I came across this video on OMG Soysauce. This guy specifies "No Asians" in his classifieds ad. When the camera crew go to his house to follow up, of course they expect some backwoods racist bumpkin. Instead they just found a backwoods bumpkin who can't spell.
Besides all the normal jobs that people end up coming to Japan for, there are also thousands of performers and sports stars that make Japan one of their main destinations. Even back in the 70s and 80s this was a common practice, even in sports like skateboarding where there wasn't so much money early on.
Check out this amazing video showing a performance by Rodney Mullen in Japan. The whole thing is done without a single cut, making it all the more impressive.
I'm no expert on skateboarding, but this was a pretty damn cool display. Any thoughts?
Forget all the days that you have to clean up elephant poop. I think if this little guy doesn't put a smile on your face, then there's something wrong with you.
Being a zookeeper must surely be the best job ever. Does anybody know what kind of animal this is? He does look pretty cute, with his arms all stuck up in the air.
I need to head off to the zoo with my resume in the morning for sure (as long as they have one of these little guys in stock, of course!)
Anyone remember Webster? Not Gary Coleman. Emanuel Lewis. You know, Webster.
Children of the 80's will know who I'm talking about. But I bet none of you guys knew that aside from Webster's work on American Television, he also took a brief break to release a hit song in Japan. I wonder how many people thought he was kawaii?
I just came across this post on webspaza explaining the steps in how to exchange business cards in Japan. Not a really complex process. Just at the very least ensure that you pass it on with two hands.
But Japanese etiquette is something you certainly need to be aware of if you plan to do any business in Japan. It's tough to become accustomed to at first, but eventually with some repetition you'll catch on. Here's a useful video about different etiquette customs in Japan. Aside from some bad pronunciation, it's a useful overview of some important points that you need to remember. Check it out:
While jobs in China are rare these days, as they are everywhere, one job is just as popular as it ever was in the Middle Kingdom. If you can call it a job, that is. But pickpocketing is certainly a profession practiced by many, and quite often it's organized.
Check out this amazing video of a kid picking something from a lady's purse, as onlookers standby and film, no less. He has to be very deliberate in how he steps because if he accidentally hits one of their feet with his, he's proper shagged. But he does it well, and succeeds.
One of the toughest jobs in the world has to be that of an emergency response worker. I can't think of anything where the pressure would be higher, can you? Having to react quick in a critical situation where someone's life hangs in the balance --- that must be amazingly difficult, but at the same time immensely rewarding when things go right.
Check out this video of emergency response workers training in Japan, and you'll get a taste for how they go about preparing themselves for such situations:
You're probably familiar with the Japanese salaryman. But check this out. A new superhero called Salaryman Man. It's a cute little cartoon (are there any other in Japan?) with some pretty lame voices. But it works, I think.
Have a look and tell me what you think:
I especially like 'Fly Salaryman,' who can take flight by flapping his meishi.
Check out this commercial from Singapore to see exactly how important the right advertising campaign can be for your product. It's also a good lesson for all you consumers out there to remember to focus on the product, rather than the smoke and mirrors that might surround it. It's the steak, not the sizzle!
I know it's funny an' all, but think about it... Would you have fallen for this? I might have. I don't know if I'd have vomited like the guy in this commercial, but I'd have been pretty angry with myself for sure.
In a recent post I mention how in Asia it's been traditionally important for companies to support their workers for the long haul, particularly in Japan. According to this recent video about the auto industry, it seems that this idea has expanded to include Japanese companies in America as well.
Most of us are aware of the unfortunate layoffs and hardships faced by American automakers in the last few months. While Japanese car makers are by no means immune to that, I was interested to see how they are taking a slightly different approach. For them, a main priority is taking care of their workers -- even if it means sending them out to do community service (on salary!) while production is stopped. Check out the following new report:
I don't know about you guys, but I find stories like this are a breath of fresh air. I hope American car companies manage to stick it through, but I can help but think that having innovative Japanese companies driving the industry forward is not such a bad thing for America.
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