In pursuing my passion for Japanese culture while advancing my career from information technology to project management, I have reached a point where I am positioned to offer unique strategic visioning in the Japanese market. With its strong core curriculum, acclaimed faculty and diverse student body, Merage is the perfect place for me to achieve my goal of heading the corporate strategy department of a Japanese consumer products company.
Growing up as a fourth-generation Japanese American, I had little exposure to anything authentically Japanese. My lack of understanding of my family’s origin was the driving force for pursuing employment in Japan. Although I intended to live there for only a year, I fell in love with the country and saw an opportunity to build a life in Japan.
My first two years in the countryside with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program were spent designing the communication curriculum for a high school’s English department. During that time I taught myself Japanese to overcome any communication barrier that might prevent a move to a Japanese information technology (IT) company. After gaining a firm grasp on the language, I moved to Tokyo. First joining the Aster Corporation as a business application developer then Axis Consulting where better opportunities existed to expand my responsibilities and skill set. At Axis I was able to parlay experience gained on my first two projects to a position as their project manager. For three years I worked with every level of management at client companies in various industries. These first-hand experiences gave me insight into the thought processes that drive the Japanese corporate culture. More importantly, the experience inspired my career vision: transforming a J...
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... smaller class sizes, I won’t be just a number like at many other schools, but instead given more personal attention in terms of career guidance and in exploring the depths of the MBA curriculum. And as reiterated by the Alumni, these factors combine to create a situation where I can fully immerse myself in a truly exceptional learning experience. Finally, each alumnus with whom I spoke confirmed the high-caliber of student Merage accepts into its program: people who are genuinely committed to building productive relationships. The enthusiasm of the students, exposure to cutting-edge research, an acclaimed faculty, and the chance for continual improvement through course auditing, present an opportunity to develop a valuable lifelong resource. With my diverse background and experiences, I hope to have the privilege to be a productive member of the Merage community.
‘The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority’ by Ronald Takaki and ‘Growing up Asian in America’ by Kesaya E. Noda are both essays that depict the state of Asian immigrants in America. The authors are both Asian Americans themselves and their words bear fruit from a lifetime of personal experiences of being a viewed upon as an alien in their own land. Ronald Takaki was Japanese- American whose forefathers had immigrated to Hawaii to work in the sugar plantations. Having grown up in Hawaii among other Asian Americans and Hawaii Islanders, Robert never felt out of place. Why would he?
Reischauer, Edwin O., and Albert M. Craig. Japan, Tradition & Transformation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1978. Print.
Although the term “revolution from above” is often used to explain the GHQ’s method of postwar reform in Japan (Dower, 1999: p.69), I argue that a similar motivation was in effect in the U.S.’s efforts to isolate all Japanese descendants in America and subject them to coerced American soci...
Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...
Stewart, Edward C. “The Japanese Culture of Organizational Communication.” In Organization Communication: Emerging Perspectives II. Edited by Lee Thayer. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1987, pp. 136-182.
However, entering into a market as different as Japan is not without its risks, and must be ensured to be successful, with the help of market research, marketing, and operational theories, lest the new venture become a very costly mistake. Target Consumer Market When moving to a market with a consumer culture so different from the home market, a company must be careful to analyse its target audience in detail, to avoid costly cultural faux pas. To get a good feel for the Japanese culture, a good place to start would be the experts in the cultural studies field. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, created during his in-depth GLOBE study of the cultures of the world, gives a good comparison between the priority differences between Japanese and English culture. A detailed analysis of the cultural differences will be given in the ‘Marketing Issues’ section of the report.
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
Denison. B. (2002, January 1). A Basic Overview of Japanese Culture . . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.mizukan.org/articles/culture.htm
For this reason, I have decided to pursue my studies in the field of Business and Leadership at Marylhurst University. I want to pursue a well-rounded education at this established university where I also can have life experiences in the outside world, which will ultimately help me to become a successful leader in our family business. Early education followed by a liberal arts university education is the foundation for an educated person; it gives one a broad scope of knowledge and a well-developed core of functional skills. These ski...
The Japanese culture has allowed for very little diversity. This started very early in their history. The social controls used to eliminate diversity are the family, the power of gender, the poor treatment of minority groups, the corporate Japanese mentality, and the respect required by people in authority. However, due to globalization and the shrinking of the world, Japanese society is starting to make the change to diversity. The individualistic mentality shared by the new technology driven younger generation is putting pressure on the old Japanese status quo. The transformation is happening very slow, but as the population ages and the old conservatives are being replaced by the new liberals, the old way of thinking is also being replaced by the new.
During the 1990s, Japan has been exposed to one of the most difficult structural transition periods in its post-war history, in terms of social and economic conditions. There have been two major changes: one is a substantial decline in economic growth in real terms, and the other is a changing social structure characterized by the declining birth rate and the ageing population. Under the pressure of changes in the economic environment caused by globalization and innovations in information technology, Japanese business corporations are forced to adapt to the new situation. While companies faced with fierce international competition, it became more critical to understand the basic knowledge of complicated legal, cultural, economic, and social issues. Engaging in international trade also requires attention to international regulations, international business planning, international market research, funding, distribution and other areas that must be considered separately from domestic business issues. The paper suggests some of the basic tools that can apply to solve the problem or to bring the business opportunity to fruition in today's Japanese business environment
My academic experience includes State University as well as University of Phoenix. However, my experience at Phoenix earned me an MBA with a 3.61 GPA and I believe this experience proves my ability to survive a rigorous master’s degree program. It was an intense weekly program with weekly presentations, papers and extensive reading. The intensity of the program challenged my intellect and abilities and it was great preparation for Yale’s MPS program.
The purpose of this essay is to talk about how Japanese American are a minority group in the United States that has received unequal treatment for my Cultural Diversity class. To achieve this, I read Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, used the National University Library to search for information about Japanese experiences from 1900-2015. Japanese Americans faced prejudice, discrimination, and segregation from 1900 to 1960’s. I explain how Japanese Americans fit into the five essential properties of a minority group. These are physical and cultural characteristics, unequal treatment, endogamous, subordinate status, and involuntary membership in a minority group.
Not only have I formally studied two foreign languages, but as an undergraduate, I devoted a spring break to sampling theatre, literature, and the arts in England; worked extra shifts at the Writing Center to spend fall break in Mexico; spent three weeks of summer vacation engrossed in the history and social philosophy of China; and finally, this semester 's yoga and meditation classes will culminate in a trip to study religion and philosophy in India during Christmas break. These sporadic samplings have left me yearning to completely immerse myself in a foreign country, absorbing its culture as a citizen and not merely a visitor. Knowing that a reputable organization like JET will support me both in the United States and Japan will allow me to approach every fascinating, baffling, frustrating, amazing, and unequivocally exciting experience in Japan with the same fervor and clarity I employ in every facet of my education—and my life. I realize that the road ahead is full of challenges, but with more determination and ambition I have ever known, I am
The small island country of Japan is rich in a culture that has developed over thousands of years. It is very difficult to analyze another culture without some knowledge of that culture first. During my two year residency in Japan, my eyes were opened to the culture of Japan and its people and I grew to love it as much as my own. (The ideas expressed in this essay mainly consist of my own knowledge and observations of Japan). The Japanese are a very traditional people. But this should not be confused with a primitive people, because the Japanese are not primitive by most dictionaries' definitions of the word. Japan has been changing in recent years in its view of its own economy, in its social interactions, in its thoughts about religion, and in its overall view of its place in the world and among other nations.