A fter 19 years in Japan, I have a pretty good network of friends here. I'm sad to say that at least half of them are unhappy with their jobs, and of that half, about 50% are actively thinking about leaving those jobs. Maybe it's the pressure of Tokyo and the unique difficulties of working in a multinational firm - or maybe it's...

On October 3 of last year, Napster Japan launched the first online music subscription service in Japan with an 'all-you-can-eat' model - allowing subscribers to download and play as much music as they like for a flat monthly fee. Accompanied by a massive marketing campaign featuring oversized bar-code poster ads, the Napster Japan launch attracted a great deal of...

Tokyo Station, the sprawling red brick landmark with a main entrance facing the Imperial Palace, is being restored to Kingo Tatsuno's original design. This is ironic. It is ironic because the nearly century-old station is the focal point of two modern, glitzy office building complexes, one in the...

The one good thing about the current downturn in the economy is that it is forcing people to take charge of their lives and explore the reality of their situation. Even though suddenly losing your job can come as a terrible shock in an otherwise ordered life, it can also be an excellent opportunity...