Japan Inc. Needs You

Japan Inc. Needs You

Ten years ago, an American friend who was also the CEO of a technology company asked me if I could help him get more information about business opportunities in Japan. At that time, the Japanese bubble had burst and he thought it would be a good time to enter the Japanese market. I looked and looked, but quickly discovered that there really wasn't any reference material around. Disappointed, we both gave up. As more requests kept coming in from other CEOs, however, I realized that there might be a business opportunity in publishing such information, and so I embarked on the grand adventure of publishing my own magazine.

My first effort was called "Computing Japan", which focused mainly on technical issues. It was a leader in its field and at one point the web site was in the top 60 of most linked e-zines on the Web. In 1999, I replaced "CJ" with a new title called Japan Inc., which was more business oriented and targeted at people (particularly investors) interested in applying technology to making money. By 2000, Japan Inc. had become quite successful and was the reference tool of choice by venture capital firms researching the Japanese market for investment opportunities. Often the Japanese companies that we covered in the magazine would get calls from VCs in New York, London, and Hong Kong looking to make investments.

The dot-com economy slowed down this past year, but Japan Inc. continues to document and interpret the changes in the private equity markets, maintaining its grasp of the movers and shakers in technology and tech-leveraged business, and of course covering breakthroughs in actual technology itself.

Japan Inc. is currently looking for staff:

i) several sales people, one senior and one junior (trainee OK) who speak fluent Japanese and reasonable English, and who have experience in either selling media or other intangible services within the Kanto market

ii) several contract translator/writers, to create Japanese-language articles from English-language original material

iii) several contract-based Web designer/developers

Any nationality for any of the jobs is OK, but the Japanese capability has to be top notch because most of the target clients and materials will be in Japanese. The main services and products to be sold will be Investor Relations (IR) and events, and so experience in either of these areas would also be a big plus.

Being a media company, most of Japan Inc.'s business relates to the skillful and accurate use of language, as well as the meaningful analysis of events, business trends, and economics in Japan. This means that the team is probably smarter than your average small company, and very well informed on Japan's international relationships. If you like thinking and being part of the future, then this is a great place to work.

The environment at Japan Inc. is one of energy, intelligence, friendly professionalism, and a commitment to the mission of making Japan a better place by putting foreign business and finance to work here. If this sounds like somewhere you'd like to work, please contact me directly for information at terrie.lloyd@daijob.com.