Maybe it is impossible to demand stability in Japan.

Even though young people still hope to find stable jobs in large companies, Japan’s unemployment rate is on the rise due to worsening economic conditions as well as the earthquake in March last year. A survey from Diamond Lead that announced office rankings suggests students still seek employment from large, popular companies. Among them were Mitsubishi Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, Toshiba, and Sony. Not all large companies, though, are as stable as they seem.

Last year, the then-president and grandson of the founders of Daio Paper, Mototaka Ikawa, was found to have borrowed more than 10 billion yen from affiliate companies for gambling. The board has since stated they will not remove all Ikawa family members from various management positions, but they will punish the 23 people involved in the fund embezzlement scandal.

More bad news followed the Daio scandal. The Japanese stock market tumbled, and the former CEO of Olympus, Michael C. Woodford, was suddenly dismissed from the board. Woodford later revealed documents showing inconsistencies in Olympus’ finances, which led to a a cover-up for over $1.5 billion in investment losses for the past 13 years. Olympus, one of the world’s largest companies in the field of medical optical goods, microscopes and cameras, falsified their financial records in order to cover up the consequences of their risky investments from the bubble economy in the 1980s. They initially hired Woodford to reform the company, but his dismissal was due to his questioning of strange merger & acquisition deals that were found to be part of the cover-up.

Failures in large companies, as well as the declining stock market, have led to a loss of financial faith from foreign countries who invested in the Japanese stock market and companies such as Olympus and Daio Paper. These companies, when hiring, usually hire students who recently graduated and expect to keep these employees until retirement. Unfortunately, students who do not find jobs right after graduation will stay in school for another year and face the same challenges again. The cycle repeats itself until these students find a job. Ironically, students limit themselves to one path when it comes to their career, even though there are many other options out there in terms of their future.

Source: Simanex

Students don’t have to find jobs in large companies to succeed, but there are still many companies who base retirement and salaries on age, and it is still a societal normal to enter a stable job right after graduation in order to have a good salary at retirement.

However, there are still Japanese adolescents who wish to start their own companies and think about their future careers every day, making choices and taking actions that will slowly lead them to their goals. Working in a large, stable company is not the only choice for Japanese youths, but the temperament of Japanese culture still shuns people who act outside the norm.

Blog article written in Japanese and transposed into English by Ayako Nakamura. Ms. Nakamura is a social media specialist from Japan. For more news and commentary, follow Ayako on Twitter and http://ya-ko.com/.

Sources
“Daio Paper to punish 23 people over ex-chairman’s money scandal.” The Mainichi Times, Kyodo. (02/11/2012).
“Daio Paper to punish 23 for scandal.” The Japan Times Online, Kyodo. (02/12/2012).
Tabuchi, Hiroki, “Another Scandal Unsettles Corporate Japan as Paper Maker Accuses Ex-Chairman.” The New York Times. (10/28/2011): New York edition, page B3.
Dvorak, Phred; and Inagaki, Kana; “Arrests in Olympus Scandal Signal Investigation’s Scope.” The Wall Street Journal. (02/16/2012).
Reuters, “Former executives, bankers arrested in Olympus fraud fallout.” Hindustan Times, Tokyo. (02/16/2012).

The story of Cheung Yan (left), founder of Nine Dragons Paper, is just one sea turtle story "Borderless Economics" tells. (Photo: World Economic Forum/Adam Dean)

Date and Time: Thursday February 23, 2012; 12pm-13:30pm

Location: Kellogg Auditorium, Silicon Valley Bank 3005 Tasman Dr Santa Clara, CA 95054

Mass migration is changing the way we live, learn and do business. A century ago, migrants crossed an ocean and never saw their homelands again. Today, they call or Skype home the moment their flight has landed. Thanks to cheap travel and easy communication, immigrants stay in contact with their native countries, creating powerful cross-border networks, uncovering and creating business and job opportunities that would never have existed had they not traversed global boundaries.

In Borderless Economics: Chinese Sea Turtles, Indian Fridges and the New Fruits of Global Capitalism, Robert Guest, The Economist’s Business Editor, travels the world, observing how immigrant networks create wealth, spread ideas and foster innovation. Asia Society invites you to this Corporate Briefing, where Mr. Guest will discuss key business and economic findings, including:

• how Indians in America and India build the frugal technology that could ultimately save Medicare
• how the “sea turtle” phenomenon – young Chinese returning home from their studies in the West – will eventually give us democracy in China
• that the flow of educated migrants from poor countries to rich ones – the so-called “brain-drain” – actually reduces global poverty
• that if the United States keeps its borders open and taps into the powerful global diaspora network, it will remain the world’s most powerful nation indefinitely.
• how migration, for the all the disruption it causes, makes the world happier – and wealthier.

Attendees will gain macroeconomic insights into the way global immigration patterns shape the business landscape, workforce, and flow of information and ideas in the coming decades. Joe Morgan, Chief Investment Officer for Silicon Valley Bank Asset Management, will moderate the discussion. Copies of Borderless Economics will be available for purchase at the event.

For more information, please visit here.

Co-sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank, Bay Area Council, and btrax, Inc.

For questions about this Corporate Briefing, please contact April Mo or Kate Ryge at (415) 421-8707.

Time Magazine estimates that it cost advertisers $3.5 million for a 30 second commercial spot in Sunday’s Super Bowl, which is an 8333% increase from Super Bowl commercials in 1967. We asked our creative team to brainstorm greener ways that people can spend $3.5 million.

Sources
The Business of Super Bowl XLVI, By the Numbers

No, this is not a sneak peek of the new season of The Walking Dead, a massive rebellion, or political revolution. This is a picture taken by Jesus Diaz on Jan 12, when Apple was about to release the new iPhone 4S in China. The specific demographic of this photo? Most likely designers and people between the ages of 18 and 35. It seems that Apple products are no longer a “niche” necessity, but rather a signature of chic and urban culture.

Despite Apple’s back out in 2009, Macworld|iWorld 2012 still attracted over 20,000 visitors and 300+ exhibitors worldwide to the Moscone Center in San Francisco. I went to this 3-day event as a media reporter, and it was quite interesting to see many new faces(new companies) emerging – some of them came all the way from Asia. Here are some products that caught my eye.

All Jack Speakers. Here’s only one of the jaw-dropping examples:

This 4-speaker set is designed and made by Alljack, a Taiwanese company. Inspired by a wine bottle and a flower, this speaker set places your iPod/iPhone in the center and is decorated by the with Russian diamonds, bullion plating, unnatural timber pellet and other music inspired metal. The cost? $68,000!

Adventure Bar Story

The exhibition not only welcomed big companies and manufacturers, but also many startups and app developers. I was intrigued by this small iPad game booth in the app section:

Adventure Bar Story is a 16-Bit iPad/iPhone game that blended full-on restaurant management gameplay with turn-based RPG battling/exploration. 16-Bit! This game debuted in Japan’s PlayStation Store last summer and attracted a lot of attention because of the nostalgic graphics. The developer of this game – RideonJapan – is a small Japanese startup with a team of 7.

Given the fact that Apple products are gaining popularity in China and Asia in general, we see more companies and developers from Asia coming out of their region and aiming worldwide. These innovators in Asia are worth a closer look.

Following the success of SF Macworld|iWorld, IDG announced its 2nd Macworld exhibition in Asia this September at the China National Convention Center, Beijing. It will feature partners like China Unicom, Youku, Sina, Yesky. Let’s wait in anticipation to see what the next six months of innovative products/apps are going to appear at this event.

Related post: China Innovators

Consumer electronics companies should pay more attention to LinkedIn users. According to
BizReport, a recent LinkedIn survey shows their users are more likely to spend more money on electronics. LinkedIn users are more likely be tech-savvy, favoring smartphones and tablets in particular. The LinkedIn report from WebProNews also states time management, productivity and efficiency are some of the reasons for users’ reliance on technology. Our designers assembled an infographic that summarizes key statistics.

Sources
Our Users Spend More on Electronics, Kristina Knight, BizReport.
Report: LinkedIn Members Ready for CES 2012 Innovations, Abby Johnson, WebProNews.

China’s eCommerce market is growing quickly. According to the latest iResearch annual report, the size of China’s eCommerce market in 2011 was RMB 7 trillion, a year-on-year growth of 46.4%.

SME B2B occupied half market.

Alibaba still plays the majority role in China eCommerce market.

Online shopping in China from 2006 to 2015

B2C is sharing more market.

(All pictures from: iResearch)

When facing such a big and potential market, what can we do? btrax provides the Chinese eCommerce solution to help you open this fast growing market. You might be also interested in our previous article “10 Steps for Successful eCommerce in China.” Feel free to contact us if you have any other questions or concerns.

Source: Azusa Kawahara (Nifty Corporation)

Co-hosted by btrax and Asia Society, the “Chinese Innovators” event challenged the stereotype that China produces only cheap or counterfeit goods. The cross-industry panel of Chinese business leaders – who are revolutionizing China’s mainstream reputation through innovative products, strategic partnerships and acquisitions in the U.S. market – discussed topics including how a 1 billion domestic population influenced foreign growth strategy, successes and challenges facing Chinese companies in the U.S. market, and so forth.

Event Chinese Innovators: From Shanzhai Copycats to Global Brands

Date December 11, 2011

Location Bechtel Conference Center, Financial District, San Francisco

Moderator Hanson Li, the Hina Group

Panelists Guolin Wang, Huawei; Brad Bao, Tencent; Terry Shidner, VanceInfo

Organizers btrax, Inc. and Asia Society

1. China vs. US Market: A Comparison

2. Break into the US Market: A Different Approach

3. Tencent’s Partnership with Zynga: An Innovation?

4. How do Chinese Outsourcing Companies Crack US Market?

5. Build an International R&D Network

6. How to Build an International Staff Locally

7. Challenges and Opportunities

To see the event from a Japanese standpoint, please read an article  『Chinese Innovators』ライブレポート「コミュニティと企業の幸福な関係」 by Azusa Kawahara, Event Coordinator of NIFTY Corporation.

For details helping you succeed in the China market, please contact us.

Huawei Device Co., Ltd

Huawei Device has accumulated a rich experience in multiple terminal technologies such as WCDMA, CDMA, GSM, PHS, video conferencing, and access and application terminals.

Its strong suite of mobile phones, mobile broadband devices and home devices is testimony to Huawei Device’s focus on customers and its commitment to providing user-friendly mobile internet experiences through ongoing innovation. Based on more than two decades of success in the information and communications industry, and with our own channel expertise, operational capabilities and partner resources, Huawei Device is transforming from a company that sells millions of devices in single transactions to large businesses to a Business-to-People (B2P) brand that also sells individual devices directly to millions of people.

Alibaba.com Inc

Alibaba.com is the global leader in e-commerce for small business. Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions of buyers and suppliers around the world to do business online. Its marketplaces form a community of close to 69 million registered users in more than 240 countries and regions.

Alibaba is promoting its AliExpress services since last year. AliExpress is a service allow global buyers to buy directly from China.

Haier

Haier is the world’s #1 major appliance brand and a leader in consumer electronics with more than 60,000 employees around the world and global revenues reaching $20.7 billion in 2010. Haier is the Official HDTV of the NBA and proud supporter of National Parks Conservation Association.

A new line of televisions, audio products and technologies will be showcased by Haier. As the Official HDTV of the NBA, Haier will display connected televisions as well as key new design features and introduce the expanded line of audio solutions.

One of the new products is the 65” 3D EV Series with a new thin bezel design that provides a truly immersive viewing experience with a virtually edgeless picture. A 55” model will hit the US market in 2012. In addition, they will display the award winning Smart Home UI on the new EV Series 3D television.

UC Web

The world’s fastest and largest mobile Internet browser company, with over 200 million active users globally. UCWeb Browser employs advanced cloud client/server technology reducing data costs by 85%, making mobile surfing cheaper and faster. UCWeb Browser supports ALL mobile operating systems.

As the first Chinese browser producer with capability of independent kernel development, UC released its new product U3 kernel-based UC8, marking the coming of an age that mobile browsers compete in kernel capability/cloud service in a comprehensive way.

Shenzhen Meiligao Electronics Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen Meiligao Electronics Co.,Ltd (Meitrack), established in 2002, headquartered in Shenzhen, China and Corporate office in Los Angeles Ca.  Meitrack has become a leader in innovative & superior Global Positioning System(GPS)products and integrated tracking solutions.

It prides itself in having superior quality tracking products at competitive prices, with nearly 10 years of experience manufacturing GPS logging and tracking devices.

Sources: Huawei: CES, press release | Alibaba: CES | Haier: CES, press release | UC WEB: CES

Co-organized by Asia Society and btrax, this panel, moderated by Hanson Li from the Hina Group, featured leaders from three Chinese companies: Guolin Wang from Huawei,Brad Bao from Tencent andTerry Shidner from VanceInfo. Their insights featured innovative approaches of approaching the US market. The three panelists shared their stories as to the reasons, successes and challenges for Chinese companies in the US market. This event hosted attendees from a variety of industrial backgrounds including web design, app development, banking, legal, retail and media.

Schedule: The event was held on December 8th, 2011

6:00-6:45 Registration, drinks and networking
6:45-7:00 Panelist introductions
7:00-8:30 Moderated discussion and audience Q&A
8:30-9:30 Wrap-up, food and networking

Topics for discussion included

• Factors driving Chinese companies expansion abroad
• How a 1 billion domestic population influences foreign growth strategy
• Challenges facing Chinese companies and successes in the U.S. market
• Comparisons to Japan’s transition from cheap manufacturing base to brand leader
• Evolution of intellectual property protection inside China as companies go global

About the co-organizers

Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the U.S. and Asia.

btrax is a cross-cultural branding, marketing and web consulting agency focused on the US, Japan and China markets with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

To see their detailed insights, we will post the video clips from the panel discussion this month. Stay tuned!

For details helping you succeed in the China market, please contact us.

Social Network Services (SNS) used by the Japanese are both common to other users in the world but also different. I will describe some of the differences that the Japanese use and why they use them the way they do.

Social Network Usage in Japan – Some Similarities, Some Differences

Now, when you ask Japanese people what SNS they use, most Japanese will not think about Facebook.

Why? Because, there are social network sites which are still more popular than Facebook in Japan and each Japanese user’s time is taken up those those other social media sites.

The SNS in which the Japanese use changes according to the environment they’re in. For example, a young woman and student who lives in the rural areas of Japan will use mixi, a businessman will use Facebook or LinkedIn, and a student in Tokyo or a young man will use Twitter.

It can be said the Japanese tend to have a practical use of  the social networks in Japan.

Social gaming in Japan has shown great momentum. Japanese social gaming networks like DeNA‘s Mobage has 32 million users and GREE  has 130 million users network in the world.

Mixi, Facebook, and Twitter are three major social networks in Japan, and it could be said that a comparatively realistic social graph is used as a baseline for the Japanese.

On the other hand, Mobage and GREE could be called social media sites which uses a virtual graph and is used on many mobile phones.

Although I introduced five social media famous in Japan – mixi, Facebook, Twitter, Mobage, GREE, there are two unique SNS – Facebook and Twitter. These SNS are unique because these SNS are not built in Japan.

These two services were proven to be very important for the Japanese because it teaches the Japanese a new use of the Internet.  It requires them to use their identities in the open like a real name or face on the public web.

In Japan, many say 2010 to be a year of Twitter and for 2011 to be a year of Facebook.

 The Japanese are Shy

As you know, Japanese people are very shy or introverted.

The Japanese seldom argue in the open compared with a foreign person and they care about the feelings of people around them – a friend, a coworker, and general people.

Japanese people tend to care a lot about the reputation of their surroundings. For this reason, Japanese talk around a subject sometimes.

For example, if Friend request comes by Facebook from their Boss or maybe a friend that is not getting along, Japanese people cannot refuse due to their politeness. They accept the request even if they don’t want to do so.

Most postings to a social network become contents that a boss or co-worker can see. In order to avoid being pointed out in a photo which is posted on Facebook, the frequency of using services like Facebook decreases. There are many some persons who use two or more Twitter accounts – a realistic account and dummy account.

In Japan, Twitter is very popular because it is mobile friendly and they can tweet the dissatisfaction openly.  When using a dummy account they can feel comfortable that it won’t cause a problem at either at their company or at home.

Although I have not lived in the United States, do Americans use SNS the same way?

Starting from 2004, the most popular social network in Japan is mixi. The number of average friends is said to be 40 persons, and main users have a social graph of like-minded friends – like friends from Junior High School or Elementary school.

Since Japanese people are always caring about their off-line life, mixi gives the Japanese comfort with its walls. It is still popular with feature phone users. Last summer, mixi started a service like Facebook.

Japanese Businesses Love Facebook

Since Facebook is a platform which has 800 million people in world, a Japanese company can connect the products of Japan to the world by using a Facebook fan page.

Satisfaction Guaranteed is a main cultural feeling in Asia. It could be called a good example. Thus, Facebook in Japan is very business oriented first versus being from students first like the United States.

Japanese Look to a Virtual World for Relaxation

Today, the companies which is the most powerful in Japan are Mobage and GREE.

Although these are social gaming platforms, they are services which specializes in the use of mobile unlike Zynga.

Mobage and GREE use a virtual social graph. A realistic social graph is not used fundamentally.

During the day, the Japanese care about a boss or his clients and when they go home late at night, they will care about a wife or a child. Many of Japanese businessmen or salaryman are tired.

Since he is tired with the off-line world, the salaryman asks for  a virtual private room. The only place where he can go is in the Mobage or  GREE social media worlds.

For example, there is a game which you can fish with a friend. Although it is great for the pure enjoyment of fishing and competing for the number of fish, in order to get a good fish, a good fishing line is required. If you want to get an even bigger fish, it is necessary to purchase a fishing rod.

Some users are spending 10,000 yen($100.00) or more per month. I think that it is because Japanese people are hungry for having acceptance, so they use money and time in mobile social games.

As you can see, Social Networks provide a similar but different experience for the Japanese and fill some basic needs for the Japanese. Do people in the US feel the same?

This blog ariticle was written by Shinichiro Kinjo and transposed into english. Mr. Kinjo is a designer and hacker from Japan. Follow Shinichiro on Twitter as well as http://hanpanai.com/ (Japanese) for even more news and commentary.

Related stories by btrax – Facebook and Mixi – Contrast in Cultural Comfort Zones