Michael Willems Family Web Site

Japan

I worked in Tokyo in 1985, 1986 and 1987 for some months, and have been back to Japan (Tokyo and Sendai, to see resellers), a number of times in 1998 and 1999.

Akihabara In 85-87, After setting up Lloyds Bank plc Far East link, I worked at Intercontinental Hotels and later still, helped set up the Sopho-Net WAN department at Kyocera (Philips and Kyocera had set up a joint venture, KPD.)

Working in Japan was excellent cross-cultural practice. (A good book about interaction between the Japanese and western cultures, incidentally, is "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson.)

The Japanese are generally said to think themselves superior. Well, if so, they may be right. They certainly appreciate quality in many ways, and they have culture all worked out.

The photo shows the Akihabara electronics district on a typically warm but rainy day. Look for Akihabara in Flight Simulator/98's Tokyo: it's there!

Japanese English can be very poetic. Here is an example, from a description off the web of a Japanese "erotic PC game" (?):

Story
Kotomi disappeared. I whom the news of Kotomi is demanded, and wander over a school and a shopping district. And I who set foot in manners and customs shop introduced with a signboard let alone scattered in a town a foot witness the scene that, so, isn't believed ! What is fact of shock??? And fate of unfortunate Kotomi???
A commentary
The series enters more and more at the greatest climax, too. A principal, Kobayashi, Mai and Kotomi. The fifth bullet! that the fact that should be surprised at becomes clear with 1 and 1.