Child Allowances in Japan

For those of you who have relocated to Japan with children, please do be aware that you are eligible for the same "Child Allowances" that Japanese citizens receive.

There is no income cieling set on the Child Allowances; just a very complicated application process at your local ward office.

The allowance is a flat 13,000 yen fee for each child under the age of Junior High School (15 years of age). Furthermore, it was just announced that for children up to the age of 3, an additional 7,000 yen will be paid, or 20,000 yen per month.

For more details about yesterday's announcement for children up to the age of 3 years, please see the following; http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20101203a7.html

If you would like help with making an application or would like to know more, please take a look here; http://www.japaninfoswap.com/blog/index.php?/archives/199-Changes-to-child-benefit-laws-in-Japan-will-benefit-foreign-families-as-well!.html

Might be time to make a baby or two!!

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!

The H&R Group is MORE THAN RELOCATION!
www.morethanrelo.com

The Future of Japan: What Can Be Done?

I was priveleged to be part of a delegation of executives today, through the European Business Council (EBC), that visited the Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry (METI) for an open discussion on 2 issues surrounding the future of Japan;

1. Human Capital- How can Japan build human capital that the Japanese business community needs to take part in the global economy

2. Foreign Direct Investment- What can Japan do to incentivise it

METI and the Japan government appear to be genuinely concerned about Japan's position in the global community.

The fundamental basis of the argument was set early in the meeting by the Japan President (a Japanese gentleman with a glowing presence) of one of the world's largest and most successful multinational companies commented that "The Government of Japan is only ever considering how to get in the game, but they are never considering how to WIN THE GAME".

This CEO went on to say that Japan needs to stand up and do something extra-ordinary. If Japan's corporate tax rate is 42%, and the rest of the world is around 25- 30%, then how about Japan standing up and offering a corporate tax rate of 15% to any foreign direct investment in Japan?

Or, he suggested "If you want research and development in Japan, why not offer a multi-national company 100 million dollars to move their facility here?"

As this CEO quite rightly mentions, 100 million dollars or a 15% tax rate is a game winner. A mediocre 5% reduction in the corporate tax rate will not incentivise anyone to shift their business to Japan.

The delegation then openly asked METI to consider a number of other points;

- Female participation in the workforce is essential. How about being the world leader in "Childcare Facilities", so females can go back to work? Reform is needed to incentivise females back into the workforce, and a mind change is required in Japanese child raising that placing your children in facilities is OK!

- A mind change is needed in Japan with regard to having the young youth of Japan get overseas experience. Overseas experience needs to be seen as the "thing to do". The Japanese government has got to send this message. Why not incentivise US and European universities to come to Japan, or fully fund them here?

- Young Japan needs to be encouraged to challenge things. There is a lack of urgency in understanding that if the young of Japan don't stand up, they won't have a future at all. Once again, someone needs to send this message, and someone needs to encourage entrpreneurship.

- Japan needs a silicon valley. There are a number of leading industries in Japan that could lead Japan into the future; mobile technologies, data center offerings, senior citizen business, self health care, and many more, but they need a "silicon valley" to assist in their development

- Japan needs to sell itself better to the world. There is an incredible amount of potential in tourism and other industries if only Japan can market themselves professionally to the world. This means being strategic with advertising such as "Yokoso Japan" that was incredibly poorly coordinated with each part of the process done independently by a different vendor (a review from the Japan President of one of the world's leading advertising agencies).

The summary being that while the Japanese Government is finally seeing that they have to do something, they are NOT "getting the point". To win the game, you have to stand up and be different. Be bold. Do something that nobody is thinking of doing. It was a pity that such a great discussion was only heard by a couple of "kacho" from METI / JETRO. That alone just shows the extent of the urgency...... there is still not enough urgency......

It really does start with the young of Japan. They are the future, and the Japanese government has to start sending the message to get them out of Japan to learn other languages and cultures. This coupled with some "BIG INITIATIVES" that shock the world and actually are game changing "FDI bringers" would really turn Japan around.

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!

The H&R Group is MORE THAN RELOCATION!
www.morethanrelo.com

Success in Relocation Team Work

I was priveleged to attend a seminar held today by Michiko Achilles, Chief Human Resources Officer at Aozora Bank, and be able to apply what I learnt to our real estate and relocation industry.

Ms. Achilles ended her presentation today with 7 pointers to sucessful interpersonal relations with a view towards "diversity in the workplace"; something that Japan seriously needs to look at to revive their economy.

1. Test your assumptions (may be what you think is right isn't....)

2. Respect differences (different opinions, different personalities... etc.)

3. Understand yourself (you can't understand others until you understand yourself)

4. Demonstrate empathy (in Japanese; 相手の立場から考える）

5. Find things in common (what do you have in common with the people you work with.....?)

6. Don't shoot for perfection

7. Enjoy differences (make good of a diverse work place!)

Not bad advice for anyone looking to improve their teamwork!

Data Protection in Relocation

I attended a session on “Data Protection” with a view to doing what is right for our Japan (Tokyo and Nagoya) Real Estate, Relocationa and Leasing Company. I would like to share what I learned.

1. While the security provided on by “systems” is important, staff awareness and training on data protections is often overlooked.

ie. It is good to have passwords, timeout functions, firewalls, spam protection and keys for cabinets, but if we are not aware of what data protection is required, and security training is not provided, then any systems we have don’t have much meaning.

2. The main steps in understanding data protection properly are;

Creating Values, Educating, Discussing, Training and Re-Training.

3. Independent items of data provide little risk. For example, a list of names has no particular risk if leaked alone. However, if the list of names also gives corresponding address information, phone numbers, email addresses, birth dates etc., then it quickly becomes a high risk in terms of data security. It is therefore the combination of data that is important. You need to correctly protect your combinations of data.

4. Within our offices, it is a good idea to consider the kinds of combinations of data that exist.
eg. Names, addresses, birth dates, mobile phone numbers, bank account details, work permits / visas, passport copies, registration card documents, medical histories, what else?

5. It is also best to consider where else we have the data mentioned in 4 above. Do we have it in our cars? Do we have it at home?

6. There are two types of data to consider;
a. Data At Rest: Data that is sitting in one stationary place
b. Data In Motion: Data that is moving from place to place

7. Data protection is all about reducing opportunistic events. One often implemented policy is a "Clean Desk Policy", as messy desks with a lot of diffirent information on them can create the "opportunity" for information to get into the wrong hands.

8. Even for small companies it is recommended to build a "Security Policy", to train employees on it, and then regularly re-train them.

Trends in Global Relocation

Having just attended the Worldwide Employer Relocation Council (WERC) Conference in Seattle, here a summary of the trends that were reiterated throughout the 3 days.

- Policy is becoming increasingly global and emphasis is going on flexibility to meet business needs
- Mobility administration within companies are outsourcing more, but there are now less internal resources and therefore more emphasis on regional centers taking responsibility
- There is continued pressure on cost control. and through this a lot of emphasis on how you can “add value”.
- All companies are under pressure to financially perform, so expansion continues in terms of responding to new patterns, M&As and new country start ups. It is different activity, but there is vibrant new activity out there.
- Suppliers / vendors must demonstrate their value.
- There is now a never ending race to keep your business! It is all about MORE FOR LESS, so you continually need more innovation, more efficiency and less cost.
- Innovation is needed on a local and regional level, not just at the level of relocation management companies or global HR.
- There is a continuing need for cost saving initiatives
- More diversity in programs is being demanded in the "new norm". Things are changing fast, so flexibility is key. eg. There are tighter tax restrictions in some countries, many companies are placing more emphasis on consistency of programs across locations and there are more short term assignments now- up to 18 months in length.
- There is a reluctance to relocate, mainly in the US, due to the decline in house values, as people are scared to sell as it will realize large cash losses to them.
- There is a re-assignment of workplace mobility within talent management going on, and talent management people now often at the table when making decisions
- Assignment management services are a large market; only 14% of this outsourced in the US vs 60- 70% of other services
- RFP and RFI activity is the highest ever. Companies are out to bid, so there is a natural rate of attrition; vendors / suppliers will change
- Contract renewal periods for supplier / vendor contracts have been shortened
- Turnover in decision makers within companies is high; multiple relationships need to be managed to maintain business
- Master service agreements and “one vendor”agreeements are becoming popular; ie refined supplier relations and less suppliers are wanted in some cases.
- There is a strong need to manage data on everything you do
- There is a strong need to use this data and show your value

Some of these repeat the same message, but it is obvious that our industry is a much different place compared to pre-Lehman days.

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!

The H&R Group is MORE THAN RELOCATION!

www.morethanrelo.com

Turning Up Sales in Relocation

I was privileged earlier this week to attend a seminar by a Japanese gentleman, Vice President Yokoyama-san of “Attack Sales Associates”.

His presentation was one of the better I have seen from a Japanese person, because he kept it very simple. There were 3 basic points on how to increase our sales in real estate and relocation.

1. You must find a place to make the sales happen; this is done by “Sales on Foot” and by saying “Yes”. You have to visit your clients as much as possible (by foot) and you want them to say “Yes” as many times as possible in front of you, even if you are just talking about the weather. ie. You have to get out there and keep the conversation positively “yes”.

2. You must make a habit of things. Habits are created by the following formula;

IMPACT x FREQUENCY = EXTENT OF HABIT
ie. To really change something is to make a habit of it, and do it without thinking about it. In order to make a habit of something, the impact of the change and the frequency it is repeated determines if it becomes a habit or not. If it doesn’t become a habit, it is likely you have actually changed.

3. You must understand things correctly. Understanding comes from the following formula;

WORDS / EXPLANATIONS x EXPERIENCE
ie. In order to really understand something you have to hear about it and then experience it or do it.

If you want to increase your sales you therefore need to implement these things into your sales delivery. Yokoyama-san drummed home the follow things;
- You must find a way to touch your clients many times
- You must meet them regularly (frequency is everything, not the length of the meeting)
- Talk about yourself. By doing so you will naturally find common points / interests with the person you are selling to, and that will help you build a relationship
- Of meeting with someone, phoning them and emailing them, only meeting and phoning have impact
- Once you have built trust through a relationship based on frequent visits and finding commonalities with the person/s you are working with, you must understand what they need
- Once you truly understand, you then must lead your client to making the sale

Japan Housing Starts Climb Dramatically

Japan's housing starts rose 20.5% year on year to 71,972 units in August, expanding for the third straight month, the Land Ministry said on September 30, according to Nikkei. The increase was the steepest since the 54.2% jump in September 2008.

The increase appears to be due to the mortgage loan tax break as well as inventory released by condominium sellers.

Here are the main 3 areas of increase;

1. Starts for owner-occupied houses grew 15.5% to 29,036 units, up for the tenth straight month.

2. Rental housing starts climbed 16.9% to 25,892 units, marking the first increase in 21 months.

3. Starts for condominiums for sale soared 44.6% to 6,617 units.

While this alone doesn't signify the return of a healthy economy, it is encouraging that things are on the way up, and it is these kind of reports that slowly help to build business confidence.

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!
The H&R Group is MORE THAN RELOCATION!
www.morethanrelo.com

Building Trust in Relocation

I have recently been quite involved in a project to "build trust" or re-build it, and today I would like to share some of my findings. Business, well good business, is all about trust. For example, if you can build good trust pricing doesn't become the priority in the business conversation. For these kinds of reasons this has been a really useful exercise for me.

WHAT IS TRUST?
- Although trust sometimes seems invisible, it is the result of continuous attentiveness and activity.
- Trust is not a medium or glue that holds relationships and societies together, it is not a lubricant, it is not an atmosphere, nor is it “stuff”.
- Trust is dynamic; it involves personal responsibility, commitment and change
- Trust is social practice; it is not a set of beliefs. It is not just a matter of individual psychology or attitude
- Thinking and talking about trust will not only influence our beliefs, but will also change our behavior in the world and with one another
- Breaches of trust do not mark the end of trust, but are part of the process of trusting
- Trust is not only earned, it must be given. ie. It is not just about trustworthiness and who can be trusted.
- Trust is a matter of reciprocal relationships, not of prediction, risk and reliance
- Trust is transformative. It is not a matter of trusting or being trusted so much as it is a matter of changing each other and the relationship through trust.
- Trust is a matter of making and keeping commitments and the problem of trust is not loss of confidence, but the failure to cultivate commitment making.
- Trust is a matter of mood and emotional skills; a function of the imagination as well as the product of negotiation and understanding.
- Moods and emotions are engagements in the world, not just feelings. Trust is therefore not a feeling.
- Our emotional practices can change and be cultivated. We can (and must) learn to trust.
- Trust involves sincerity, authenticity, integrity, virtue and honor (a matter of ethics).
- The worst enemies of trust are cynicism, selfishness and a naive conception of life in which one expects more than one is willing to give.
- Trust goes hand in hand with truth. Lying is always a breach of trust.
- Authentic trust can never be taken for granted, but must be continuously cultivated through commitments and truthfulness.
- Competence is the ability to perform as expected, according to standards appropriate to the role or the task in question. To trust people involves, amongst other things, assessing the level of competence.
- Trusting is a decision (or a sequence of decisions) that opens up the world for us, builds and deepens our relationships and creates new possibilities.

TYPES OF TRUST
SIMPLE TRUST: The trust that infants have for their primary caretakers. Trust that is taken for granted or assumed. It cannot be recovered if it is lost.

BLIND TRUST: Is denial. Evidence for distrust has been presented, but it is denied. With blind trust one sees but refuses to see. Blind trust always has an element of self-deception, or at the least the will to be self-deceived.

CONDITIONAL TRUST: Trust is conditional, focused and limited. To recognize these limits is part of authentic trusting. Eg. You trust your dentist to fix your teeth, but not to look after your house.

AUTHENTIC TRUST: Trust need neither be blind nor simple. Simple trust is unreflective. Blind trust is self-deceptive. Authentic trust is both reflective and honest with itself and others. All forms of trust involve counting on other people and as such they are vulnerable to betrayal. All trust involves vulnerability and risk and nothing would count as trust if there were no possibility of betrayal. However, betrayal is not surprising or devastating to authentic trust. Authentic trust is trust that is well aware of the risks, dangers and liabilities of trust, but maintains the self-confidence to trust nevertheless. Authentic trust, like true love and genuine faith, is possible only in the light of a breakdown in trust. One cannot authentically trust unless one has experienced disappointment, loss or betrayal.

AUTHENTIC TRUST
Authentic trust is self-scrutiny, caring about the long-term relationship and not just the outcome, negotiation and mutual understanding, a willingness to make and stand by one’s own commitments, a keen awareness of the risks and liabilities and the recognition that taking on these risks and liabilities is above all one’s own responsibility.

Canada Means Business- COP10 and The Environment- August 25th 2010

On behalf of the TJCS Business Committee, I am proud to announce the third installment of the 2010 event series Canada Means Business on August 25th, 2010.

As Nagoya will host the COP10 in October, three speakers will specially focus on environmental issues. Not only in business, but also in our daily lives, much attention toward the environment is important. Such useful information will be offered to you at this event. This event will bring you the opportunity to communicate with many different companies. By doing so, it expands your business network and eventually will lead to develop international business relations between Japan and Canada.

We look forward to seeing you there!
When: August 25th (Wed) 19:00 - 21:00 (Registration starts from 18:30)
Where: Hotel Coms Nagoya, Cafe Lento
Address: 2-23-22 Higashisakura, Naka-ku, Nagoya
Hotel Coms Contact: Tel: 052-931-5811, Fax : 052-931-5808
Price:
TJCS Corporate Members: 5,000 Yen
TJCS Regular Members: 5,500 Yen
Affiliate Assoc. (ACCJ, ANZCCJ): 6,000 Yen
Non-Members: 6,500 Yen

Spaces are limited, sign up today to guarantee your spot. Click here to sign up now!
The Canada Means Business series continues throughout 2010 and 2011 with the following dates.
August 25, 2010 Canada Means Business, Meet and Greet
October 27, 2010 Canada Means Business (TBD)
January 26, 2011 Canada Means Business (TBD)
If you are interested in organizing business event with Tokai Japan Canada Society business committee, please contact business@tjcs.jp

New Ownership for H&R Group in Tokyo and Nagoya Relocation

NEW OWNERSHIP FOR H&R GROUP

Effective August 20th, Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc. has finalized the sale of its 100% owned subsidiaries H&R Consultants K.K and ReloJapan K.K. (known as the H&R Group) to private equity investment company Appreciate Co., Ltd. (“Appreciate”) and owner Hiroyuki Kurihara.

Through the acquisition, Appreciate has established a 100% subsidiary “H&R Group K.K.,” which will act as the parent and holding company of H&R Consultants K.K., and ReloJapan K.K.

H&R Group and Appreciate will make every effort to enhance the service provision of H&R Consultants and ReloJapan in real estate and relocation services to fully meet the global mobility needs of corporations in Japan.

Detailed information is as follows:

Background

H&R Consultants is an officially licensed real estate company that provides real estate and relocation services to both multi-national and Japanese corporations. ReloJapan is the sister company of H&R Consultants, and is 100% devoted to destination service provision and management of the entire relocation process for assignees destined to Japan.
Appreciate is a private equity investment company that focuses on small to medium sized investments across all industries in Kanto and Chubu.

Comments from Stakeholders

Harry Hill, President, Oak Lawn Marketing Inc.
“I have tremendous affection for the H&R group of companies, as this was one of the first businesses I started in Japan. As per the evolution of Oak Lawn Marketing joining NTT DOCOMO, INC. in April of 2009, this transaction is “win-win” for all parties and will empower the H&R Group management to seek further growth in an environment that fully supports their culture and core business. I am incredibly proud to be involved in another entrepreneurial success story here in Japan.”

Scott Reid, Operating Officer, Oak Lawn Marketing Inc. (Former President of H&R Consultants and ReloJapan)
“I have great faith in Steve Burson and his management team and I believe this is a great step for the H&R Group. I am sure it is the consistent performance over many years that has made this possible. This move can only make the H&R Group greater and allow them to take things to the next level.”

Hiroyuki Kurihara, President, Appreciate Co., Ltd.
“My instincts told me from the first meeting with Steve Burson that this was an organization I wanted to invest in. Ultimately, the international feel of H&R Group’s culture, the consistent financial performance through different economic times and the potential for continued growth into the future are the factors that determined the value of this investment. I really look forward to working with all the H&R Team.”

Steve Burson, President of H&R Consultants K.K. and ReloJapan K.K.
“We owe so much to Oak Lawn Marketing for their support and guidance over the last 18 years. Furthermore, I am very grateful that we have been able to find a great home with Appreciate and Hiroyuki Kurihara.
While we will seek improvements in all areas of our business into the future, I am also happy to report that H&R Consultants and ReloJapan’s operations and staff, in its entirety, will remain unchanged.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our clients, vendors and friends, so I would like to take this opportunity to portray my sincere appreciation to you all and to ask for your continued support and guidance into the future. We look forward to working with you and your teams to forge even stronger relationships and provide even better service.”

Outline of H&R Group (as of August 20th, 2010)

Parent Company: H&R Group K.K.
President: Hiroyuki Kurihara
Location: Yokohama, Kanagawa (will later be moved to Aichi)
Capital: 40 million yen
Date of Establishment: August, 2010

Name of Company: H&R Consultants K.K.
President: Steve Burson
Location: Nagoya, Aichi
Capital: 40 million yen
Date of Establishment: 1993 (Nagoya), 2000 (Tokyo Branch)

Name of Company: ReloJapan K.K.
President: Steve Burson
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Capital: 10 million yen
Date of Establishment: June 2001

Inquiries

Human Resources and Administration Division
H&R Group K.K.
TEL: 052-973-3957
E-MAIL: InfoRequest@MoreThanRelo.com
ATTN: Yuki Yamada / Aki Kamiya

Breakfast With The American Consulate In Nagoya

I am pleased to organizing the following breakfast on September 3rd for the ACCJ. Please join if you can! Just 15 seats available, so book fast!

***********************************************************************
BREAKFAST MEETING WITH U.S. CONSULATE NAGOYA

DATE: Friday, September 3rd, 2010, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

VENUE: Hilton Nagoya, 28F, White Room

MAXIMUM ATTENDANCE: 15 people

COST: Members: 3,000 yen Non-Members: 4,000 yen

REGISTRATION AND CANCELLATION DEADLINE: Wed 1st September
***********************************************************************

Come and join us for an informal breakfast with all of the officers (andprobably a few of the local staff) at the U.S. Consulate in Nagoya.Nagoya's three American diplomats are Jonas Stewart, who was the Director of the Nagoya American Center (part of the U.S. Consulate) since 2007 and extended a year to be Principal Officer during the gap created by Max Kwak's retirement and the arrival next summer of Max'sreplacement.

Stephen Wheeler just arrived in Nagoya last month as the new Nagoya American Center Director, and Commercial Consul Edward Yagi (who also arrived in 2007) still has a couple of years left on his assignment as well.

Edward and Jonas are keen to update us on what theyhave seen and heard during their last three years in Nagoya and tointroduce Stephen to us. All three diplomats have agreed to give us their honest take on U.S.-Japan affairs, offer us their insights on business, cultural, and political issues, and answer any questions we have about U.S.-Japan relations, consular issues, or anything else of interest to the ACCJ community.

I am sure this will be a reallyinformative gathering, and also a rare and ideal opportunity to meet theentire U.S. Consulate diplomatic corps in one place, at one time.

Steve Burson and Andy Boone
Business Program Committee - Chubu

TO REGISTER: Visit <http://member.accj.or.jp/> and log in with yourmember ID and password.

If you have any questions, please contact NorikoKato at 052-229-1525, nkato@accj.or.jp, or fax to ACCJ Chubu Office: 052-222-8272

Cultural Differences in Providing Relocation Services

I was priveleged to attend a seminar by Rochelle Kopp last week on bridging cultural differences as a leader in Japan. I found the session incredibly useful, not because it was incredibly new content, but because it refreshed me on the different backgrounds westerners and foreigners come from. We often forget the below when we are working with our Japanese colleagues, but when you think about it, it can be attributed to many of the problems.

The following is a summary of the seminar from my eyes on how Japanese people tend to be different from us in the West. It is a bunch of generalizations, but gives a good overview of how things happen in a Japanese office.

DECISION MAKING
- Decision making is very consensus driven.
- Decisions tend to take a long-time to make, as much “ne-mawashi” or (individual discussion with each stakeholder to gain their buy in) is required, before the formal decision is made
Different ways of approaching decision making, but in the long-run neither method is faster or slower (perhaps). For Japanese people, the time taken in the “lead-in” means that they are able to implement quicker when the decision is made.

WORK DELEGATION
- In the west we “delegate” work, but in Japan “delegation” takes a different form; it is not so much “delegation” as “working together”, and it looks like “micro-management” to the west
- The basis to delegation is “Hoo-Ren-Soo” (report, touch base and seek advice) and if this happens properly, there is a lot of back and forward on the delegated work, which would be regarded as micro-management in the west.

JAPANESE STAFF VALUE THESE THINGS HIGHLY
- Good company profile, prestige and recognition; often this can be done through CSR activities
- Group social events, group meetings, group coordination
- “Kikubari” or consideration for others feelings. There is an expectation for managers to be on the look out for how their staff “feel” about things, and that they understand how staff will feel under different circumstances.

GROWING TRUST WITH JAPANESE
- Be consistent in what you do. Act consistently.
- Spend time with your Japanese colleagues. Do lunches with them, do social events and dinners

SEEKING OPINIONS
- As Japanese communication is often “in-direct” or “non-verbal” seeking opinions can be difficult.
- Japanese typically don’t like conflict, so you need to be careful in how you ask for opinions; asking directly will not work in many cases (eg. Don’t ask “What do you think” or “What is your opinion”)
Advice for seeking opinions
1. Don’t say what you think first or don’t give your ideas first (particularly if there is hierarchy and you are of a higher level than the other Japanese members)
2. Be clear with what you are talking about; write things down as you go, use visual aids and use agendas
3. Once the topic is clear and set, use questions such as “Do you have any advice for me?” or “Do you see any difficulties with this?”

RECOGNITION
- Giving feedback in public is often counter-productive in Japan, as Japanese feel uncomfortable being singled out from amongst their peers. Giving feedback to teams in public is a better way to go.
- Japanese people generally dislike general positive feedback such as “I think you did a great job”, so you need to give concrete examples of what you like about them or what they are doing.
- Japanese are typically not good at providing “positive feedback” as it is not something taught in Japanese society historically (in fact many look down on positive feedback, as there is a saying “home-goroshi” or “killing by praise”). It is therefore recommended that training is undertaken on how to give positive feedback.
- Often Japanese prefer a different form of positive feedback such as being given a different status (job title, etc.) or being asked to join special projects, etc.

MOST RECOMMENDED WESTERN WAYS OF DOING THINGS (things you should implement!)
- Performance based reward systems
- Making an office fun
- Shorter working hours
- Hiring of those generally not respected by Japanese companies; female staff, staff over 50 years of age, and staff without “official qualifications"

TYPICAL JAPANESE BEHAVIOURS TO BE AWARE OF
- Japanese are often uncomfortable to tell you about things you don’t want to hear (ie. bad news) - Japanese are very harsh with each other when it comes to their level of English. They can be very un-accepting of other Japanese members with English levels better or worse than their own
- Japanese often believe there is “one best way to do things” through proven methods. This explains why they can be stubborn about doing things differently, if they believe they know the “one best way” and it is “proven”. In this case, the following wording can be useful; “I have a suggestion that would be even better”.

The above blows away some of the business theory suggested in Western business literature.... and makes you think!

Relocation from Japan to India

My Brief Relocation from Japan to India......

I was recently privileged to visit 3 cities in the north of India; New Delhi, Lucknow and Dehradun in a whirlwind 5 day trip that involved lots of travel, a number of meetings, lots of heat, a crook stomach and a great experience that a normal tourist couldn’t get on a regular trip. Much of the enjoyment of the trip was thanks to my friend and colleague Anudeep who did all the planning, coordination and then took me around everywhere. Thanks, Anu.

There were two main things that struck me while I was in India;

1. The Middle Class- I was expecting a lot of poverty, and of course compared to Japan it exists in abundance. However, the poverty wasn’t to the extent I expected and I was presently surprised by what looked to be a very well educated and reasonably affluent middle class. While the middle class may not have the big house with back yard yet, they appear to have a reasonably good income and seem to be leading a good level of lifestyle.

2. The Lack of Infrastructure; In Particular, Water and Electricity- More than recognizing what India did not have, it was a more a recognition of how lucky we are in Japan and the Western World for unlimited amounts of water, a power supply that hardly ever goes down, and phone / data network that allows uninterrupted movement of information. India doesn’t have that, but in a good way they are not expecting it either. They are happy with the infrastructure they have, because it is what it is and they just go ahead with what they have. Buildings aren’t pristine anywhere you go and generally look shabby on the outside, but inside they are nicely decorated and internally designed, and for India the norm is 5 levels below what we are used to in developed countries..

What then struck me was the positive nature of all of India. Despite the above 2 points, most people understand that their economy is going to continue to grow and with it are coming a whole bunch of chances and changes. This attitude is sadly missing in Japan. Change should be a time to celebrate the chances it brings, but all I feel in Japan is people holding on for the old days to come back.

India is on the way up. I hope Japan is sensible enough to join with India and help it grow. Japan needs to work with the rest of Asia, and here is a perfect partner.

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!

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Quality of Living Rankings- Japan in Top 50 Cities for Relocation

Mercer has just recently announced their "Quality of Living Survey" for 2010, which ranks 221 cities in the world against the base city New York set at 100. Japan ranks pretty well, with all major cities falling in the top 6o.

Here is the summary for Asia Pacific;

Auckland (4) retains its position as the highest-ranking city for quality of living in the region. Sydney follows at 10, Wellington at 12, Melbourne at 18 and Perth at 21. At 26, Canberra is new to the index. Singapore remains the highest-ranking Asian city at 28, followed by Japanese cities Tokyo (40), Kobe and Yokohama (both at 41), Osaka (51) and Nagoya (57). The region’s lowest-ranking cities are Dhaka in Bangladesh (206) and two cities new to the list – Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan (209) and Dushanbe in Tajikistan (210).

Mr Parakatil commented: “Quality of living declined in a few countries in Asia between the start of 2009 and 2010. Increasing threats of violence and terrorism, coupled with natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons and cyclones have had a negative impact on the quality of living in Asian cities. This may result in higher hardship allowances for expatriates sent to these countries.”

With a score of 138.9, Wellington (5) is the highest-ranking eco-city in the region followed by Adelaide (7), Kobe (9), Perth (12) and Auckland (13). Dhaka in Bangladesh (220) ranks lowest with a score of 30.9.

It is also of note that there is an "Eco Ranking" in this years survey. The eco-ranking is based on water availability and drinkability, waste removal, quality of sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion. Kobe is the highest ranked Japanese city at 9th, followed by Yokohama at 37th and Nagoya / Osaka tied for 50th.

For further information, please see the following;

SURVEY SUMMARY: http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving
DETAILED REPORT: http://www.mercer.com/qualityoflivingpr#City_Ranking_Tables

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Swimming Lessons; Learn It From Someone!

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When I was young, I used to hate swimming as much as I hated piano lessons. I disliked both of them with a passion, until of course I got into my twenties and then realized that I was an idiot.

I never went back to the piano, as I am literally tone deaf, but I have always enjoyed a variety of sports. So, with an ever expanding waist line, I decided it was time that I actually did learn to swim properly once and for all.

I initially tried to teach myself. Dumb idea…… this is where I learned a lesson that will stick with me for a long time. If you don’t understand something or want to learn a new hobby or sport, don’t just read about it or watch it on a DVD, get someone to teach you about it. Find a coach, a mentor, or attend a seminar where someone will teach you in a language you understand….. Trust me, learning things this way will speed up the process ten fold.

How do I know this? Well, I have started taking swimming lessons, and it is embarrassing how much I have learnt in 3 weeks, and the lesson is a group one!! It all seemed so easy looking at everyone else swimming in the pool, and it actually isn’t that difficult with practice, but you do need to learn the “how” from someone who knows and can point out what you are doing wrong, or how you improve what on what you have. I have made so much progress in 3 weeks that swimming has now become so much fun!

I now realize now why the best players in world sports have coaches, and having thought about this for a number of weeks, I strongly believe that “coaching” is not just for sports, but in fact for business and whatever you are challenging. A great example of this is the Entrepreneurship Mentor Initiative (EMI) being undertaken by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ); an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to learn things from others (see more at www.accj.or.jp).

If you need to get somewhere fast, learn from people that are doing it now!! Books are great, but they are not good at teaching you the “how” part, which is the difference between good implementation of your challenge and poor or no implementation. Learn it from someone!

Relocated to Tokyo? Need a Doctor?

A good Doctor is hard to find, and a recommended doctor is gold. Here is a list of Doctors that were recommended by relocation specialists and other Expats in Tokyo. If you are not feeling so good, get things checked out early!

General Resources
Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Information Center
This is a municipal site featuring a database of English speaking medical professionals searchable by location and Station.

The following are links to medical professionals who were recommended by others in the community.

Dentists
Shinagawa Seaside Dental ClinicKaku　and Kaku2 Dental Clinics (2 separate locations)
Nishieifuku Dental Clinic
Roppongi Hills Nishibori Dental Office

Clinics
Tokyo Medical & Surgical
"Doktors" International Medical Clinic
"Shane Clinic" American Clinic in Tokyo
An actual American Doctor practicing in Japan since 1954
Primary Care Tokyo Clinic
Koganei Tsurukame Clinic

Pediatrics
National Medical Clinic
Dr. Che is very popular with expats for ob/gyn and pediatric care.
National Center for Child Health and Development
24 hour emergency room

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!

The H&R Group is MORE THAN RELOCATION!

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Marketing Relocation Services

I am a big fan of Seth Godin. He makes sense of the new norm we are in, and speaks simply in terms we all understand.

We need to learn his lessons in the Relocation Industry.

8 Marketing Lessons From Seth Godin

1. Spamming People Doesn’t Work Like it Used To – People who spam others have determined that it doesn’t pay for itself like it used to. If you look at companies that are growing (e.g. Zappos), they don’t do a lot of advertising. They do just a little bit of advertising to keep their investors happy, but have realized that personalized messages will always do better than spam.

2. People Like Doing What Other People Are Doing – We like to be like each other. People strive to fit in and find their own groups, so marketers who facilitate this will win.

3. Ideas That Spread Win, and Free Ideas Spread Best – Godin explained that he made more money by giving away his book, Idea Virus, than he made on his previous New York Times best-seller. Free ideas create demand, and demand can always be monetized.

4. Remarks Make Something Remarkable – When people comment on something, then it is remarkable. The old model, which focuses on companies making average products for average people, is not remarkable. Companies that aren’t remarkable can’t grow quickly. By making products worth talking about, then companies can become remarkable.

5. What We Make and How We Make It Has Changed – In today’s economy, people are buying experiences and conversations. Godin provided the example of LittleMissMatched, a company that sells unmatched socks that provide a point of interest and conversation for young girls.

6. You Have the Opportunity to Lead a Tribe – Tribes exist today, and they’re looking for leaders. You don’t have to have charisma to be a leader. Leading gives leaders charisma. The internet is the ultimate extension of communication to help organize tribes. Don’t waste time trying to convert non-fans; instead, work to strengthen existing tribes.

7. Lots of Alternatives Exist – Choices are now rampant, so people or companies that are perceived as the best or the leaders are more successful. People have been trained to be good at a lot of things, but not to be the best at one niche skill. Difficult opportunities are the ones worth doing.

8. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Indispensible – Lots of opportunities exist to be a linchpin, but most people and companies are scared of being great and indispensible because it’s hard and scary. By overcoming this fear, marketers can become critical to business success.

I am looking for ways to use these in our organization, seriously.

Real Estate Trends in Japan- Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya

The following report doesn't look to put smiles on the faces of the Japanese construction industry, which is still reeling due to the state of the economy. There are few industries in worse condition, but the report doesn't paint a pretty picture for any of us;

The global economic recession impacted Japan severely and especially affected the real estate industry. A weak economic recovery is now underway, helped by government stimulus spending and tax reforms. We expect growth to remain weak, just managing to stay in positive territory, to reach about 1.2% year-onyear (y-o-y) in 2012 and 2013. However, the economy has racked up chronic fiscal deficits and a huge public debt worth around 200% of GDP. The outlook is not bright, as the country moves from net saver to net debtor status. The real estate market is also problematic. Japan’s residential sector is suffering from record low levels of new construction. According to the Japan Real Estate Institute (JREI), residential land prices have slid more than 40% from their 1991 peak and land prices in Japan’s six largest cities fell 7.8% (9.2% in real terms) y-o-y in H109. The Tokyo office market has reached its highest vacancy level for six years. There were dramatic rental falls in Tokyo office space to late 2009: Tokyo (Inner City) rents plunged 23.3% y-o-y, while Tokyo (Outer Central) rents dropped 21.9% y-o-y. Osaka saw a similar tale of increases in vacancies. In Tokyo, retail rentals dropped by about 50% y-o-y in 2009, and industrial rents were down by 10-20% y-o-y. In Osaka, retail rentals dropped by 15-20% y-o-y in 2009 and industrial rents were down by 10- 20% y-o-y. In Yokohama, rental rates for all types of commercial property fell by 20-30% y-o-y in 2009. In the longer term, while the weakness in the economy and the lack of funding seem likely to keep housing prices under downwards pressure, demand – driven by population necessity – will pick up, requiring supply to meet it. In general, commercial real estate rents and prices also seem likely to soften further, given the rising vacancy rates and the tendency for companies to downsize. Also, there is little scope for improvement in the industrial sector, given the likelihood that the economy will remain fairly stagnant over the next year or so. However, there are signs that retail property may be on the rebound, as a result of increasing consumer spending as the economy recovers.

Taken from CompaniesAndMarkets.com; "Japan Real Estate Report Q3 2010".

Looking at the above, how much do we believe the newspapers about how the economy is recovered and that the outlook is much brighter?

Relocating to Japan- Your New Resident Card!!

As my role of Chair of the European Business Council (EBC) HR Committee, I was priveleged last week to have Matsuno-san of the Immigration Bureau of the Justice Ministry talk to the EBC membership about the new immigration system. A summary of his presentation is below;

- The new law has been passed by the diet, but many of the details remain undecided.

- Under the former system there used to be 2 acts; the Immigration Act（入管法）and the Alien Registration Act（外国人登録法）.

- Under the new system, the Alien Registration Act will be abolished, and the Immigration Act will be amended. The Immigration Act is administered by the Ministry of Justice, and therefore of the big change here is that information will be managed entirely under this “one law”, rather than under two acts as before.

- Under the former system, while foreigners could receive documents that recorded the details of their alien registration（記載自己証明書）, they were not registered like Japanese under the Juminhyo（住民票）system. Under the new system, people that are eligible for the new system (medium to long term foreign residents) will be able to apply for Juminhyo like their Japanese counterparts.

- Under the former system, even if you were an illegal immigrant, you could apply for and receive an alien registration card. Under the new system, illegal immigrants will not be able to receive the new “Resident Card”, as it is basically the same as the stamp (sticker) in your passport.

- The new “Resident Card” will record fewer details than the current card, although all details required now, including the name and address of your employer will be required.

- Under the new system, for people who have received the COE and had it converted to a visa in their passport, you will arrive have your “Residence Card” issued at the airport. At the time of arrival, it is unlikely that you would have a finalized address, so you would be given 14 days to report to your local authority (ward office, city or town hall) to register your address.

- How the address will be recorded on the new registration card is currently not yet decided.

- Basically, any changes that need to be made to your living quarters in Japan must be reported to your local authority, as before.

- However, any changes to your name, date of birth, sex, nationality and most importantly employer and their address must be reported to the immigration bureau. Currently, this means reporting in person, but whether a proxy will be allowed or if reporting can be done by post or by internet (etc.) is currently being investigated (not yet decided, but the Immigration Bureau understands that locations are limited and travel for some people will be extensive, so they are considering all the options).

- Maximum fines for not reporting you details, reporting incorrect information, adjusting or falsifying your “Residence Card, etc. will be JPY 200,000. Such fines would be administered through the Japanese court system, so without being arrested and your case being taken to court, it is highly unlikely that first offenders or minor offenders will be fined for such things as not renewing your details within 14 days of a change, etc. There is no other authority administering the penalties other than the Japanese police and the regular judicial system, so things are unlikely to be any different from what they are now.

- The new “Residence Card” will replace your “status of residence” stamp in your passport. ie. there will be no need to have your status of residence stamp (sticker) changed from one passport to the other, as the Resident Card itself will replace this.

- The maximum visa period of 3 years will be extended to 5 years for certain visa categories. Which categories this will apply to is currently being worked on and is not yet decided.

- The re-entry permit system will remain, but under the new system if you are leaving for Japan for periods of less than 12-months, you will be exempt from needing a re-entry permit.

- However, care is needed if you plan to leave Japan for a long period of time, as if you are out of the country for longer than 12-months, you would automatically lose your status of residence, regardless of the reason. The immigration bureau therefore recommends obtaining a re-entry permit for longer periods of time out of Japan.

- The new system is scheduled to be implemented in July of 2012.

- Once the new system is implemented, there would be a 3-year grace period to change you old alien registration cards to the new “Residence Card”. However, on the implementation of the new system, the alien registration act would be abolished, and therefore an “old registration card” would be treated as being a “Resident Card” in terms of immigration law; ie. just because you continue to have an old alien registration card, it doesn’t mean that the new law wouldn’t apply. The old card would simply be treated as a new “Resident Card” under the new law.

- Further information is available here; http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/newimmiact/newimmiact_english.html

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me on Steve_Burson@MoreThanRelo.com

First Impressions in Relocation- New Leader for Japan

Well, I told you so; http://real-o-cating-japan.blogspot.com/2009/08/dpj-government-and-prime-minister.html. I could never see Prime Minister Hatoyama lasting. I called him a puppet 8 months ago, and I believe I was correct.

First impressions in the relocation industry, and any service industry for that matter, are vitally important. What our organization seems like or feels like when we send that first email, make the first phone call or meet a person for the first time, is a big deciding factor in the remainder of the client interaction. If we get off on the wrong foot, it is hard to get back on track. You must make a good first impression. Did Mr. Hatoyama give you a good first impression?

I attended a seminar of a Japanese "morning group" who get together from 6:30am- 7:30am every Tuesday, last week in Nagoya. The main presenter was a very impressive Japanese "Training Coach" that obviously did a lot of consultations with high level Japanese shachos and other executives. What were the things that he pointed out as being the keys to success?

1. Aisatsu. He measures the success of organizations if they can say "Good Morning" to each other, or not. Do employees say "thank you" for things.... (funny thing here is I hear this all the time in Japanese companies as being the key)

2. First impressions. He believes 90% of sales is decided by first impressions. This is actually related to one above. You greet people when you make a first impression.....

3. Engagement with the people you work with. ie. Client engagement; treating them as a person and not a figure or the next sales target
He told a great story about the secret of a "House Salesman". A young gentleman that sold 50 houses in one year. Almost unheard of, as most house sales people are doing well to sell 1 house per month. What did this sales person do? Basically 2 things. After he got the sale, he would go back to the site of the house, before it was built, while it was being built and after it was built and he would take photos. He would put all the photographs together in the album and once the house was built and the owners moved in, he would present them with the album he put together. The second thing he did was from the point he gave the album, he would go back to the house once a month and ask if everything was OK. That was it. His clients introduced him to all the next business; either through showing the album to others, or just through word of mouth. Think about it. He engaged like not other house salesman you or I have heard of.

Of course, he probably made a good first impression to get the business initially......

I have never really been moved by Japanese speakers in the past (as they tend not to be good presenters of information), but those 3 points above really stuck. And then I heard Prime Minister Kan speak on the TV last night.

I think Japan, finally, could have picked the Prime Minister to make it work. He is down to earth. He doesn't appear to have the arrogance of Koizumi, but there is an "awe" surrounding his speech. He selects his words, but speaks with authority. He appears relaxed in his speech, which means he is being himself in front of everyone; he is not forcing something he doesn't believe in, nor trying to be someone he is not. You can't do this if you are not confident, and his confidence admist the job ahead is something to be praised. My first impression is the Mr. Kan is a genuine leader. He is there for the right reasons, and he has the charisma lacking in the last 3 prime ministers in Japan. Watch this space, my gut tells me he is the man for the job.

Walkathon Rocks in the Wet!

Nagoya was struck by a rouge day of wetness for the Walkathon this year, but the rain certainly didn’t dampen the hearts of the more than 2,000 people that walked through green Tsuruma Park to help the needy of the Chubu area. The smiles in the photographs say it all; foreigners, Japanese, school kids, corporate employees, senior citizens and all walks of life, getting together to give back to the community we live and work in.

This was the 19th Annual Walkathon, and while attendance levels did suffer in the rain, we set a record for the largest volunteer attendance yet; more than 250 people that volunteered their time on the day to make the event a success (volunteers are in the yellow T.Shirts).

Participants were encouraged to walk for charity by completing 4 x 1.25 km laps of Tsuruma Park, while receiving different colored wrist bands for each lap. Proceeds taken from the 2,000 yen tickets for walking, from which you receive the famous “Walkathon T. Shirt”, go to local organizations including orphanages, the homeless, victims of child abuse, service dogs, the physically and mentally challenged and many other needy people. Fourteen of the recipient charities also participated in the event this year, and helped us to educate the Chubu Community about charity work and its importance.

This year’s special addition was IBM Japan’s “IBM on Demand Community” that enabled kids to enjoy science in the park, and as per tradition, Boeing Japan had the boys and girls making paper planes and “fizzing” rocket launches.

Further kids activities were available in terms of a stamp rally amongst the charities, face painting, a beads corner, Bingo in English, animal balloons and generally just a bunch of fun for all.

This is not to mention the stage that was packed action from start to finish; with the best musicians and performers in Nagoya and then with 3 raffles that drew in the audience for their chance to win return air tickets overseas.



What a truly fantastic day. Great people, in Greater Nagoya, supporting great causes and great smiles….. all day long. The result should be 6-7 million yen in contributions to local Chubu Charities and we are all lining up to be involved again next year for the 20th Nagoya Walkathon!

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MORE THAN RELOCATION!
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The Last 10 Percent

I just read this quote from Seth Godin. It sums up what is necessary in the real estate and relocation industry in Japan in order to be the best;

In most fields, there's an awful lot of work put into the last ten percent of quality.

Getting your golf score from 77 to 70 is far more difficult than getting it from 120 to 113 or even from 84 to 77. Answering the phone on the first ring costs twice as much as letting it go into the queue. Making pastries the way they do at a fancy restaurant is a lot more work than making brownies at home. Laying out the design of a page or a flyer so it looks like a pro did it takes about ten times as much work as merely using the template Microsoft builds in for free, and the message is almost the same...........Except it's not. Of course not. The message is not the same.

The last ten percent is the signal we look for, the way we communicate care and expertise and professionalism. If all you're doing is the standard amount, all you're going to get is the standard compensation. The hard part is the last ten percent, sure, or even the last one percent, but it's the hard part because everyone is busy doing the easy part already.

The secret is to seek out the work that most people believe isn't worth the effort. That's what you get paid for.

What a fantastic message!

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Relocation Outlook- Shrinking Japan Market

I have seen some surveys recently that indicate that 2010 is potentially going to be much more healthy than 2009.


In AIRINC's recent survey, they reported that 47% of respondents that their expat populations would decrease in 2009, but in 2010 88% of respondents are confident that numbers will remain the same or increase this year. This result is shown in the below graph.

The above is encouraging for the industry, but will it hold true in Japan?

Much of the increase in assignments will probably be attributed to the growth in China and India, which are the destinations for huge volumes of exaptriates even now.

What is interesting however, is that India and China are also considered to be 2 of the most challenging destinations for administrators, and also 2 of the locations that see the most assignment failures.


A Brookfield survey indicates that on average 6% of assignments fail (it is higher in China and India) as a result of spouse / partner dissatisifaction, inability to adapt, other family concerns and poor candidate selection.


For Japan, I would say that the risk of assignment failure is considerably less that the average, and that our destination is probably becoming one of the least challenging locations, unless you are perhaps living outside of Tokyo.


From a relocation company perspective, this is not good news for us in relocation in Japan, as relocation companies actually thrive on locations being very challenging. I envy our partners in India and China who have many problems to solve. Here in Japan are problems are less, and the Japanese economy is on a decline. Our market is certain to shrink over the coming years.

More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!

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Japan Immigration Policy Changes

Immigration policy is going through some changes in Japan. Within the next 3-years, we will supposedly see a change in the "Alien Registration" system. Details are still unclear, but it appears that a new card containing an "IC Chip" will be issued by the Immigration Bureau that will replace the current card, which is issued by your local city or town authority. Where you will go to do things is not yet clear, but at least under this new system the "Re-Entry Permit" will be abolished (well, effectively, it will be issued with your status of residence).

In the meantime, however, some changes have already been made. Were you aware of these 2 changes that have already taken effect??!!

1. Revision of Supporting Documentation for Visa Applications

Immigration forms required for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE), visa renewal, change of status and other visa related applications were revised last year, which in turn directly impacted the supporting documents requirements.

One of the more significant changes is that immigration bureau now requires the Japan office of large companies who pay 15,000,000 yen or more a year in income tax deductions from all its employees (foreign and Japanese nationals)to submit the official certificate of income tax deducted from all employees as a supporting document for the application of COE, visa renewals, etc.

Through this change, large companies who provide this tax statement will not have to provide company registration, profit/loss, organization charts, and other documents that have been required up to now. Additionally, the applicant will not have to provide his/her resume, employment contract, university diploma, assignment letter, etc.

The document requirments for applicants working for companies whose tax deductions are less than 15,000,000 yen per year, will have to provide most, but not all, of the supporting documents required prior to the policy change. One of the documents no longer required, in most cases, is the copy of the employment contract.

The above is good news for large Multi-National Companies, as this simplifies much of the application process for "intra-company" and "business manager" visas which make up the main stream of expatriate visa applications for working in Japan.

2. Additional Documenation Requirement for Company's not using "Gyosei-Shoshi"

Until recently, only the applicant’s and/or a company employee’s (usually human resource personel's) signature was required on immigration forms. ie. If you were an employee of the company, you could easily complete the visa application for another employee of your organization without question (third party applications can only / could only be made by legal scribes or "Gyosei-Shoshi). However, the new forms have an additional page that must be filled out by the President or top Human Resources Manager with the official company seal or stamp.

Most of the questions asked of the company on the application form is the same as the previous forms, but this change is obviously an inconvenience to HR administrators in Japan, as receiving the company stamp on forms usually is a time-taking process within large Japanese entities.

So, under these new implemented changes, large international companies have gained some convenience in terms of the required supporting documentation for applications, but have also lost some inconvenience in making those applications, as any old "Joe" from the company can no longer submit an application....... without the official stamp from the big boss upstairs!

Airlines Continue to Amaze Me!

I got caught up in the iceland volcano saga in Europe, which appears to have "blown over" rather quickly this week. However, it has made me think about a couple of things;

1. How Reliant We Are On Mobility
The iceland volcano just showed us how important transportation systems are to getting relocated to where you need to be for work or pleasure. We take for granted that there are thousands of flights per day that get not only people relocated to where they need to be, but get things where they are needed. We are so globally dependant on each other, if planes don't fly and trucks don't drive, everything falls apart. All the fresh vege and dairy products made for the markets in Europe during the volcanic ash disaster had to all be thrown away. Talk about a waste of resources! If transport systems go down, despite how much CO2 they might be responsible for, there is an incredible waste of resources somewhere else....... Food for thought.

2. JALs Pull Out Effect
As we see JAL restructure everything they do due to 20 years of complete mis-management, the ripple down effect on others is quite stricking. JAL just announced more closure of routes here; http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/jal-to-cut-45-more-overseas-domestic-routes. As an example, JAL will be pulling out their subsidiary "J-AIR" from Nagoya Airport as per an announcement last week. The ripple down effect here; this decision will basically shut down the prefectural operations of the Nagoya Airport. Half of Nagoya Airports services just got cancelled; this has a huge effect on the economics of the airport and related suppliers.

The above just really highlighted to me how reliant an economy is on the airlines, and in fact how reliant our relocation industry is on airlines and transportation systems. We all need to understand just what mayhem occurs when people and freight can't move.

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Relocating to Tokyo? Tokyo Ranked Number 1 Most Expensive City

The rank of the overall international cost of living indexes is reported as at April 2010 using New York as the base city.

The rank for the top 10 most expensive locations is as follows:
April 2010 Rank Country, City (Jan 2010 Rank)[Change in Rank]
1 Japan, Tokyo (1) [0]
2 Switzerland, Geneva (2) [0]
3 Brazil, Brasilia (3) [0]
4 Switzerland, Zurich (4) [0]
5 Norway, Oslo (6) [-1]
6 Denmark, Copenhagen (7) [-1]
7 Venezuela, Caracas (8) [-1]
8 China, Hong Kong (5) [3]
9 Liechtenstein, Vaduz (9) [0]
10 Australia, Sydney (15) [-5]

The indexes are calculated using the prices for specific quantities of the same goods and services in each location, based on expatriate spending patterns across 13 broad categories (Basket Groups). The cost of living studied is the cost of maintaining an expatriate standard of living.

Tokyo is the overall most expensive place in the world for expats. Tokyo is also the most expensive place in the world for accommodation, while it is the fourth most expensive place in the world for groceries.

For the full list of all 282 global locations see here; http://www.xpatulator.com/outside.cfm?aid=240

If your are relocating to the most expensive city in the world, make sure you see us at H&R Group. We will make sure you keep your relocation bill to the minimum through our experienced international team.

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Touching Your Clients Brilliantly

I spent the last week under the influence of nature.

After 3 days in the US at a Planning Meeting for the coming Worldwide ERC Relocation Conference, my plans to travel to Europe were struck down by that Volcano in Iceland. After changing my flights 3 times, I simply gave up and came back to Japan!

Well, everything is an opportunity, and this gave me an opportunity to think about somthing....
Our groups lofty goal is to become the most reputable relocation company in Japan to Japanese and Foreigners. I have mentioned this before, but I use "Singapore Airlines" repuation in the Airline Industry as an example of who we want to be in our "Relocation" Industry. When I fly back home to NZ, I always use Singapore Airlines as they are just so great to travel with. I would rather fly 20 hours with Singapore Airlines than 11 hours with poor service.

For this reason, I am always comparing other airlines to Singapore. On my recent trip I flew with ANA, US Airways and United. United were particularly unmemorable. Not bad, but nothing jumped out as being fantastic. US Airways were similarly ordinary. I didn't get to fly with them to Europe, but as a domestic airline they were average. ANA, however, I thought were great. Good service that probably gets close to Singapore, nice friendly staff, and they seem to get it; the little things like coming back to pick up your empty coffee cup that they left with you when they took away your dinner tray (simple, but US carriers don't do it unless the cup falls out in the aisle). The meals were tasty for economy class and the aircraft was new with the TV built in. This is ANA that is not funded by Japanese tax payers, but a company that has worked out how to provide a top quality service in their industry in a competitive fashion (unlike JAL who has to rely on 3 government cash infusions and then still can't get it right).

However, what did catch me is somthing else. I spent alot of time on the phone in the US; calling US Airlines and ANA to change my flights. Their customer service over the phone, both companies, was fantastic. They listened to your needs, gave you the options and executed things really well; no being hung up on and it was generally a good experience. Then there was the time I spent at the check in counter. My US Airlines experience is mentioned in my previous blog entry, basically the front line staff were great, but the experience I had from the front lines's superiors was less than memorable. ANA check in staff were friendly and I had a good experience there.

What did this teach me? Well, taking the flight is just one part of the service. The experience you have on the phone and at the check in counter happens before you get on the flight. ie. Your impressions of the airline are set before you even experience flying with them.

For us in the service industry, this is really important. Every point of our service that touches our clients, even before we meet them to assist with their relocation sets the scene for how our clients will judge our service. One bad piece of communication, one poor phone call and we have already set the parameters for how our clients will judge our service.

To be the most reputable company in relocation in Japan for foreigners and Japanese, we need to be brilliant at every touch point with our clients! Impressions are everything!

My impression of US Airways is forever marked by a bad experience at the check in counter. However, my experience with ANA at the check in counter, on the phone and on the flight was all great. At every touch point, they were brilliant. Impressions count!!

Super Duper Service

The big lofty goal of our organization at H&R group is to become the relocation company that has the number one reputation with Foreigners and Japanese. To our staff the example I use to explain who we want to be is "Singapore Airlines" that have a record unheld by anybody else as the most "awarded" airline in the world. Singapore Airlines signifies service greatness; they have been selected as the best airline in the world for something like 20 of the last 21 years. That is who I want H&R Group to be in relocation.

It was in great contrast to this that I experienced US Airways in the last few days. Unfortunately, I am still experiencing them, as I am stuck in Philidelphia due to the ash created by the volcano in Iceland. I must admit that US Airways on the phone have been great. They even rescheduled all my flights this morning, so that I can hopefully fly out of here tomorrow. Their customer service on every occasion has been wonderful everytime I called customers services.

It is a pity therefore, that I came across John F in Washington DC yesterday. Due to John F, I will never choose to fly US Airways again. This is much like Northwest Airlines that did the same dis-service to me in Japan a few years ago. I swear I will never use them again, and I will tell the John F story until I am blue.


I arrived in Washington DC two days ago oblivious to the fact that some volcano in Iceland was spitting ash. I swiped my passport in the machine, which immediately told me "See an attendant, your flight has been cancelled". The lady that attended to me was really nice. It was not her problem that a natural disaster prevented me from flying and I accepted that. She kindly looked into all the options and booked me into the nearest available flight, about 4 days away. Not over the moon at the 4 day part of things, I asked her what other options I had, and she suggested that "standby" was the only other option, and that to do that I needed to be in Philidelphia where my international flight departed. I took this advice on board and asked for the next flight to Philly, so that the next day I could be at the airport.


She kindly re-arranged my flights and then asked me to place my luggage on the scales. As per the flight into the US, my suitcase was 30kgs due to the company brochures and other work material I was carrying. However, now that my flight was just a domestic one to Philly, and not the International linked flight an alarm comes up about my suitcase being over weight.


So here I am. I have been standing at the counter for about 60 mins now getting everything re-done. Granted; it is a natural disaster over which nobody has control, but my departure date has been put back by 4-days. US Airways offers no compensation, no hotel stays, no meals, abosolutely zip, which is accepted; not US Airways fault. In order to get out of the US and get to the business meetings scheduled, I need to be in Philly to see if I can get an earlier flight on stand by. My choice yes, but I have paid for that flight and I have just chosen to take it without the international piece until it can be confirmed. My suitcase is no different to when I arrived in the US and took a domestic flight to Washington DC from Chicago.


So, up rolls John F and looks at my over weight suitcase. Sorry sir, you are overweight, and this will be a $75.00 charge he says. But please, I said, this is the same suitcase for which I came to DC with. I was not charged in coming here, and so why should I be charged on the way out? Sir, you choose to change your flights, he says. So what?, I replied. I changed my flight because my international flight has been delayed 4 days, and I need to be in Philly to try and get an earlier flight. Oh, you may have a very valid reason sir, but our system can't just over ride this, as you have chosen to change your flights. You're joking I say. No, I have made my decision he says. Hold on a minute John F I say; you have made your decision or your system cannot allow the change, which one is it? Oh, well um..... it is both, but that's it, you can pay the 75.00 dollars and take your bag or leave without it.


What fantastic customer service. Do you think this is how Singapore Airlines became number one? This was an opportunity to win me over. It would have cost US Airways nothing, and I would have been a fan. Result; I was so pissed off that not only did I take John's name to report to customer service, but I will never take US Airways again, and I will not ever recommend them to anyone else.


So, John F. I hope you enjoyed your power play yesterday. Maybe one day you will wake up and realize what the role is you have in building your companies reputation. Let's face it, it doesn't matter how good the people on the front line are, and it doesn't matter how good the US Airways executive team is, if middle management of your airline is all like you, your airline doesn't stand a chance. It is a pity that you can't see it, because one day it is also likely to be the reason that someone takes your job. Happy future fella, the writing is on the wall.

The Relocation Industry Club; Worldwide ERC

Much to the surprise of many "Relocation" has an industry of its own and there are a couple of organizations around the world that are set up to facilitate dialogue and mutual business opportunties in relocation related areas.

The largest of these organizations is the Employee Relocation Council (ERC) or what is known today as the "Worldwide ERC"; www.worldwideerc.org

The ERC is the relocation organization for both domestic US relocations and for international relocation and holds conferences in USA, Asia and Europe, and is the organization that everyone turns to for information, benchmarking and networking on relocation topics.

The H&R Group, and in particular our relocation brand "ReloJapan" has been a member of Worldwide ERC for over 10 years, and is proud to be associated with our industries most prominent organization.

I am also proud to have been nominated onto the ERC Planning Committee of the "Global Workforce Summit" to be held in Seattle towards the end of October 2010. The planning committee consists of about 25 relocation professionals who are tasked with the organization of the summit and the preparation of some 20 different seminars / sessions on a variety of relocaton topics.

In particular interest to me is a session that I have been allocated to facilitate on "360 Degree Communication in International Relocation". While I have very few ideas on how to move this session forward right now, I am particularly motivated by the topic, as I see the worst of it being a "Destination Service Provider" in Japan.

There is definately no 360 degree communication in terms of the work we receive through Relocation Management Companies as per my entry of February 9th; http://real-o-cating-japan.blogspot.com/2010/02/who-is-client-in-relocation.html, whereby nobody appears to have the same "client" and therefore the focus goes on different people in the process depending on who you are; resulting in communication to about 45 degrees and not 360.

It will be a welcoming concept to invite some speakers on 360 degree communication to my session, and I really hope that all the Relocation Management Companies attend it!

The Cult of Done..... "Just Do It"

I have always been a great fan of Nike's "Just Do It" slogan. In fact, I think these are the 3 words I like most in the world after the word "Balance".

I am currently reading "Linchpin" (http://www.sethgodin.com/) and he quotes Bre Pettis in his book to have quoted this about "The Cult of Done" or what I would call the art of "Just Do It";

1. There are 3 states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage
4. Pretending you know what you are doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so accept that you know what you're doing, even if you don't, and do it
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish, but is to get other things done.
7. Once you're done, you can throw it away
8. Laugh at perfection. It's boring and keeps you from being done
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the Internet, that counts as a ghost of done
13. Done is the engine of more

I really like this. Especially 8 and 9, as they are so right and I often get caught on them myself. Increasingly, I believe life and what you learn from it, is all about implementation or what you "do". They more you implement, or the more you "do", the more you learn and the more you succeed.

If you lead a life of "balance" and have an attitude to "Just Do It" all the time, I think you will live a pretty rewarding life!

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