Terrie's Job Tips -- Limited Japanese Ability - Part One: Acknowledging the Problem

I've been getting lots of email recently from people asking me if as a non-Japanese speaker they can get work in Japan. Given that the Japanese government is considering making Japanese language ability a prerequisite for granting and/or renewing long-term visas and work visas, perhaps this type of question will disappear of its own accord. However, in the meantime, while I always advise people to learn Japanese before working, if they can, it is true that there are a good number of people already here who have built perfectly good careers without having a strong handle on the language.

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TT-456 -- Tightening up on foreigners, ebiz news from Japan

The new immigration procedures at Narita have been in place for a couple of months now. From his own personal experience and reports in the Japanese media, Terrie considers what is next in Japan's immigration master plan - a 'slave visa'? Read Now

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MMW-118 -- Japan's Music Media Publishers

Music Media Watch looks at KDDI's plans to broadcast concerts live on all FM radio stations in Japan, Yamaha starts Y-TV service to promote products and events, Roland to debut new products at Sound Spark 2008 event,Sony's NetJuke software to work with KDDI's LISMO service and NTT DoCoMo makes Melody Call trial previews available for non-subscribers.

JIN-451 -- Right-wing issues

Right-wing groups are a small but noisy minority on Japan's political landscape. This week's newsletter looks at the causes close to their hearts and considers the nature of their protests. Read Now

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Terrie's Job Tips -- Cost of Living in Tokyo 2008 - Part Four: Low Budget

Back in 1983 when I first came to Japan on a working holiday visa, I was a backpacker with the experience of having hitchhiked half way around the world (I never made it past Turkey, what with the Iranian crisis back then). So arriving in Japan I was determined to live as cheaply as possible and use the savings to pay for language lessons and travel. Now, 25 years later, I'm pleased to be able to report that backpackers arriving in Japan these days don't pay that much more than I was back then - although of course salaries haven't moved up that much either!

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TT-455 -- Small M&A's heat up, ebiz news from Japan

Terrie explains why M&A activity at the lower end of the market looks most likely to increase. For analysis of the market including details about buyout trends Read Now

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JIN-450 -- The Taxi Business

Taxis in Japan. They cost more and you can't smoke in them, but how have Japan's cab businesses changed and what has been the result of deregulating the industry? Read Now

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Terrie's Job Tips -- Cost of Living in Tokyo 2008 -- Part Three: Thrifty

It's pretty hard to be thrifty as a family in Tokyo, although it is possible in regional cities and in rural areas. It is generally accepted that the minimum a 2-child Japanese family can get by on, if mom is staying at home, is about JPY4.5M a year. This includes everything and assumes that the family is renting, but possibly saving a small amount each month for a mortgage on a house by the time the parents are in their late 30's or early 40's.

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WW-170 -- Disney loves Softbank - a marketing plan for the saturated mobile market

This month's Wireless Watch takes a look at how Disney and Softbank's collaboration is making a storm in Japan's mobile world.

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TT-454 -- Obesity epidemic, ebiz news from Japan

Have fast food and Western decadence taken their toll on the Japanese waistline? With 10% of adults technically classified as obese, what is Japanese society and business doing to alleviate increasing concerns about
'the fatness epidemic'? Read Now

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