In this episode, I’m joined by Yuko Tamura, an award-winning writer on the Medium platform and editor of Japonica—the go-to publication for everything Japan. Yuko’s writing is a blend of "Fun Facts about Japan" and what she calls "a little rebellious essays" from Tokyo.
We discuss some of her standout articles, including "The 3 Facts You Should Know Before Marketing to Japan." Yuko has a passion for cross-cultural topics and offers valuable advice for both Japanese and English speakers on how to avoid cultural misunderstandings.
We also talk about her experiences writing for Medium, the opportunities for writers, and why Japonica is a must-join community for anyone covering Japan-related topics.
Our conversation takes a deep dive into themes such as gender inequality in Japan, dealing with internet trolls, and how Yuko became bi-cultural despite never living outside of Japan. We also touch on her experiences working for both Japanese and foreign companies, as well as other fascinating stories from her career. Other topics we discuss:
- Discuss her "3 Facts to know before Marketing to Japan" article
- "Hone" and "Tatemae" explained from a Japanese perspective
- Breaks down the anatomy of internal business meetings at Japanese companies
- Why decisions take longer in corporate Japan
- Writing and speaking in English being a "liberating" exercise
- Only writing in English about gender inequality to avoid internet trolls
- The Motivation Behind Her Articles on Gender Inequality and Sexism in Japan
- Together we coin a new Japanese word for "Empowerment"
- Favorite Japanese word without an exact English translation
Yuko Tamura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuko-tamura-041b96ab/
Japonica: https://medium.com/japonica-publication
More Now and Zen Japan episodes: http://nowandzen.jp
Japan Adventures via Camper Van = Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life
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