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Japan women don't just need jobs
News, Nobuko Kobayashi, Published on 14/02/2019
» Japan's leaders seem happy to rest the country's fate on the shoulders of its women. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to get more of them out of the home to compensate for a shrinking workforce. His deputy Taro Aso, on the other hand, had to apologise recently after blaming them for not having enough kids. I can hear women secretly seethe, "What now, they want us to work, have kids and take care of husbands?" (Male participation in chores is notoriously low in Japan.)
Courtesy is Japan's secret weapon
News, Nobuko Kobayashi, Published on 05/06/2018
» Like gemutlich (a German adjective describing fireside coziness), the Japanese word omotenashi is hard to define but easy to picture. It's a cashier greeting you nicely rather than chatting with colleagues and tossing your purchase across the counter -- an all-encompassing focus on service and caring professionalism.