not hearing of too many employers demanding lower salaries for their existing employees, there is plenty of evidence that salaries are coming down for...