One of the most difficult jobs for the foreign CEO of an organization in Japan is finding trusted, capable, and effective right-hand men (or women) to assist with operations and the general affairs of running a company, i.e. a COO or CIO. If you have the cash and a mandate from Head Office, it is possible to make a focused and...

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)...