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

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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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.