Back in 2001, as American music lovers were getting their first glimpse of a sleek new device called the iPod, software developers in Japan were busy writing the first Java applications (dubbed 'applis') for mobile phones.

Ever since reading a recent article about the under-representation of female CEOs in Japan, I've been racking my brains to find one. My first thoughts were of Tomoyo Nonaka of Sanyo Electric or Fumiko Hayashi of Daiei...

About five years ago, we wrote about the phenomenon of Japanese bedrock manufacturing companies firing thousands of people. One after another, companies such as Matsushita, Nissan and others broke the bad news to employees aged 50 or over that their days were numbered. Among many others, we were stunned to witness that apparent death of a unique corporate culture that saw protecting the welfare of employees as being more important than making profits.

Blackening the teeth dates from ancient times in Japan. However, the stratum of society who performed this practice changed with the age. From the 17th century women blackened their teeth upon marriage, sort of a rite of passage to adulthood.