In polite Japan, people don't talk much about the underside of a paternal working society, where young women in particular are expected to suffer in silence from sexual harassment from their seniors. A pat on the bottom from the boss, awkward questions about one's love life from the bucho, and persistent requests for a date from older male colleagues are all part of the workplace obstacle course. In most foreign companies, things are a bit easier because of Western...

So, you've been to three interviews with the same company. You've met everyone from the Business and HR Managers, to the CEO for Japan. You're totally confident that you're the chosen one, and your recruiter is telling you that you should get ready for some good news on Monday. Then, on Friday night, the final call comes through on your cell phone, "We're sorry, but you didn't get the job..." One of the biggest problems I have as a recruiting consultant is...

The greater "Keihin" area describes the landmass from where the buildings of Kanagawa merge into Tokyo, that spreads out over 4 surrounding cities to the North and East. The Keihin area is one of the developed world's largest metropolises, with over 30 million people living within 2 hours train ride of Ginza, Shibuya, or Shinjuku. So, as a foreigner, you might be forgiven for thinking that Tokyo is an easy place to...

The title Procurement Manager means different things to different people, but in a larger multinational corporation this is usually a pretty exciting job. Typically there are two types of procurement positions available in Japan, the more senior role that covers many aspects of the business, and the less so, focusing mainly on managing and improving the procurement process. The first type is an...