Blog

For those in the foreign community in Tokyo who are not fluent in Japanese, it is important to remember that when it comes to health issues, we need to reach out and help each other.

Hello All,

I hope you are enjoying the rainy weather. I'm from California, so the rain is a treat for me. I also enjoy it because I know what's around the corner: hot, hotter and hottest. Get your cool-gel packs now!

For those of you who have read my book, you will be familiar with my comments about "Getting Paid On Time." Because I continue to encounter a strange attitude from certain agents about paying talent on time, I feel I must again write about this issue. 

I felt like I needed to see a calming image, and what could be more gentle than two cups of green tea and a plate of kuzumochi?

As most of you know, a major earthquake hit Japan on March 11. For those of us living in Tokyo, things are changing moment by moment. This is a difficult time for many and the focus of FIT in the coming months will be about surviving and keeping people aware of what's happening here and how I have handled challenging situations having to do with my jobs. That is the best way for me to share with you what is going on, by making it personal.

Good day, all.

I have a few thoughts to share with those of you who have joined the FIT experience. Last year I spent a lot of time trying to boost spirits, encourage, cheer people on, motivate; you get the picture. But it has occurred to me that that is not enough to help people who are attempting to create their own fantastic freelancing journey in Tokyo. What I think may be of more value is to tell you more real-life experiences, not just mine, but yours, if you care to share them. The idea is to help others and to make the life/work experience in Japan a deeply enriching one. 

Hello All:

It's hard to believe we are coming to the close of 2010. Is it just me or does it seem that days are flying by faster than they ever did? One way or the other, we got here from there and I hope most of you had a smooth ride of it.

For those of us roughing it out in Tokyo this summer, we've exchanged stories of how "tough" it is: Jobs being canceled, not enough work coming in, phones not ringing. Yes, it is true; things slow down in August in Japan as everyone flees the heat. But for those of you who braved it and who may be surviving by your wits, I say: Go a step farther.

Many of you have escaped Japan for the summer, and I cannot blame you. It's HOT. Although, this summer has held many surprises -- extra typhoons bringing in much needed rain and some powerful gusts of wind. Beautiful sunny days followed by remnants of June's rainy season. Like elsewhere in the world, the weather in Tokyo (and Japan) is unpredictable these days... and so, as most of you are experiencing, is the economy.

Hello All!

I hope you are doing whatever you can to stay cool in Tokyo's "heat-island" summer.

When I began writing "Freelancing in Tokyo," there were signs that the Japanese economy was "slipping." The bounty of well-paying jobs for native-English speakers in Japan was very slowly becoming a dearth. However, I believed (and still do) that opportunities abound here for freelancers, which is why I decided to finish the book. Even at publication time, the number of foreigners coming to make a go of it in Tokyo was continuing to grow.