In Japan, there are many adults who read manga, but it seems that in some countries it is embarrassing for adults to read manga. Most J-OS users are business people, so there may not be many people who read manga, but there are many Japanese manga that even adults can enjoy. Therefore, this time we have collected business-themed manga so that business people can enjoy it.

 

Kacho(Manager) Kosaku Shima https://amzn.to/2uGyG35

 

Speaking of manga whose leading role is a business person, many Japanese will probably mention this. It has also been turned into a TV drama. The main character is Kosaku Shima, who works for a major electronics manufacturer in Japan, and there are many current events and situations that are likely to happen, such as mergers of competitors and measures to take over from overseas companies. Kosaku Shima, who was the manager at the start of the manga, became a division chief, a director, and was promoted to the president. When his title changes, the title of the work will also change, such as “Division chief Kosaku Shima” ” Director Kosaku Shima” and “President Kosaku Shima”

A bilingual version of “K Division chief Kosaku Shima ” https://amzn.to/2ONPN9Y9 ?” President Kosaku Shima ” https://amzn.to/31OfZXrX ?is also available.

 

 

Salaryman Kintaro https://amzn.to/2w3S22v

 

This Manga is also popular and has been turned into a TV drama. Kintaro Yajima, the main character, is a salaryman working for a construction company, and his work and growth are drawn. There is also a series that has changed jobs to a foreign investment bank.

 

Investor Z https://amzn.to/2Hkekj8

 

A manga that allows you to deepen your understanding of investment and has a reputation for nurturing your mind as an investor while enjoying the story.

Kaisha Shikiho, a company that provides corporate information, describes this as “a manga that gives both beginners and experienced investors a” notice “to win.” Also, many real Japanese entrepreneurs have appeared, and there are many collaboration projects with real companies.

 

Concierge https://amzn.to/2SznE7S

 

A story that uses the hotel’s concierge as the main character and solves various problems and requests that guests and staff cause. Not only people working in hotels, but everyone who serves customers will enjoy it.

 

Yamikin(Illegal high interest lenders) Ushijima-kun https://amzn.to/2vo5NJg

 

This work has been turned into a drama and a movie.

Although the main character is an illegal high-interest lender, the content is dark, but it is a work that reminds you not to get involved in money troubles, and many entrepreneurs recommend this. Recommended for those who want to know about Japan’s dark society.

 

There seems to be a lot of Kindle versions recently, so please try it. And if you like, please see this article I wrote earlier.

Japanese business magazine TOP 10 recommended for business Japanese learners!

https://j-os.com/en/japanese-business-magazine-top-10-recommended-for-business-japanese-learners/

 

Popular 18 Business Japanese Dramas recommended for business Japanese learners!

https://j-os.com/en/popular-18-business-japanese-dramas-recommended-for-business-japanese-learners/

Do you know about “Audio Book” and “Audible”? “Audible” is the name of audio books operated by Amazon. The audio books are “listening books” read by narrators and voice actors, and you can enjoy reading while traveling in a train/car, doing housework, and out for a run.

About a year ago, one of my friends told me about Audible, but I questioned the value of the service at that time because there were few business books.

But recently one of Japanese teachers in our school introduced me Audible again.

This time I tried it because I found a book that I just wanted. Now I am into Audible service and not skeptical about the audio books service anymore.

So, in this edition, I summarized the benefits of Audible.

 

Advantage 1: Adjustable playback speed

You can adjust the narration speed of your Audible audiobooks from 0.5x to 3.5x.

You can listen the narration slowly at first, then increase the speed when you get used to it. In this way, it will be perfect to practice listening Japanese.

 

Advantage 2: You can choose business books as listening theme

If you choose a business book, you can get useful business information at the same time as you practice listening, so it is like throwing one stone to kill two birds.

 

Advantage 3: You can read the book review

Pod Cast is similar to Audible, but the quality of its content varies depending on the distributor.

On the other hand, Audible shows reviews from people reading the same book, so you can tell in advance whether you want to read the book.

 

Advantage 4: Possible to save reading time

It is difficult to read books while walking, but you can listen Audible while you are moving from the station to the office, walking, or driving.

I often read books when moving to other place, so it usually takes a few days to read a business book.

But this time, I was able to finish reading (listening) one book in a day through Audible. By the way, I listened at double speed.

 

Of course, there are also disadvantages, whic is a monthly fee.

In the past, if you pay a monthly fee, you can listen books unlimited, but now you can listen only one book for monthly fee. If you want to listen the second one, you have to buy the book at a discounted price.

 

For example, the book I read this time called “Multi-Power” is 1,540 yen for a normal book, but 418 yen for a Kindle.

The monthly fee for Audible is 1,500 yen, so the Kindle is cheaper.

However, this is unavoidable because recording and producing audio book properly need a long process.

(All figures are as of November 07, 2019)

For busy business persons, time is money, so I think Audible is worthy even with high prices.

Now, you can pick your first free book to give this service a try.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/b/ref=adbl_JP_as_0068?ie=UTF8&node=5816607051&tag=japanonlinesc-22

After your Audible 30-days trial expires, it costs 1,500 yen per month, but you can cancel the service before the expiration.

Listening practice is more fun when you listen the theme what you are interested in. I hope this will help your Japanese learning.

“What are the recommended textbooks?”

This is the most difficult question I ever be asked to answer.

The criteria for choosing textbooks varies depending on Japanese learning history, learning goals, learning style, learning environment, budget, and preferences.

So, what factors should be considered in choosing textbooks?? In this edition, we summarized tips for choosing textbooks.

 

(1) Do not trust Amazon Reviews

I often shop on Amazon and always check for customer reviews before buying a product.

However, customer reviews on Amazon are not trustworthy when choosing textbooks, because there are few reviews considering the factors mentioned above. As for different learners, it has to be taken into account each learning environment, budgets, and so on, but no customer reviews consider them.

Also, there are regional differences in the evaluation of customer satisfaction.

 

For example, the customer evaluation for the “Japanese for Busy People I: Kana Version (Revised 3rd Edition)” that we often use in lessons for beginners are as below.

(Information as of 10/11/2019)

————————————————-

Country /Stars out of 5/Number of reviews

————————————————-

Japan / 3.5 / 14

US / 4.1 / 85

UK / 4.4 / 100

CA / 4.3 / 19

————————————————

Even with the same product, you can see the 0.9 points difference between Japan and UK.

 

(2) There are only a few textbooks stocked in general bookstores.

When I go abroad, I go to a large bookstore in the area and check what kind of textbooks are sold. Since there are only a small number of Japanese learners overseas, Japanese textbooks do not contribute much to the sales of bookstores. Therefore, there are only a few textbooks are stocked.

 

(3) Don’t trust an advice of any bookstore clerks

A general bookstore clerks will never know about learning Japanese so that you can not expect the advice of the store clerk. They might tell you the most popular textbooks, however, the best-selling textbooks are not necessarily the best textbooks for you.

 

(4) Don’t trust the advice of ordinary Japanese people as well

If you have Japanese friends, you may ask them for advice. However, ordinary Japanese do not know about Japanese language education for foreigners at all. They don’t even know what textbooks are available for learning Japanese.

 

For the above reasons, choosing textbooks is not so simple. So, what will be reliable sources on choosing textbook?

Here are some sources on people and sites helpful for your decision.

 

 

(1) Professional Japanese teacher

Professional Japanese teacher will most likely give you the best answer. However, of course, there are both amateurs and professionals. To give you a good advice on recommended textbooks, teachers need to have a deep understanding of many textbooks, but some teachers have used only a few. Which advice is more reliable by teachers who have experienced only one textbook or one have used 100? Ask how many books the teacher has experienced before.? You will be able to trust an advice of a teacher who has use at least 10 books, preferably 20 books.

(2) Special shop in Japanese language teaching and studying materials

If you can buy textbooks in Japan, you can go to a special shop in Japanese language teaching and studying materials and check them.

Here are some links to special shops in Japanese language.

Bonjinsha http://www.bonjinsha.com/

Japanese Bookstore Sogakusha http://www.sogakusha.co.jp/

Japanese Books Online http://books-online.jp/

(3) Friends who are fluent in Japanese

If you have friends who have already reached your ideal Japanese level, their opinions may be helpful for you. Especially friends of the same native language of you will be reliable. However, it is important to understand that the person does not know much of the Japanese teaching material, but only gives advice to you based on his/her limited experience.

 

(4) Japanese language School curriculum

If any of the above is difficult to find, the textbook used at the Japanese language school may become a tips for you. Japanese language schools usually have courses by level and learning purpose, so check the textbooks close to your level and purpose. Recommended learning materials for each course are also listed on the J-OS website. If you are interested, please refer to the following page.

 

For English

General Japanese Course>

https://j-os.com/en/courses/generalcourse/

JLPT Preparation Course>

https://j-os.com/en/courses/jltpprepcourse/

Business Japanese Course>

https://j-os.com/en/courses/businesscourse/

 

For Japanese

General Japanese Course>

https://j-os.com/ja/courses/generalcourse/

JLPT Preparation Course>

https://j-os.com/ja/courses/jltpprepcourse/

Business Japanese Course>

https://j-os.com/ja/courses/businesscourse/

 

* The main users of J-OS are English-speaking people or English-speaking business persons. Therefore, please note that the information may not be suitable for non-English speaking people and students.

 

What did you think about these tips?

Whether or not you can find a good textbook is an important factor of successful Japanese learning.

YouTube’s popularity has greatly grown within these years in Japan.

There seems to be more people searching on YouTube rather than Google, especially on finding a way to do something. However, in fact, many of YouTube channels in Japan are made for young generation, not for business use. So this time, I will introduce my recommendation of Japanese YouTube channels for business persons.

 

Horiemon channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjTiSGclQLVVU83GVrRM4w

A channel by Mr. Takafumi Horie, a famous IT entrepreneur commonly known as “Horiemon”.? There are a lot of fan of him, however, some people do not like him very much because of his frankness of speech. He is extremely well briefed on various business, not only IT business, but also rocket, gourmet and so on. In this channel, Mr. Horie discusses new business ideas with people in vogue such as best-selling authors. Also, he answers various questions from the readers of his mail magazine that gives beneficial ideas for business. This channel is updated frequently and well-organized.

 

 

NewsPicks

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTnJmRQP79C4y_BMF_XrlA/featured

A channel by News Picks, which is a content curation media for business. (I introduced NewsPicks in this article https://goo.gl/ih8A8b ) Many business talks with well-known entrepreneurs and innovators are up on this channel.

There are also videoshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOlE7uqvvLE)of Mr. Kosaka known as “Pico-Taro” who is famous for “”Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen”. He talks about the hidden story of Pico Taro’s birth. Japanese subtitle in this channel is excellent, so it will help your listening practice as well.

 

 

TEDXTOKYO

https://www.youtube.com/user/tedxtokyo/videos

A channel of TEDxTokyo which is the Japanese version of TED.

Although quality and quantity of this program are inferior to the above two, it will be helpful for those who are interested in an interview and a presentation in Japanese.

 

 

Industry Co-Creation

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJg5PAsj8fP45Fn8Pr5a3LQ/featured

Industry Co-Creation is an entrepreneur conference that is gathering of company founders and business leaders. Movie of pitch events is the main content of this channel. This channel will be helpful for those who are interested in an elevator pitch or a presentation.

 

 

BBT 757 program

https://www.youtube.com/user/BBT757program

A channel of online university “Business Breakthrough University (BBT)”, presided by a well-known management consultant, Mr. Kenichi Ohmae. It covers such topics as MBA, business news, and business trends.

 

 

Sekai wa ima – JETRO Global Eye

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7yNsJvQ0wMOh6cdtUajLXQ

A channel of JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) which supports overseas expansion of Japanese companies. A content format of the channel is like a real TV news program, and the narration is made by a professional narrator who speaks beautiful Japanese.

It is especially recommended for people involved in trade.

 

 

Kigyoo TV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeKbsDj3ESBP5VuYTItN35w/featured

A channel of “Kigyoo TV”, a movie learning media for entrepreneurs.

The main contents of this channel is interviews of venture-business entrepreneurs.

 

All the channels I introduced this time are useful not only for Japanese listening practice but also to your business. So check them out!

PS

I will introduce another channel as an extra edition.

 

Dad has naturally curly hair

https://www.youtube.com/user/masatoikebe/featured

A family channel of “VAN LIFE”, “Vehicle Night” enjoying outdoor such as hiking, surfing, skiing, snowboarding. There is no useful business information, however, I recommend this channel for people who want to enjoy outdoor activities with family in Japan.

There are many information on ski resorts, travel stories from Chiba to Hokkaido by car, and so on.

It is recommended to read Japanese business magazines for business Japanese learning. Newspapers are also good, but since there are many new topics, the information can be sporadic, so the magazine is better to intensively read topics of interest in feature articles etc. Besides, information is useful for business, so it is two birds with one stone.

So, I tried searching for business magazines at Fujisan, a Japanese No1 online bookshop for magazine’s, but I hit 1375 cases! Too many to choose best one. Although it is recommended to go to a bookstore and actually see the contents, it is also hard to compare all magazines.

So this time, I will introduce the top 5 business magazines sold in Japan and 5 other recommended magazines, totaling I selected 10 magazines.

The sales circulation TOP 5 from January to March 2018 is as follows. (*2)

 

No1: PRESIDENT (319,933 copies)

In 1963 it was launched as the Japanese edition of FORTUNE USA. For managers and business leaders. Publication twice a month. It deal with a wide range of subjects ranging from high quality business information, skill ups and lifestyle.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

No2: Weekly DIAMOND (週刊ダイヤモンド:125,833 copies

First published in 1913. A business weekly magazine that is most popular in bookstores. In addition to economic, financial, and corporate information, it has plenty of diverse serial articles and columns.

There are also many contents for young employees.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

No3: Weekly TOYO KEIZAI (週刊東洋経済 : 90,250 copies

First published in 1895. Feature articles on seasonal themes and of various companies, there are many useful information for all generation including a student in job hunting. You can grasp the latest topic of the Japanese economy.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

No4: THE21 (49,400 copies

First published in 1984. Monthly magazine. Many information is useful for self-improvement.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

No5: DIAMOND Harvard Business Review (ハーバード・ビジネス・レビュー : 20,700 copies)

The only comprehensive management magazine in Japan that fully cooperated with Harvard Business Review magazine in the United States. For managers and business leaders.

Sharp suggestions and explanations coming from opinion leaders are popular. It has plenty of information on strategy and analysis.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

 

Since all of these are dealing with a wide range of information, you can choose from your interests and positions of work.

Although it did not enter the top 5 in the number of sales, there are also many magazines that I would like to recommend. The following are some of them.

 

NIKKEI TRENDY (日経トレンディ)

Trendy information magazine introducing the latest trends and latest products. There are many easy-to-read contents.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

Monthly JIGYO KOUSOU (月刊事業構想)

Professional journal on corporate activity, regional creation, innovation. Monthly magazine. For managers / new business planning staff.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

SENDEN KAIGI (宣伝会議)

Specialized magazine of advertisement, advertisement, and marketing. Published twice a month.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

 

INTERNET SALES (ネット販売)

As its name suggests, it is a specialty magazine for online sales. Monthly magazine. Since it is not sold at a bookstore, go to the following link for purchase.

Buy this at Fujisan

 

MARR(マール)

The only M & A special monthly magazine in Japan. For people involved in M & A.

Buy this at Amazon / Buy this at Fujisan

I added links to Amazon and to Fujisan, but please note that images and links are not limited to the latest issue. At Amazon, it is easier to order one book, but at Fujisan, they offer discounts of up to 50% when subscribing. They delivers it to your home (limited to Japan only) and e-book version can also be read.

If you want to know other magazines, please consult your J-OS instructor or support team (^^)/

 

*1: As of July 9, 2018

*2: Source:Japan Magazine Publishers Association


 

Do you know what kind of Japanese company is good for advancing your career?

 

The following are the two checkpoints:

(1) the company has developed international business

(2) the company has actively implemented the policy of employing foreign nationals

 

In contrast, it is suggested that you should avoid choosing “super localized companies” with the following conditions:

  • business development in Japan only
  • all employees of the company are Japanese

Below I will show you how to evaluate a company’s employment conditions in order to separate from super localized companies.

 

First of all, you have to check the company’s “domestic and overseas sales ratio” and “the proportion of foreign employees.” There are many relevant information and data for the public, you should be able to find both checkpoints easily. However, making judgement just according to this information is not enough. Because even if the company has a higher proportion of overseas sales, it may be commissioned by the overseas trading companies for the sales operations. With regard to the number of foreign workers, the company may include foreign employees who are living and working overseas, while there are no foreign nationals in Japan office.

 

So, I suggest you more checkpoints as follows:

(3) whether or not any foreign nationals are employed in the management layer

(4) whether or not any foreign nationals are employed in the HR team

 

If there are foreign nationals working in the management layer, it can be said that the company has a relatively high possibility of developing a global business, and has a higher number of English-speaking Japanese employees.

 

In addition, it is supposed that the HR team is usually the most localized department. If there are foreign nationals working in the HR team, it can be said that the company’s diversity is making good progress. Coupled with the perspective of foreign employees carrying out recruitment and training, it can be said that the company can provide foreign nationals a friendly working environment.

You may already know that “it is better for you to take lesson with preparation.”

 

But, there are not so many people who are always preparing well.

I think this is a very wasteful thing.

Because it is not a school nor a lecturer but a learner who lose by not preparing.

Not only time but also money.

 

Let’s think about what each lesson will be in the following three patterns.

(1) With complete preparation

(2) With little preparation

(3) Without preparing at all

 

(1) With complete preparation

In the lesson, the lecturer will explain only “what students have prepared but did not understand”. And the lecturer uses all the remaining time for exercises with high learning effect such as applied practice and role play. In addition, lecturers can explain things not written in textbooks, and can also customize exercises according to the environment and preferences of learners.

 

(2) With little preparation

In the lesson, the lecturer can explain what is written in the textbook and can use a little time for practicing high learning effect such as applied practice or role play.

 

(3) Without preparing at all

In the lesson, the lecturer must explain each vocabulary and grammar one by one and must use all the time for them. They cannot teach whole contents what they planned and they have to resume from the middle in the next lesson.

 

 

I will quantify and describe the above three patterns so that you can imagine. (*These figures are hypothetical, as it is aimed at simplifying the story, there is a possibility that it is not accurate.)

 

In each of the above cases, we assume the amount that you can learn in one lesson as follows.

(1) 150

(2) 80

(3) 40

 

And assuming that the total amount you have to learn in order to finish a course is 2000, the number of lessons required for each case is as follows. (In case a lesson progresses according to learners’ proficiency level)

(1)13.3 lessons

(2)25 lessons

(3)50 lessons

 

And assuming that one lesson is 10 US dollars, the necessary cost to complete the course is as follows.

(1) $ 133

(2) $ 250

(3) $ 500

 

In other words,

The person of (2) has to pay 1.875 times the tuition fee of (1).

The person of (3) has to pay twice the tuition fee of (2).

The person of (3) has to pay 3.75 times the tuition fee of (1).

 

Everyone wants to save both time and money, right? That’s why I recommend preparing well. Moreover, those who prepare well can do applied practice and customized exercises, which has the effect of making the lesson fun.

 

Which would you prefer, “Cost-effective good and fun lesson” or “Cost performance bad and boring lesson”?

 

 

Many foreigners like learning Japanese through various media such as comics and animations. But, some business people may feel this is not enough. Given that, we have selected some business-theme related Japanese TV dramas that both Japanese learners and business people enjoy. The following are my favorite Top 3 and other popular dramas.

 

No1

“Hagetaka”

It’s a business drama that depicts the battle between Japanese bankers trying to prevent buyouts by foreign investors. It is said that the awareness of the threats to acquisitions raised among Japanese businesspeople after broadcasting this drama. Recommended for those who are interested in the topics like M&A, corporate rehabilitation and foreign fund.

 

Watch this program on DVD

http://amzn.to/2r3AM8G

 

No2

“Hanzawa Naoki”

The drama follows the story of Hanzawa Naoki, a banker working for the largest bank in Japan, faces numerous obstacles from upper management as he climbs his way up the ranks.

The story is interesting that it offers an in-depth look at the constraints of those close-knit in bank’s internal structure. It is one of the super popular TV drama with a consistent high rating of 42.2%. A popular signature phrase of Hanzawa, “Yararetara yarikaesu! Bai gaeshi da!!” (An eye for an eye! I will just fight back twice as much!!”), was also chosen as a buzzword for 2013.

 

Watch this program on DVD

http://amzn.to/2r3v1YK

 

No3

“SoratobuTaiya”

A drama with the theme of a flying tire accident and hiding recalls by major automakers. It gives a realistic depiction of the conflict between people working in an organization called “company”, and the relationship between large companies and their subcontractors.

 

Watch this program at AmazonPrime(30 days free trial). https://goo.gl/PsFH3b

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3nf0L

 

“Kabuka Bōraku”

It depicts a restructured mega supermarket targeted by bombings terrorism, and the widespread darkness among its main bank. It’s a drama that combines various elements of financial drama, corporate suspense and police drama.

 

Watch this program at AmazonPrime(30 days free trial). https://goo.gl/ss0mGb

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r37pmY

 

“Kansa Hōjin”

It’s an economic drama that depicts the battle between a company and an audit corporation.

With the theme of accounting audit, it’s recommended for people involved in accounting and auditing.

 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3m5ma

 

 

“Genkai Shuraku Kabushikigaisha”

The story is about reconstruction of rural areas where have experienced depopulation. A management consultant has appeared in rural areas and tries to reconstruct the area though agriculture with a group of young people from city. It’s recommended for people who are interested in topics like regional reconstruction, consulting, as well as Japanese mentality in the countryside.

 

Watch this program at VideoMarket(1 month free trial). https://goo.gl/GkYCxB 

 

“Saisei Kyoryu”

A human drama that takes place in logistics industry, depicting the conflict and regeneration of a man who, although has abilities, is still suffering a demotion transfer after his failure. You may be drawn into the story because of its detailed description of the restraints of Japanese companies.

 

Watch this program at AmazonPrime(30 days free trial). https://goo.gl/RG0gci 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r38sTW

 

“Shitamachi Rocket”

The story is related to the development of domestic rocket engine, depicting a small factory in downtown fighting against a huge company. It’s recommended for those who are interested in small and medium-sized manufacturers which support the Japanese manufacturing.

 

Watch this program at VideoMarket(1 month free trial). https://goo.gl/GkYCxB 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3mZPl

 

“Cheisu: Kokuzei sasatsukan”

The story is about a huge asset of 600 billion yen, depicting the battle between the National Tax Inspector and the tax evasion consultant. It’s recommended for those who are interested in tax consulting or tax havens.

 

Watch this program at VideoMarket(1 month free trial). https://goo.gl/GkYCxB 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2s60kR2 

 

“Hanasaki Mai Speaks Out”

The story follows a female employee working for the bank 5 years, overcomes many challenges one after another within the Bank. Although it’s a comic origin story that lacks reality, everyone can easy to enjoy.

 

Watch this program at VideoMarket(1 month free trial). https://goo.gl/GkYCxB 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3tima 

 

“Made in Japan”

It’s a drama that depicts a giant electric manufacturer, just before bankruptcy, attempts to rebuild in the lithium ion battery market. It’s recommended for those who are interested in Japanese manufacturing industry and international competition with foreign enterprises.

 

Watch this program at VideoMarket(1 month free trial). https://goo.gl/GkYCxB 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3F3sJ

 

“Roosevelt Game”

Medium-sized precision instrument manufacturers on the verge of bankruptcy are facing the crisis of absorption merger. The story depicts a miracle reversal play “Roosevelt Game” by overlapping the fight against competitors with the struggle of company’s baseball team.

 

Watch this program at AmazonPrime(30 days free trial). https://goo.gl/cK14kk 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3sFsB  

 

“LEADERS”

The story is based on Toyota’s founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, depicts the people who spend their whole lives on domestic automobile manufacturing. It’s recommended for those who are interested in Japanese manufacturers, automobile manufacturing, Toyota etc.

Watch this program at VideoMarket(1 month free trial). https://goo.gl/GkYCxB 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3zMkP

 

 

“Kanryotachi no Natsu”

It tells the story of the industries and government officials, who are carrying out their mission to make Japan, the defeated country, as affluent and wealthy as the western world. It’s recommended for people who are interested in Japan at the time of high economic growth.

 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3hhwW 

 

“Shizumanu Taiyō”

The drama depicts the battle of company labor union modeled on Japan Airlines in the 1960 – 1980s. With the theme of labor unions, it’s recommended for people involved in personnel affaires and labor.

 

Watch this program on DVD vol 1 http://amzn.to/2r3m8hS 

Watch this program on DVD vol 2 http://amzn.to/2r3tEsW

 

“Taiyo no Wana”

It’s a romantic-suspense story that depicts the protagonist is suspected of being an industrial espionage in relation to the technology of solar power generation. It’s recommended for those who are interested in themes such as intellectual property or patent warfare.

 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2s69NYv

 

“Top sales”

A story of a woman who changes her career and eventually becomes a president of a car sales company in a male-oriented society of the 1970’s. It’s recommended for people who are interested in Japanese car industry after the war, or successful career woman in Japan. Since Japanese famous cars such as Toyota 2000 GT are also appeared, car fans can also enjoy the story.

 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2s67JA2

 

“Rich Man, Poor Woman”

It’s a romantic comedy drama, tells a love story between the president of an IT venture company and a student from the University of Tokyo right out of college. Although some business people may feel the content is not enough, IT-related people may enjoy, since it’s a story taken place in an IT company.

 

Watch this program at FujiTV on demand https://goo.gl/ORjIRw 

Watch this program on DVD http://amzn.to/2r3u9TI 

 

Some occupations and industries that I’d like to recommend are listed. All the stories are interesting, and I do believe everyone else can enjoy the stories. Let’s practice listening skills while enjoying Japanese TV dramas!

Some of J-OS members may be studying Japanese language now for current work or for future career opportunities.

As for the question of when you should start studying for business Japanese, I recommend all Japanese learners to build up a basic knowledge of Japanese grammatical structures and vocabulary at first.

That is because most of Japanese expressions and terms often used in business situations are difficult and time-consuming to understand for the beginner level, which is not an efficient way of learning Japanese.

So, which stage will be the best to begin business Japanese for learners?

Although there are recently some business Japanese textbooks targeting beginner level, I should say that JLPT N3 or level 5 of J-OS level map are at least required.(Such factors as needs, urgency or receptiveness vary between individuals, of course.)

Skipping basic level of Japanese is something like beginning a triathlon without any previous preparation.

First of all, you need to improve your basic physical fitness by such step-by-step process as mastering 10 km marathon and then 1 km swimming. Secondly, try to extend the distance gradually with less impact on your body. Finally, as a result, you will be able to cross the finish line in less time than expected.

As you can see, making a realistic plan is an important key to successful Japanese language learning.

 

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