I’ve been wondering for a while whether Japanese employees of companies such as Sharp or Takata have been feeling any change in corporate culture since being acquired by Taiwanese or Chinese companies and whether those companies could still be considered …
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Although around 10,000 manufacturing jobs in Japanese electronics companies in the UK were lost in the 1990s-2000s, about the same number have been added, either created by Hitachi Rail or in the automotive or air conditioning sectors. Japanese electronics companies …
If you’ve noticed your Japanese colleagues looking grumpier than usual and making pointed remarks about the amount of money overseas offices soak up, you may need to be aware that it’s not just the heat and the typhoons getting to …
A Brexit supporter recently told me that he wanted Brexit to mean the removal of as many tariff and non-tariff barriers as possible, so we would have cheap imports and the UK would become once again “the most prosperous nation …
Read MoreJapan’s (heartfelt) message to the UK and the EU regarding Brexit surprised many by its directness and the way it was shared publicly. Not so surprising was the underlying theme, of wanting to maintain arrangements as they are. As is …
Read MoreI have just completed the first phase of research into how diverse the European subsidiary boards of the biggest Japanese companies in Europe are, both in terms of the nationality mix of Japanese and European directors, and also the number …
Read MoreWe’ve revised our Top 30 Japanese companies in Europe again. Where possible we have updated the number of employees, which means the Suntory Group is now in the Top 30 along with Konica Minolta (and Kao and Daiichi Sankyo are …
Read MoreUnfortunately Michael Woodford did not answer the question in the title of the talk, which he gave to the Japan Society this week. It was pretty much the same talk I heard 3 years ago, only even more melodramatic and …
Read MoreMost countries have rival cities – usually the official capital city versus other cities which consider themselves to be the real business, historical or cultural heart of the country – think London versus Manchester or Birmingham, Berlin versus Dusseldorf or …
Read MoreIn the UK I would be regarded as part of Generation X but in Japan I am in the Bubble Gang, of people aged 45-49 who joined a major Japanese company straight out of university between 1988 and 1992 – …
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