I often get requests from clients wanting to hire a manager, engineer, or other bilingual or specialized position “yesterday” – meaning that they are in a great hurry and are willing to fill a vacant position with a near fit. While one could say that the art of managing involves making sure that HR resources are available for expansion as required, unfortunately the reality is that both internal budget constrictions and the general paucity of bilingual candidates in the Japanese job market mean that hiring needs and candidate availability are seldom aligned.

Anti-China sentiment has been erupting all over the world. Most criticism focuses on the issues of civil and political rights. How fair and how productive is this approach? What is the view from Japan? Read Now

This week's Gadget Watch looks at new Pioneer wireless
headphones, the latest Sanyo water-resistant Xacti movie cam,
Japan's most expensive mobile phone, and a few short items.

Although I usually refrain from making comments about issues related to law, not least of which because I’m not a lawyer, there are some questions that come up over and over, and are clearly relevant to a lot of people. Today’s issue is about what happens to your visa status, or more accurately, your Status of Residence (SOR), if you lose your job. Also, does it matter whether you were fired or left of your own free will?