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I recently started my own IT consulting business here in Japan, and needless to say it was quite a learning experience.  Hoping to relieve others from some of the tedium, I compiled an outline of the process along with some tips for starting your very own Japanese company.

Get a JETRO Library Card - www.jetro.go.jp
JETRO stands for “The Japan External Trade Organization,” and they're a prime information resource for starting your own business in Japan.  Although their free consulting services only apply to foreign companies seeking to start operations in Japan, their free library contains a surprisingly comprehensive amount of information in English, so it's a fantastic place to educate yourself.  In fact, much of the basic information about

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I recommended avoiding IMO Talent Agency because they're founded upon scheming corruption and selfish lies, but are there any good talent agencies for us foreigners here in Tokyo?  I compiled a brief list:

Zenith, Inc.
While at an IMO job, I met a fellow American that pointed me in the right direction by

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A week before moving to Japan I was called to jury duty.  My happiest day was calling them and telling them that I can't make it...ever.  They added a note to my “juror profile” regarding the international move, and asked me to call them when I move back to the USA.  “Yeah...sure...I'll do that,” I sarcastically replied.  And that was that.  All I had to do was move out of the country, and I was officially exempt from jury duty forever.

Wrong.

Over the next several years I was called to jury duty many times.  The summons notifications were mailed to both my old address in North Hollywood as well as my parents' address in West LA.  I was no longer a

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Recently I started working in the 800-person IT department of a large Japanese financial firm.  Being the only white boy and only native English speaker in my 30-person section, I stand out quite a bit.  I've only been here a month; however, the piquant Japanese-ness of the office permeates my very essence.  Thus, I've compiled a short list of survival tips for other Westerners finding themselves imbued with overwhelmingly Japanese coworkers.

Lie Your Ass Off
You will be asked many many times how old you are, if you have a significant other, where you're from--and in extreme examples--if you can use chopsticks.  They'll also