Uncategorized – Jarman International KK

Jarman International September Japan Report 2015

Ruth Marie Jarman — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:30:44 +0000

Tourism, Deep Japan, A Free Tech Report, Paid Consulting Opportunities in Japan, and more; Hello from Ruthie and the Team at Jarman International!

Photo (Kusatsu Onsen) © Aron Kremer
Content by Lee Reeve

In this month’s JI Japan Report:
★Free Tech Report from Nikkei BP (Why you might want to take a look)
★Tourism stats and on-site News on How this Affects us In Japan
★Serviced Residence Opening at Hotel & Residence Roppongi
★Interesting Work/Project/Consulting Opportunities for you

★FREE TECH REPORT FROM NIKKEI BP
Interested in Japanese Automotive Technology? Here is s free report for you from Nikkei BP

As we’ve mentioned before, Nikkei BP is an excellent resource for technology info in Japan. Japanese, specialized, and full time tech writers at Nikkei BP are able to get views on the industry you wont find in any other publication. These for purchase reports are translated by tech specialists and samples are ready for your perusal. A free report on CFRTP is also available for you to test out the value of these great reports. Easily purchased via PayPal.

★TOURISM STATS AND ON-SITE NEWS ON HOW THIS AFFECTS US IN JAPAN

The numbers just keep getting bigger and bigger. The number of tourists flocking to Japan, that is. Back in May it was widely reported with much surprise and fanfare that Japan’s tourism boom was in full bloom, with another record in April of 1,764,000 foreign passenger arrivals. That number, up 43.3 percent from a year earlier, was a record high for the third straight month. Reasons for the sharp increase were attributed to a weaker yen, cherry blossom season, and new government policy measures, including widening the range of consumption-tax-free products.What’s absolutely incredible, however, is that the number of records being broken is just keeps getting higher. Since May, the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) has reported staggering figures. In June, up 49.6 percent from last year with 1,641,800 foreign tourists. In July, up 51.8 percent from last year with 1,602,000 foreign tourists! The accumulated amount from January to June has reached to 9.14 million, up 46 percent from 2014. How unbelievable – and wonderful – is that!?This kind of great news gives many people here hope for Japan’s economic growth, with the Japan Tourism Agency also reporting over 18,500 shops are now registered with the government to sell consumption-tax-free products to foreign visitors, including luxury brand goods to food and cosmetics. And now that the major cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya are seeing revenue growth, the government can now focus more on the struggle to attract more foreign visitors to rural areas, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to revive with stimulus programs.

It’s been a boon to retailers, to be sure, but other sectors are beginning to see opportunities for rapid growth and expansion. Take, for example, construction. Record tourists to Japan have been testing the ability of hotels to accommodate them in an industry riddled by high costs, forcing developers to think outside the box for ways to quickly increase lodging options without going broke. With the government is aiming to attract 20 million visitors by 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Olympics, it’s a frightening thought to Tokyo hoteliers that, according to STR Global, a research firm for the hotel industry, only a mere 7,600 rooms have been scheduled to be added in the next three years to the now existing 100,000 rooms.

This snail’s pace of growth is due to expensive land prices and construction costs, so Tokyo businesses are now instead converting old office buildings into hotels with tiny but stylish rooms that can rent for under $30 a night, less than half the rate for a cheap business hotel.

According to Tomohiko Sawayangi, managing director for Jones Lang LaSalle in Tokyo, “The market for this type of hotel is still tiny, but it has potential to grow bigger in major cities where hotel demand is strong.”

Speaking of construction and the Olympics, it’s mind-boggling all the work that still needs to be done before the games arrive. With the revitalization in Tohoku still a major petition from the general public, there are simply not enough people, construction companies, and sub-contractors to go around. It’s going to take some divine intervention or, more realistically, international aid and cooperation in the form of overseas construction companies to make things happen before the final deadline.

Japan also still has to worry about the declining population and the negative effects it’s already heaping on the country. One terrible example is the swelling mass of ghost homes in and around Tokyo suburbs. Compared to garden blight, discarded homes – some eight million, by government count – are spreading throughout Japan. Nearly half of them have been forsaken completely – neither for sale nor rent, they simply sit there, in varying states of disrepair.

The ever-growing problem of “When a society shrinks, what should be done with the buildings it no longer needs?” needs to be addressed immediately.

Our Entrepreneur This Month is Nicolas Soergel By Petra Canan Trudell, Tokyo: For a lot of people, marrying into a successful family business would be a kind of relief. Joining an established company, no matter the size, can provide a sense of security. But for Nicolas Soergel, the last thing he plannded to do when he relocated to Japan with his wife, Takako Komine, was to join her family business, Chinriu Honten Limited, read more….

Deep Japan Senpai Aron Kremer, Austin Auger, John Lawrence and Ruthie Jarman Shiraishi were keynote presenters at Kusatsu Onsen’s International Forum produced by JTB. They spent three days canvassing this beautiful location and then gave a speech and panel discussion about how Kusatsu Onsen might better promote strengths to the international community. It was a wonderful experience for all involved and everyone agreed that locales across Japan need to understand their specialty and get it out to the world.

H&R Roppongi – Serviced apartment Availability
When you come to Tokyo for a longer stay, consider using one of H&R Roppongi’s serviced apartments instead of a hotel room. The apartments come fully furnished and equipped and are available to rentfor a minimum of one month.With both hotel rooms and serviced apartments in this historic building, guests can use their restaurant and take advantage of their multi-lingual staff, available 24/7. Enjoy the boutique design of H&R Roppongi’s rooms and explore the city from their convenient location in Roppongi. Here is some availability info we received yesterday.

Serviced apartment #1105, Superior Type, 22.57 square meters

Room details at http://hr-roppongi.jp/en/sa_room/superior/
Available from October 2nd
Total rent: ¥252,000 Note: Breakfast is not included in this rate but this rate has no tax applied. The apartment is not large, but it will be comfortable and you’ll have a 24/7 bilingual concierge, use of the business lounge, etc. at your service. The entire building has free Wi-Fi service, too.
Concierge details at http://hotel-residence-roppongi.com/hotel-s/concierge-services/

★Interesting Work/Project Opportunities for you Osaka/Kyoto:

Calling for two native level English speakers in Osaka and Kyoto (two from each locale) for a writing project. Write comments on locations (100 to 200 words for about 15 popular spots) and receive 2000 yen per comment as well as transportation cost support in case you need to visit. This can be done from a memory of visiting the spot, written from home and on your own time.Tokyo:
-Calling people from the UK for a consulting project. Participate in a meeting about how to make visitors from the UK happier (about two hours with a tour of the hotel). The stipend is 15,000 yen, location in Hamamatsucho.-Calling anyone from the US who is interested in horseracing for a consulting project.
Try out an event at the Tokyo City Keibajo and give your opinions on how things could be improved for international visitors. Not sure of the stipend yet, but should be a fun thing to do!

-Calling three people for an inbound consulting project meeting (one hour). A total of three participants (from the US, Canada, Australia or Europe) to join in a meeting to discuss what they think of travel in Japan, places they want to visit, etc. This meeting will be held in Harajuku and it would be best if you could converse in Japanese. The stipend for this project is 10,000 yen including travel expense.

If you want to do this or know someone who might, please contact

ruth@jarman-international.com

Please note that all these opportunities and more come from Deep Japan. You can sign up as a writer and also be privy to project postings by registering to be a Deep Japan senpai here

Our Favorite Place to Relax: Enoshima Island Spa

Among the many features of Enoshima Island Spa is their extremely popular “Rotensen”, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji on a clear day, as well as breathe fresh ocean air and take in marvelous views of the surrounding greenery. Easily accessible from Tokyo and Yokohama, it is a natural hot spring resort, highly recommended. Read more about their Rotensen here.You can also take a look at their available plans and pricing for the months of September to November. Enoshima Island Spa also offers a Wedding Anniversary Special throughout the entire year!

Things to do this autumn: Across the Country
Okayama Prefecture’s Top 10

Whether it’s pottery festivals, bike trails, grape picking or hot springs, Okayama Prefecture is brimming with things to do in autumn. 11% of the total land area in Okayama has been designated as Natural Parks, and there are over ten of them to enjoy. Deep Japan senpai, Andrea Miyata, has compiled a list and written an informative article of her top 10 things to do there. Click here to read the full article.

Asakusa

If you happen to be in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, September is rife with seasonal life and activities. Deep Japan Senpai, Keiko OTT, shares with us her ideas of how you can make the most of the month in one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. Click here to read the full article.

You can sign up to receive our monthly newsletter full of latest news from Japan from here!

The post Jarman International September Japan Report 2015 appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Deep Japan – Doraemon – The Over-Achieving Anime

Ruth Marie Jarman — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 02:53:44 +0000

Since his creation in 1969, the Japanese character Doraemon has not only become highly popular with viewers young and old, he has also had a number of very significant achievements – especially considering he is an anime!

In 2002 Doraemon was the only anime character named in Time Asia magazine’s list of Asia’s 22 Heroes. Then in 2008 The Foreign Ministry of Japan selected Doraemon as it’s first anime ambassador. And perhaps his most significant achievement was a year ago, when in it’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the Tokyo 2020 team appointed Doraemon as a special ambassador in support of their bid. They claimed Doraemon caries the core values of respect and friendship, which are also the core values of the Olympics.

So what is it about this time travelling, robotic cat of the 22nd century that has earned him such fame, recognition and respect? Deep Japan senpai RuthieJ has some very valuable insights on this topic in her article Doraemon is the Scooby Doo of Japan (kind of . . .).

The post Deep Japan – Doraemon – The Over-Achieving Anime appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Enoshima Island Spa – Healthy Hot Spa

Ruth Marie Jarman — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 03:00:30 +0000

Enospa’s seasonal options make for a relaxing experience year round

Inquiry about seasonal plans via jarmaninternational@gmail.com

The winter in Japan can get quite cold, even on the Pacific hugging Shonan coastline about 60 to 80 minutes from Tokyo. Enoshima Island Spa works to make sure you can enjoy the relaxing effects of the Enoshima natural onsen hot spring, shiatsu foot massage, Aromatherapy light oil treatment, oxygen capsule and much more can keep you toasty and healthy all year round.

Full Day Entrance: 2,650￥

Also be sure to stay in the evening for the dazzling Water Pearl Show

The post Enoshima Island Spa – Healthy Hot Spa appeared first on Jarman International KK.

H&R Group Active in Charity

Ruth Marie Jarman — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 03:54:45 +0000

The H&R Group is primarily about making a smooth transfer for international business people and expatriates to Japan. Solving issues such as visas, housing, and social networking, as well as providing general everyday advice and lifestyle support, H&R wants your transfer to Japan to be as hassle-free as possible, with the ultimate intention being concern for your positive impression of this country we now call home.

H&R in this manner of good will fosters international commerce and society, however H&R further extends a charitable arm by participating in and hosting various charity events in Tokyo. Both as part of the ACCJ as well as events organized directly by H&R, they are always using their network and business connections to go above and beyond, and use their resources to give back to Japan.

ACCJ Charity Ball

The ACCJ charity ball is a luxurious Winter event that brings together business persons in the Tokyo area to network, dine in luxury, and enjoy quality entertainment. Sponsorship for the event ranges from Platinum to Bronze, and H&R can always be seen prominent on the list. Admission and corporate sponsorships go toward a variety of charities, and a full list of them can be seen here.

ACCJ Walk-a-thon

The ACCJ walk-a-thon is a smaller charity event that generates increased revenue for the larger Charity Ball event, just in time for the holiday season. It was a great event this year with a very large turnout, and in collaboration with the Tokyo American club, we generated a sizable donation for charity. See the details of the event here.

Along with planning from the H&R staff, we managed this year at the Walkathon to have a special visit from the 501st Legion, a fan-based group of Star Wars costumers to attend drives and events. It was really a blast.

ACCJ Walkathon

The post H&R Group Active in Charity appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Deep Japan – “Recruiting” Resources

Ruth Marie Jarman — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 19:46:31 +0000

A dynamic and varied team with a common origin

“In a multi-tenant building, close the the Recruit headquarters, 8 men and women gathered on an evening in May. The objective was to create a service for visitors to Japan. The result was Deep Japan, an all new business model”

Jarman International, along with Zeroin and the other Deep Japan associates were featured in the weekly periodical “Aera”, which focuses on hot topics in the world of Japanese economics and politics. The article focuses on the paths of various “graduates” of Recruit company, meaning they left Recruit to begin new business endeavors.

This trend is in slight contrast to the traditional world of Japanese business which idealized and encouraged loyalty to a single company for one’s entire working career. However in the modern day, and former recruit employees are embodying this concept, it is becoming more and more common to pursue projects external of one’s “day job”. These side projects in turn may become an entirely new business, and with the possibility to coordinate diverse skill sets becoming ever more streamlined, it is starting to make more and more sense to diverge from the traditional Japanese business model of loyalty to one company at one time.

Further supporting the idea of new ventures, the common attribute alone of having worked in Recruit brings former employees together under a stronger team mentality; aiming for the kind of success and monumental projects they grew accustomed to at Recruit. Recruit after all, was established 50 years ago and has grown to have a total of 22,000 employees, with revenues reaching nearly 1.5 trillion yen. Something about the Recruit ancestry carries a special trust, and this is being utilized in various new ventures around Japan. Deep Japan was featured as a representative example of this trend within the world of Recruit “graduates”.

We’re really looking forward to making this project a success for everyone involved, including giving our Senpai authors an outlet for self-promotion and networking.

The post Deep Japan – “Recruiting” Resources appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Deep Japan Kickoff Event

Ruth Marie Jarman — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:59:01 +0000

Thanks to all our Gold Senpais!

At long last, Jarman International along with Zero-in is bringing the Deep Japan project to fruition. The aim is to create an easily-accessible, reliable, and positive advice site for first-time travelers in Japan, and new residents alike. We supplement the existing guide information on Japan with “deeper” info on the logistics, and how-to; provided directly from the personal experiences and recommendations of our “Gold Senpai” network. Think of Deep Japan as the nuts and bolts of the fantastic and exotic image of a trip to Japan.

The foundation has been laid out by Jarman International in the form of 300 different “themes” to begin eliciting high quality and personalized advice from our enthusiastic writers (our “Senpais”). To kick things off, we held a DJ Senpai welcome event in the heart of the Tokyo nightlife oasis, Ginza, at “Showcase Bar, Pop Road”; a fresh and stylistic dining bar, with excellent Italian food, and multi-media amenities to make it a perfect spot for a Tokyo networking party, project kickoff, or relaxed business event. We had about 70 people in attendance, and the venue kept everyone pleased with drinks and food, and space was not an issue in the slightest.

The event began with a short and sweet powerpoint presentation from Ruth Shiraishi outlining the project, and what we hope to accomplish with our Senpai contributions, and the role of the Senpai going forward. Mr. Daijo, president of Zeroin then led all attendees in a toast, which was followed by vibrant networking among some of the most connected people in Tokyo.

We aim to utilize Deep Japan as a self-generating source of unique travel and lifestyle information in Japan, as well as provide an outlet for our Senpai network to exchange ideas, and keep one another as well as the Deep Japan reader base updated on their personal activities and ventures, both charitable and business oriented. Just to give you an idea of our network, we had the communications director from the Tokyo American Club (TAC) informing us of events and club news, a director of another travel site focused on more historical aspects of Japan, an American cartoonist with an upcoming exhibition in Roppongi….The diversity of backgrounds added to the excitement and prospects entering the Deep Japan actualization phase.

We were also lucky to have Ms. Yuko Arimori, silver medalist in the Barcelona Olympic Marathon event in attendance. Something about having a celebrity in the same boat as all of us is inspiring. You could really feel the energy when she took the microphone and expressed her enthusiasm.

The party gave the project some healthy momentum, and we were both relieved our efforts up until this point had paid off, and energized to maintain a positive and hard-working mindset toward this project long term. We will work hard to channel the valuable contributions of our Senpai network toward a resourceful and accessible site for all those interested in coming to Japan and experiencing the warmth and fun of life in Japan for themselves.

With the travel market set to boom in the next decade, we hope to grow this site, and expand our Senpai network to really get into the nitty gritty details of getting the most out of a Japan trip. More will be welcome soon, so let’s stay positive and help bring out the goodness of the Japan we have come to know and love.

Thanks for the pics Andrew Soh Chih Jen, Senpai!

The post Deep Japan Kickoff Event appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Ruth Marie Jarman is Featured Member of the American Chamber of Commerce Japan

Ruth Marie Jarman — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:17:00 +0000

Aug 01 2012

ACCJ Member Ruth Marie Jarman

Ruth Marie Jarman
CEO, Jarman International KK

Ruth has 24 years experience in Japanese companies, a successful sales record and is the first Western female to receive Japan’s Takken Real Estate License.

Recently, she set out on her own and established Jarman International KK. Ruth has eight partner companies and works to help them grow in both the macro and micro sense. Her book “33 More Reasons to be Proud,” released in May, is about the positive points of Japanese business and culture. The book is currently going into its fifth print run.

Ruth, who lives in Yokohama along with her two children, hopes to leverage her business experience and network to bring Japanese and American business even closer together via her role in the ACCJ.

The post Ruth Marie Jarman is Featured Member of the American Chamber of Commerce Japan appeared first on Jarman International KK.

33 More Reasons to be Proud by Ruth Marie Jarman

Ruth Marie Jarman — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:05:00 +0000

The wait is over! Those who have been following Ruth in her articles for Monthly Bigaku will be more excited about this, however for those who have not read Ruth’s articles, her best ones have been compiled in one thorough volume! The recent publishing has been a major step forward for Ruth in her efforts to bring out the best in Japanese business and lifestyle for not only visitors but the Japanese themselves.

日本人が世界に誇れる３３のこと

33 More Reasons to be Proud

On sale now!

I personally will be reading the article very soon, and I look forward to getting further insight on Japan from someone who has been around the block a few dozen times.

In my opinion, Japan can, at times, seem like a very introverted nation; they have “their way” of doing things, and generally think it is incompatible with “other ways”. Although this is for the most part a stereotype, compared to other nations, Japan may not seem as bold and ambitious as others when it comes to foreign relations in business. However, they have a lot to offer and Ruth is doing what she can to let them know that now is the time to shine.

Check out Ruth’s facebook page to follow her updates on the book.

And listen to her podcast to hear a great discussion of the book, and also Japanese society and politics.

The post 33 More Reasons to be Proud by Ruth Marie Jarman appeared first on Jarman International KK.