We continue on with TP's experiment in learning Japanese with the specific target of being functional in the language to the point where he can work in Japanese and do business with Japanese-only colleagues. TP is a consultant and entrepreneur and is obviously used to breaking life problems down into logical steps, which I find quite fascinating, and appealing.

Thoughts and observations about onsens, supermarkets and meat in a can inspired by a trip to the ostensibly uninspirational suburb of Tamasakai form the content of this week's Japan Inc Newsletter Read Now

Being able to speak Japanese opens so many more opportunities for the foreign worker in Japan, that whenever I get an email asking about jobs here, I invariably advise the person that if they can afford it, they should take an intensive Japanese course first.

This week's newsletter makes uses of some recent research findings to consider Japan's place in the arms race in Asia. As Japan acquires more and more arms, relaxes its laws on arms exports and debates changing its constitution, should Japan take greater care of the diplomatic language it uses? Read Now