Articles on working for Japanese companies, living in Japan, and understanding a culture that rewards patience, precision, and what remains unsaid – drawn from years at Toyota, in Osaka, and across many visits since.
For the Toyota Production System, kaizen methodology, and lean management, see the dedicated Toyota Production System index. This page covers Japan as a working and cultural context – the country, not the methodology.
Working for a Japanese Company
The proposition has changed more in the last five years than in the previous twenty. These articles cover the current reality and its history.
Top 7 Reasons to Work for a Japanese Company (2011) – the original article, written when lifetime employment was still the default. A snapshot of its era.
Working for a Japanese Company: The Challenges (2016) – the counterpoint, before work-style reform and before COVID reshaped office culture.
Japanese Business & Service Culture
Observations on how Japanese organisations think about customers, quality, and the small details that compound into excellence.
Paris Miki: Why It's the Best Optical Shop Around – a case study in Japanese service excellence, experienced in Bangkok.
Ramen and Customer Service – what a bowl of noodles teaches about anticipating customer needs.
The Japanese Know What You Want, Before You Want It – omotenashi as a design principle, not just hospitality.
Japan in Transition
Structural shifts in Japan's economy, industry, and self-image.
Daihatsu Dismantles Keiretsu: Is This the End of the Toyota Production System? – when a Toyota subsidiary breaks the model.Why Japan Has Two Separate Electricity Systems – a historical curiosity with real consequences.
Experiencing Japan
Places, food, and the quieter observations.
Skip the Morning Market: Discover Hakodate's Authentic Live Squid – the dish that defines a city, found away from the tourist traps.
Fortunes at Miyajima Island – a moment of tranquillity.
Cross-Cultural Context
Japan as one node in a broader Asia-Pacific professional landscape.
Reading the Room Across APAC: A Three-Dimensional Model – mapping five APAC markets across pace, warmth, and formality. Japan sits at one distinctive corner.
- Living and Working Across Asia – the broader collection covering Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Southeast Asia alongside Japan.
This is a living index. As the series grows, the index updates. For the Toyota Production System, kaizen methodology, and lean management, see the dedicated Toyota Production System index.
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