TT-564 -- How Long to Learn Japanese? E-biz news from Japan

* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *
A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.
(http://www.terrie.com)

General Edition Sunday, May 09, 2010 Issue No. 564

+++ INDEX

- What's new
- News
- Candidate roundup/Vacancies
- Upcoming events
- Corrections/Feedback
- News credits

SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:
http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie

BACK ISSUES
http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take, or,
http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/

------------- PBXL is Business Communications -------------

#2 in a Series - 'Service & Support in the Cloud'

Use CLOUD CALL CENTER POWER TO GET INDEPENDENT AGAIN!

Insourced service and support desks enabled by PBXL's Cloud
Call Center have the functionality of outsourced
operations... at a price small & medium sized businesses
can afford. If you have between 3 and 30 operators, and you
contact us in March, you will receive a credit for two
months service. PBXL, an official Salesforce Japan Partner,
is now offering another first - the subscription based
Cloud Call Center.

What does the Cloud Call Center mean for Support? Far lower
cost of operations. Better operators (in-house staff who
really DO know your business). Satisfied Customers. Use
ACD, IVR & Database Screen Pops with ease. Big company
technology to power sales results & better reports. There
are no hidden software, hardware or IT costs. Yes, your
staff can perform better without big expense.

Get the full picture today.
For information, fill out the inquiry form at
http://en.pbxl.jp/about.php or call: 03-4550-1600.

------------- PBXL is Business Communications -------------

+++ WHAT'S NEW

Back in March (TT559) we reported that out of 257 Filipino
nurses brought to Japan to help out with the nation's
nursing shortage, only 3 actually passed their
Japanese-language nursing exams. While in 2009, none of the
82 candidates passed. This represents a stunning waste of
human resources, money, and dreams, both here in Japan and
back in the Philippines.

As we mentioned in the news item at the time, most of the
blame on this rather miserable statistic can be placed with
the Japanese authorities who conceived the program in the
first place. How can someone possibly learn enough Japanese
in the first 6 months that over the remaining 2 1/2 years
of gruelingly long hours of manual labor they can then acquire
the rest of the language needed to actually pass their nursing
exams?

Indeed, one of the three to successfully pass recounted how
she had to fight to stay awake and study until 01:00am
every morning, trying to acquire sufficient kanji to read
the exam questions in the first place. Let's remember that
she was already a fully qualified nurse -- so this was
really just a language issue.

From our experience (both personal and through observation)
the quickest that an intelligent person not used to
Chinese/Japanese characters can actually learn and be
functional in the language, from zero, is about one year.
And for those wanting to be productive (versus merely
functional) two years is a much better time frame. These
periods, by the way, mean FULL TIME study -- in a highly
structured classroom setting, with lots of quality teaching
time, and with the very best language aids that money can
buy. Add work responsibilities and long hours, and an
immigrant may never master Japanese properly.

[Continued below...]

----------- Making Web Sites More Affordable --------------

LINC Media's Electronic Commerce team is proud to announce
its "WEB PARTNERS" program, whereby we create fully EC
enabled websites with as much functionality as you need,
plus year-round support, for a flat monthly fee.

Avoid upfront costs and lack of support after the site is
up, with the LINC Media WEB PARTNERS service. Our customers
to date include major international airlines, Social
Network Service sites, and online stores for consumer
products.

Program includes:
- Japanese/English website development
- Configuration of core software (Wordpress or Drupal, etc.)
- Software development (PHP, mySQL, etc.)
- Daily changes to the site
- Hosting, security, and backup

WEB PARTNERS is backed by a solid fully-bilingual team
with strong credentials and a desire to please.

Contact: nana.yamaguchi at lincmedia.co.jp for details.
-----------------------------------------------------------

[...Article continues]

The basis for our saying one year is the practical minimum
is based on the fact that certain diplomatic courses run
here for staff of foreign embassies can turn out Japanese
speakers/readers in one year so long as the person can
dedicate themselves fully to their studies and doesn't have
to worry about income, job responsibilities, etc. Although
the graduates from such courses can indeed read a newspaper
after a year, they will quickly tell you that a dictionary
and a spare hour per article is also needed to cope.
That's why we say that an extra year of study is worth
investing in: it spares you having to carry a dictionary
and hours of spare time.

Thus, to expect nurses from a relatively relaxed culture to
come in and suddenly become Japanese-fluent, while changing
bed pans and turning immobile patients over (remember
they're not registered in Japan as nurses yet, so the work
is manual and extremely tiring) is just an exercise in
futility.

And it's not just nurses. There have been many schemes
cooked up over the years to bring low-cost foreign workers
to Japan and put them to work. One segment where there has
been some (limited) success is in software development. In
India, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, there are
numerous Japanese language schools servicing the needs of
large corporations there that want to break into the Japanese
market.

Typically these foreign employers have their engineers
study on their own time initially, to prove that they have
the basic interest, commitment, and capability. If the
person passes their Japanese Language Proficiency Test
(JLPT) Level Four exam, then they are given financial and
work support to do a full-time course for at least 3 months
to get to Level 3 or higher. If they pass Level 3, then
they are placed on an eligibility roster for eventual
assignment in Japan.

Now, admittedly, JLPT Level 3 isn't really that useful in a
Japanese work environment, you need to have Level 2
or even Level 1 ability to be a proper contributor. But at
least one's own personal needs and social support can be
covered with Level 3. In reality, most of the work a
foreign software person is going to perform in Japan anyway
is going to be low level and relatively language independent.
We say this because one of the most common jobs for
foreign software developers is to churn out the mind-numbing
code needed for device drivers and electromechanical
devices. Recently there is some higher-end systems
architecting work available, but this is still rare.

Anyway, we now have a situation where the designers of the
nursing program are starting to realize that their charges
are actually people and not little flexible-limbed robots,
and therefore the idea of extending their language lessons
by at least another 3-6 months without the conflict of
grueling work schedules, is highly likely. Yes, it's going
to be expensive, but without such steps, they can forget
about having 10,000 extra foreign nurses here.

Japan could learn about language learning for foreign
immigrants by taking a look at how foreign companies
prepare their own employees for overseas assignments, and
pick up on best practices. The Nikkei's erstwhile senior
journalist, Waichi Sekiguchi, penned an interesting article
several weeks ago about how Samsung prepares its staff for
foreign postings, including coming to Japan.

He points out that the firm realizes that employees working
abroad have to have strong language skills and so it has a
program whereby trainees are sent abroad for a year, to
intensively learn English, Chinese, or Japanese.

For the first nine months the employee does nothing but
immersive study and for the following three months they are
expected to get out into the local community and build a
personal network. This last part is a stroke of brilliance
because it strongly ties exam achievement with practical
application of the newfound skill. Of course the employee
receives salary during this entire period. Samsung also has
Korea-based language training camps and about 1,100
employees attend these camps annually for 10 weeks of solid
instruction. Apparently about 20,000 people, about 10% of
the workforce, has gone through such intensive programs --
which is very impressive.

Now, this discussion is about inbound workers rather than
Japanese employees being sent abroad. So the point of the
Samsung model is that here you have a large group of
corporate elite, and even for such motivated employees the
minimum language training offered is twelve months (if you
include the three months dedicated to personal networking).
This, in our opinion is the absolute minimum that should be
offered to the nurses and engineers who are supposed to
help out the nation in the future.

We have no doubt that some would prefer the technological
answer. Therefore, one ray of hope may come from a company
called Fuetrek, which has announced a software recognition
application and accompanying chip set having an outstanding
99% accuracy. This is significantly higher than existing
systems which come in at around 85% accuracy. The system
uses a centralized network server to store and process a
million-word/phrase database from input made on a cell
phone or other remote device. The system is yet to be
incorporated into any commercial devices, but if it is,
perhaps this technology will go some way towards easing
language issues for skilled foreign newcomers.

Of course if someone is having a heart attack and you're
out of translator batteries, then we wonder who gets the
blame? The hospital, the nurse, or the translation device
vendor? ;-)

*******

Lastly, we would like to remind any budding entrepreneurs
that our quarterly Entrepreneur Handbook seminar is taking
place on May 22nd, two weeks from now. If you are already
in business, or are simply thinking about it, this seminar
will help you figure out what to expect and how to deal
with the inevitable challenges that will come your way.
419 people have taken this course since 2003, and we
estimate that about 20% of them have gone on to establish
companies.

Of course, those numbers could be interpreted another way
-- in that a larger proportion of people probably decided
against launching out on their own or least delayed doing
so... But this is also a good thing ;-), as running your
own company is not for everybody. Certainly this seminar
will help you make that decision!

http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar

...The information janitors/

***------------------------****-------------------------***

------------- Stay Healthy with Manuka Honey --------------

Unique Cures Active 7+ Manuka Honey is sourced straight
from the hives in New Zealand without the use of heat or
pasteurisation. Our product is loaded with propolis and bee
pollen, making it the real thing.

Raw honey is low in moisture and has high antioxidant
levels -- making it a natural anti-bacterial agent, but one
that tastes great. Manuka has been clinically tested as
effective in treating ulcers and wounds, improving
digestion, and destroying H. Pylori bacteria. Of course it
is also an excellent source of natural, balanced energy and
a safe sweetener.

Prices start from 1,980yen for 250gm. 10% loyalty discount
for TT readers. For further information go to:

www.uniquecures.com
UCsales@lincmedia.co.jp
-----------------------------------------------------------

+++ NEWS

- 45% of Japanese kids sleep in class
- ...And now your ancestors will pay, too!
- U.S. action on child abductions starting to take shape
- New auto sales up 33.5%
- Love hotel fundraising

-> 45% of Japanese kids sleep in class

Somehow we missed this news report from the Nikkei in April,
but we had to include it this time around. According to
the Japan Youth Research Institute, 45.1% of Japanese kids
doze off in class, the worst rate among the nations of
Japan, U.S., China, and South Korea. The institute reckons
it's because Japanese kids spend too much time playing
computer games and emailing/texting their friends late at
night. ***Ed: So where are the parents?** (Source: TT
commentary from nikkei.co.jp, Apr 8, 2010)

http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/TNKS/Nni20100409D08HH529.htm

-> ...And now your ancestors will pay, too!

We've heard that people in Okinawa are upset with PM
Hatoyama's inability to simply get rid of all the American
armed forces from the island, all at once. But things have
gone to altogether another level when people start
vandalizing his family's graves. Apparently last week
someone spray painted Granddad Ichiro Hatoyama's grave
stone yellow, and that of his grandmother as well. (Source:
TT commentary from thenews.com.pk, May 7, 2010)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=237946

-> U.S. action on child abductions starting to take shape

It looks like with the Chris Savoie attempted child
repossession case last year, that child abduction by
(primarily) Japanese mothers from the U.S. to Japan is
about to get some much needed but unwelcome (from the
Japanese government's point of view) attention from
lawmakers in the USA. Led by Christopher Smith (R) of New
Jersey, there is a bill being submitted to Congress that
will punish Japan with sanctions or worse if the Japanese
don't do something quickly about the rate of abductions --
signing the Hague Convention being one step towards that
goal. (Source: TT commentary from
google.com/hostednews/afp, May 6, 2010)

http://tinyurl.com/354hf6u

-> New auto sales up 33.5%

Sales of new vehicles are up over last year by an average
33.5% according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association
(JADA). Of the 222,095 autos sold, the biggest rise was in
660cc or smaller K-class vehicles, which account for just
over 90% of all vehicle sales, followed by mid-range ones.
Reasons for the increased sales include: i) government
incentives for eco-vehicles, lower toll fees, and general
consumer confidence. (Source: TT commentary from
xinhuanet.com, May 6, 2010)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/business/2010-05/06/c_13280600.htm

-> Love hotel fundraising

A Financial Times article last week tells the story of
Aim-listed Japan Leisure ("Leisure" being a substitute term
for love hotels) which is looking to raise capital on the
exchange. The FT spoke to asset manager Steve Mansfield
about his leisure hotel business in Japan. According to the
article, about one million couples visit the nation's
25,000-30,000 hotels each day! Last fiscal year, Japan
Leisure had sales of JPY1.2bn, and an operating profit of
JPY33.3m. The company's occupancy rate is an impressive
242%, amounting to JPY13,568 per room. Apparently Mansfield
wants the money to scale the business. Sounds like a good
bet to us.** (Source: TT
commentary from ft.com, May 6, 2010)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e5615554-592a-11df-adc3-00144feab49a.html

NOTE: Broken links
Many online news sources remove their articles after just a
few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we
apologize for the inconvenience.

***------------------------****-------------------------***

--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------

Formed in 1998, BiOS is a full-service IT solutions
provider, delivering SI and business support services to
foreign multinationals, including some of the world's
largest banks, logistics, and retailing companies.

Service Offerings:
* IT Infrastructure Projects, Office Setups/Relocations
* MS Office Training, Hardware/Software Procurement
* IT Personnel Outsourcing and Recruiting
* BiOS NetCare: Bilingual IT Service Desk and Support
* BiOS Advanceserve: Secure Online Data Backup (free trial)

BiOS is committed to providing quality services at
competitive prices. We're here to help!

Phone: 03-5773-3090, Email: solutions@biosjp.com
Web: www.biosjp.com
-----------------------------------------------------------

***------------------------****-------------------------***

+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES

=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively
marketing the following positions for customers setting up
or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of
bilinguals.

** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION(S)

BiOS is currently looking for energetic sales professionals
to join a growing and fast-paced environment in a new
direct hire position. In this role, newly created to help
drive the continuing expansion of our client’s operations
here in Japan, your first responsibilities will be growing
the client base, getting the company name out into the
marketplace and leading the way in selling the product and
the brand to potential new buyers.

Although the company is in the manufacturing sector, mostly
in plastics and prototyping, you do not need to have that
specific industry experience to be considered for this
role. Instead, the client is looking for someone with an
active and hungry attitude to sales, who is not afraid of
getting on the phone or getting out to meet new prospects,
and importantly, someone with a strong desire to succeed.
This is an excellent opportunity for a young salesperson
with a few years of solid experience, looking for the next
step up in their growing sale career.

Remuneration is JPY4.5m – JPY6m depending on your
experience and level

** POSITIONS VACANT

- Network Architect/PM (CCNA/CCIE Holder), JPY8m – JPY11m
- Level 1 and 2 User Support, Global Vendor, JPY3m – 4.5m
- Equities Snr PM, European iBank, JPY10m – JPY15m
- AS400 Team Member, European Insurance co., JPY6m – 7.5m
- Unix Engineer, Okinawa I-Bank, JPY4m – JPY5m

Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:
stuart.gibson@biosjp.com

** BiOS Job Mail

Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its
job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition
carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date
vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job
description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS
home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and
searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious
to know if there is something out there that might suit you
better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and
convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like
to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,
please email stuart.gibson@biosjp.com.

Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:
stuart.gibson@biosjp.com

-----------------------------------------------------------

---------- Educate Yourself on Japanese Law ---------------

CCH books discount offer. If you are responsible for your
company's business, tax and HR issues, then you need to
know the law and how it affects you!!

1. Japan Corporation Law Guide 1'st Edition
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of Japan's
Corporate Law. The guide is a must for those looking to set
up in Japan, continuing to do business here, or entering
into business arrangements with Japanese entities.

2. Japan Master Tax Guide 2009/10
An informative framework for Japanese taxes, in English.
Includes insightful commentary on the Japanese statutes,
regulations, and National Tax Agency circulars.

3. Japan Staff Employment Law Guide
Covers all the issues you need to understand HR rules and
regulations. Whether you are an HR Manager, HR Consultant,
Managing Director, or Employment Lawyer, this reference
will provide you with comprehensive and jargon-free
coverage of the employment laws in Japan.

Special discount for readers. For more details, please
contact us at: support@cch.co.jp, 03-3265-1161.

www.cch-japan.jp

-----------------------------------------------------------

***------------------------****-------------------------***

+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

------------ Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar --------------

Start a Company in Japan

Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 22nd of May, 2010

If you have been considering setting up your own company,
find out what it takes to make it successful.
Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan,
will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on
starting up a company in Japan. Over 300 people have
attended this seminar over the last 8 years.

This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,
and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered
in business books. All materials are in English and are
Japan-focused.

For more details:
http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar
-----------------------------------------------------------

------------------ ICA Event - May 20 ---------------------

Speaker: Jean-Denis Marx-Partner
-Baker & McKenzie Tokyo Aoyama Aoki Koma Law Office
(Gaikokuho joint enterprise)

Topic: Employee Rights in Japan

Details: Complete event details at http://www.icajapan.jp/
(RSVP Required)

Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010
Time: 6:30 Doors open, Buffet Dinner included and cash bar
Cost: 4,000 yen (members), 6,000 yen (non-members)
Open to all - Venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map

-----------------------------------------------------------

------------------- KEA Japan Event -----------------------

Kea Japan is honored to host an event with Brian Martin
Chairman of Japan New Zealand Business Council.

Brian has worked for companies around the world. Hear how
he helped turn around two of Japan's largest international
companies, Levi's and Triumph. Learn which principles Brian
believes business leaders and entrepreneurs need to be
successful.

Date : May 19th 2010
Place : Club 57, Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan
Time : 6pm to 9pm (doors open at 5:50pm)
Price : 2500yen pre-registered or 3000yen at the door

+++ Finger food and one drink included in the entry price
+++ Numbers are limited to 150 people, so get in quick to
secure your spot
+++ live Jazz will begin from 8:30pm
Payment: e-mailjapan@keanewzealand.com to register and
receive event information and a paypal invoice.
-----------------------------------------------------------

***------------------------****-------------------------***

+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK

In this section we run comments and corrections submitted
by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and
amplify our points, by email, to editors@terrie.com.

No feedback this week.

***********************************************************
END

SUBSCRIBERS: 9,103 as of May 9th, 2010
(We purge our list regularly.)

+++ ABOUT US

STAFF
Written by: Terrie Lloyd (terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com)

HELP: E-mail Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com
with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include
the quotes), and you will get back a message with
instructions.

FEEDBACK
Send letters (Feedback, Inquiries & Information) to the
editor to terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION
For more information on advertising in this newsletter,
Contact ads@japaninc.com.

SUBSCRIBE
Get Terrie's Take by giving your name and email address at
http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up, or go
straight to Mailman at:
http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie

BACK ISSUES
http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take
or, http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/

Copyright 2010 Japan Inc. Communications Inc.

----------------- Japan Inc opens up Japan ----------------

J@pan Inc is Japan's only independently published English-
language business website. Authoritatively chronicling
online the business trends in Japan, each posting brings
you in-depth analysis of business, people and technology in
the world's second largest economy.

Visit www.japaninc.com for the best business insight on
Japan available.
-----------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Terrie mailing list
Terrie@mailman.japaninc.com
http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie