I'm not sure why Tokyo-based Japanese companies are more enlightened about employing foreigners than their regional counterparts. Maybe it's the close proximity with some of the world's best foreign firms, which are now active and increasingly successful competitors. Or, maybe it's the fact that most...

I frequently get e-mail from people who have recently decided with their Japanese spouse to return to Japan to live. Given that only 25% of Japanese live in and around Tokyo, there is a good chance that the spouse is from somewhere else. And given that the motivation of many returning Japanese is to be near their family again, the decision is...

A feeling that just about every foreigner feels when they come to Japan the first time is one of helplessness, especially if you were raised in a Western country where independence and self-reliance are ingrained into one's character from the earliest years. Imagine a scene where a Japanese person studying or working overseas...

I've received a lot of email from readers interested in doing an MBA either part-time or full-time in Japan. One, from a Mr. JY in Singapore, asked for more information about other MBA schools in Japan that run courses in English. One such school, well-known because it was the first US-style Business school in Japan, is...

The most popular type of MBA in Japan is a part-time one, whereby you can continue working. This means attending school in the weekends with the occasional block course. While the rest of the tertiary education world is going back to school in April, one school, McGill, starts its 2004 classes in June. This gives you...

Perhaps it was a New Year's resolution to finally make the move to work and live in Japan. It is difficult to know exactly what to expect and be sure that you can get enough work to cover your costs. I repeat a previous article this week with some tips for landing a job for those recently arrived, or considering making the move very soon. In a tight labor market, it's the newly arrived...

Something that many people back home consider in order to get an edge in the job market is an MBA. So it may surprise some people to know that education-obsessed Japan has very few MBA courses and less than 10,000 people studying for an MBA nationwide - just a fraction of those doing the same thing in the USA and elsewhere. So where do you go about getting one? If I assume that you are already located and working here...

Although there has been a shortage of bilingual SAP engineers in the Tokyo market for some time now, the need for skilled SAP people has never been so acute. Companies are almost begging for the supply of appropriate engineering candidates. I believe that there are two factors that have combined to create this...

For Westerners coming to Japan for the first time, the biggest concerns are usually finding a job and accommodation, and getting a visa. But once you're here, a myriad of smaller concerns start to pop up, one of the most important of which is food. If you don't get the right energy source, you'll...

The Internet has become an indispensable tool for many of us, and I know for myself that I won't stay at a hotel unless I know that it has some Internet access. I personally check email at least twice a day, even on weekends and holidays, and can't help wondering what is going on if I don't. Is this some phobia or anxiety induced by constant emailing? Possibly...