Life After JET: Setting Up Shop in Japan
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Benjamin Stock (Hyogo-ken 2005-2007) is International Development Manager at Access Corporation, a Hyogo-based study abroad agency. He and his wife, Rebecca Stock (Hyogo-ken 2011-2013), run Fresh Stock, a Japanese stationery web shop, from their home in Kobe.
After living in Japan for over six years, I’m excited to announce a long-time desire of mine has finally become a reality: my wife and I recently launched a web shop. Our business is called Fresh Stock, and we opened with a small selection of modern, made-in-Japan stationery products. Stationery is our starting point, but we are planning to eventually carry all sorts of modern, made-in-Japan items. Please read on to learn about the behind the scenes process of launching a side business in Japan.
The first thing we had to do was make sure our business would be legal. I learned that my ‘Specialist In Humanities/International Services’ visa does not technically allow one to run a side business without receiving the very long-winded ‘Permission to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted.’ My wife has a dependent visa and had already received this permission, so we decided the business would be hers on paper. As a dependent, she can receive a fixed amount of monthly income without needing to pay income taxes, so her income from the shop should be tax free until things really take off. Selling products to overseas customers also negates the need to charge consumption tax. If the business does start generating significant income, the next step would be to consider registering it as a sole proprietorship (個人事業) at our local tax office. We sought many opinions, including contacting JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization, and the consensus was to just try things out for a while before going through the trouble of registering. he main benefit is being able to write off business expenses, which will not benefit us until the shop’s sales exceeds my wife’s income tax exemption.
Contacting Japanese stationery companies was quite an adventure. The emails that I sent (written in Japanese) were mostly ignored, but I generally received good service after following up on the phone. All the large companies I contacted said selling their products to overseas customers would come in conflict with their overseas subsidiaries. I tried to explain how I was only interested in their Japan-limited products, but unsurprising, the lowly customer service reps I spoke to didn’t have the power to change company policy.
The older, smaller companies were happy to sell product to us with few stipulations. The medium-sized companies were willing to work with us, bu
t some had a vetting process. A few wanted to see our website (I scrambled to create some mockups since it wasn’t ready at the time), and a couple that were in Kansai wanted to meet in person before we could do business. In the end, there were some disappointments, but we got enough of the brands we had wanted to come up with our starting product lineup.
We chose to use the popular website platform Weebly to create our shop. It offered most of the features we needed for the cheapest price. We’re also dabbling on the Amazon Sellers Market, but that’s mostly to get more exposure for our brand. There are other obvious options like eBay and Etsy, which we may pursue in the future.
No matter how you choose to sell, having decent product photographs is a must. Many of our brands, the ones with good photography, prohibit their retailers from using their photos. Knowing that I would have to photograph a substantial portion of our products, I just decided to do all of them for the sake of continuity. Taking suitable pictures required a halfway decent camera, a cheap, pop-up photo box, and some basic photo-editing skills. Overall, I’m happy with the results of my photos, but it took three to four times longer than I expected. If you put in enough time you could surprise yourself, but you might also do just as well to outsource this work.
Getting a web shop off the ground can actually be done fairly cheaply but will definitely be a huge investment in time. We already have a long list of stationery products we want to add and a lot of ideas about non-stationery products and where things will go next. For now, we need to get the word out, and we have mostly been working on getting some Facebook followers. I hope you check out our site and check back from time to time to see our blog, where I plan to write stories about life in Japan in addition to shop news.
WIT Life #282: あけおめことよろ！
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
Happy New Year! The greeting in the title is an abbreviation of 「明けましておめでとうございます！今年もよろしくお願いします。」 (“Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.”). We all know how much the Japanese love their abbreviations! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing 年末年始 (nenmatsu nenshi, or year-end and new year), and are ready and refreshed for 2015. We are now in the year of the sheep, so for all of you with this animal sign this is your year.
The Abe administration is also hoping it is the year for women, coming off of his disastrous efforts in this arena last year with the resigning of two female ministers and general skepticism in regard to his Womenomics agenda. There was an interesting Read More
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York — Akira Toriyama Returns, Final Fantasy, Video Games Live
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Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the latest manga from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, arrives Jan. 6. (VIZ Media)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Start 2015 off right by heading down to your local concert hall, consulate, or arts center for some fantastic new year’s fare. Whether you enjoy kendo, classic film, or orchestral performances from the greatest video games of all time, treat yourself and catch a break from the cold.
This month’s highlights include:
Tuesday, Jan. 6
$9.99 print/$6.99 digital
Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama is back with this quirky new interstellar comedy, collected in English for the first time! Retired scientist Omori lives alone on a deserted island while continuing his research into time travel. His quiet life is interrupted when galactic patrolman Jaco crash lands and decides to move in with him. This agent from space claims to be elite, but sometimes it can be a little hard to believe. Can Jaco get along with the old man long enough to save the earth from a dangerous threat?
Jan. 9-10, 7:30 p.m.
16th Contemporary Dance Showcase: Japan + East Asia
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$28/$25 Japan Society members
This bi-annual favorite, hailed by the the New York Times as “a hot ticket,” returns with a standout line-up of groundbreaking artists from the other side of the globe. This year’s showcase includes from Japan: Nobuyuki Hanabusa’s group enra performing Newton, an out-of-this-world amalgamation of motion graphics and choreography; Mikiko Kawamura’s street style solo Alphard set to a bold soundscape with J-pop and classical music; and Kaori Seki’s quartet Marmont, in which bodies morph into nebulous creature-like positions. From Taiwan: I-Fen Tung’s fresh duo How to Say grapples with communication through words and dance and Shang-Chi Sun’s Traverse, in which graceful martial arts-like movements oscillate between combat speed and tranquility. The Friday, Jan. 9 performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception.
Jan. 13-Feb. 12
Views of Kendo: Photographs from Japan
Consulate General of Japan in New York, 299 Park Avenue, 18F
Free
A series of photographs taken on a recent trip to Japan for research by filmmaker Amy Guggenheim, who is currently working on When Night Turns to Day, a fictional story about kendo, the art of the Japanese sword, slated for production late 2015. Although competitive, the purpose of Kendo isn’t winning or losing, but bu, a state of (enlightened) mind. In a dramatic relationship, two people face each other sword to sword, up close and personal, both seemingly immovable. Through these photos—shot in November at the All Nippon Kendo Tournament in Tokyo—witness the exhilarating encounter of first-rate players that captures the spirit in motion as the match unfolds. A special benefit party for the making of the film will be held at the Kitano Hotel on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Click here for details.
For the complete story, click here.
From JET to NPR: An Interview (and Playlist) from Producer Robin Hilton
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“The best you can do is be fearless and open. If you find yourself avoiding a possible career path because you’re afraid of something, stop. Take a deep breath and jump into it. You can’t expect to grow or get anywhere by playing it safe.” (Courtesy of Robin Hilton)
By Sheila Burt (Toyama-ken, 2010-2012) for JQ magazine. Sheila is a grant proposal writer at the Center for Bionic Medicine at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Read more of her reporting and writing at her blog.
Robin Hilton (Aichi-ken, 1996-99) is a radio producer and co-host of NPR’s music program All Songs Considered. In this JQ exclusive, Hilton shares his experiences on the JET Program in the late 1990s and his radio documentary Big in Japan, a comical and poignant reflection on his daily life as an English teacher in Japan.
Growing up in the small town of Abilene in central Kansas, Hilton never imagined living or working in Japan. But around the same time he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1992, Abilene initiated a sister city and exchange program with Minori, Japan (now Omitama) in Ibaraki-ken. At the encouragement of the program’s director, Hilton applied for a job teaching English more than 6,000 miles away from his hometown, as he was excited to begin a new endeavor outside of his comfort zone and experience a different culture. Yet Hilton would still have to wait a few years before his new adventure in Japan could begin.
“I didn’t get [the position],” Hilton recalls, “but it planted the seed in me, so a few years later I decided to try for the JET Program. I didn’t grow up with a deep fascination with or love of the country. But it ended up being one of the greatest things I’ve ever done with my life, and I certainly have that deep love for Japan now.”
Nathaniel Simmons (Nara-ken, 2007-2009) is currently a communication faculty member at Western Governors University and lives in Columbus, OH, USA. He teaches a variety of intercultural, interpersonal, and health communication courses. He has researched and published several scholarly articles regarding privacy management between foreign English teachers and Japanese co-workers in Japan.
I admit it.
I was “one of those” JETs who lucked out and ended up as an ALT knowing next to nothing about Japan.
No language skills. Very little cultural knowledge.
Yes, I did my homework once I knew I was going to Japan, but even that was “too little, too late.” The cultural books I read a month prior to departure ended up lying to me, as once I arrived everything I read was thrown out the window. Nothing quite captured or described the nuanced life I was about to live in rural Nara-ken.
So how did someone like me survive for two years in rural Japan? I hurriedly found Read More
JQ Magazine: Manga Review — ‘Showa 1944-1953: A History of Japan’
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“If you enjoy or are interested in manga and history, or if you appreciate such excellent works as Maus, Persepolis or Barefoot Gen, then this series is a must-read.” (Drawn and Quarterly)
By Julio Perez Jr. (Kyoto-shi, 2011-13) for JQ magazine. A bibliophile, writer, translator, and graduate from Columbia University, Julio is currently working at Ishikawa Prefecture’s New York office while seeking opportunities with publications in New York. Follow his enthusiasm for Japan, literature, and comic books on his blog and Twitter @brittlejules.
Showa 1944-1953: A History of Japan is the third volume in a four-part manga history of the Showa period by eminent manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. (If you’re new to this series, check out JQ’s reviews of the first and second volumes here.)
Since I have already sung the praises of Mizuki’s excellent blending of realistic and comical art and storytelling as well as the top-notch translation by JET alum (and JQ interviewee) Zack Davisson (Nara-ken, 2001-04; Osaka-shi, 2004-06), I have decided to focus this review more on unpacking some of the contents of volume three and providing you with additional resources to look into if you wish to expand your knowledge about any of the topics that appear in the manga, including several wartime tragedies and the postwar occupation of Japan by the Allied Forces.
This volume focuses primarily on the grim latter years of World War II in the Pacific Theater. Despite the fact that Japan’s resources are running far past thin, the government and military persisted in continuing the conflict. This manga puts the spotlight on the plight of soldiers who have become the least important resource to the Japanese government, “Human life is the least valuable resource in the Japanese Army,” Mizuki writes. “Any suggestion that soldiers’ lives have meaning is tantamount to cowardice and treason. Soldiers are tools to be used. And the command’s greatest fear is that soldiers will flee from the enemy—or worse, surrender. They need them more afraid of dishonor than death.”
Job: Post JET Study/Teaching/Scholarship – Showa Women’s University (Tokyo)
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A great opportunity, a scholarship intended specifically for JET alumni as well as for current JETs who are finishing the program in 2015. Thanks to Tada Yukio of Sojitz for passing this on.
Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), Community Manager for Be Social Change, the largest social impact community and professional development hub in New York City.. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Post JET Study/Teaching/Scholarship
Posted by: Showa Women’s University
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Type: Scholarship
New scholarship for JETs is available at Showa Women’s University as follows. It’s open to all JET participants and JETAA member.
http://exam.swu.ac.jp/files/86cb1fd09628f203df95dc70c8256461.pdf Read More
Job: News Producer – TV Tokyo DC Bureau (DC)
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Via JETAA DC. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), Community Manager for Be Social Change, the largest social impact community and professional development hub in New York City.. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: News Producer
Posted by: TV Tokyo DC Bureau
Location: Washinton, DC
Type: Full-Time
TV Tokyo is looking for a producer for its Washington bureau. The ideal candidate will have a strong background and interest in international affairs and American politics, speak native-level English, and speak native/business-level Japanese. The producer will be responsible for covering American politics (including the 2016 presidential election), the White House, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, the State Department, US-Japan relations, and producing feature stories of interest to TV Tokyo’s viewers in Japan. This job requires occasional domestic and international travel.
Please send a resume and cover letter to: tvtokyodchr@gmail.com
Job: Tutors – Two Birds One Stone Learning (Dublin, OH)
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Via JET alum Daniel Stone, Founder of Two Birds One Stone Learning LLC. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), Community Manager for Be Social Change, the largest social impact community and professional development hub in New York City.. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Afterschool English Tutors
Posted by: Two Birds One Stone Learning
Location: Dublin, OH
Type: Part-Time
If you have a four-year degree in Education or can exhibit substantial experience teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, there are tutoring opportunities in Dublin, OH.
Native English speakers with Japanese speaking ability as well as tutors that can process high-level English instruction for TOEFL and EIKEN examinations are preferred.
Send your resume, cover letter, and list of three professional references to:
Mr. Daniel J. Stone, MBA
Founder and Principal Consultant
Two Birds One Stone Learning, LLC
daniel,stone@onestonelearning.com
Job: Events & Communications Coordinator – Japan Cricket Association (Japan)
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Thanks to JETAA UK Chair Sarah Parsons for passing this on. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), Community Manager for Be Social Change, the largest social impact community and professional development hub in New York City.. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Events & Communications Coordinator
Posted by: The Japan Cricket Association (JCA)
Location: Sano, Tochigi, Japan
Type: Full-Time
The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) is the national governing body for cricket in Japan. It is an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and part of the ICC East Asia-Pacific region. The JCA’s head office is based in Sano, Tochigi –80km north of Tokyo. The Events& Communications Coordinator joins a full-time team of 7staff and reports directly to the CEO. You have responsibility for managing events and developing and implementing a media and communications strategy to improve communication with stakeholders such as the domestic cricket community, media, sponsors, local governments, and improving the profile of the sport amongst the general public. Read More
I’ll Make It Myself!: Satsumaimo (Sweet-Potato) Pancakes
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L.M. (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. Ze works in international student exchange; writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan and the US; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group on LinkedIn.
I accidentally bought a white-fleshed sweet potato instead of an orange sweet potato, so I decided to make this old favorite from Japan. In the US, sweet potatoes with hard, orange flesh (annôimo, 安納芋) are more common, but in Japan, sweet potatoes with a softer, white/yellow flesh (satsumaimo, サツマイモ) are what you’ll find in the grocery store. This recipe is for satsumaimo, so make sure you have the right potato!
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Patrick Newell, Founder of Tokyo International School
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“Technology is constantly changing and students need to be equipped with the skills to master changing technology. They also need to be prepared for environmental, financial, civic and global literacy because of the interconnectedness of these issues in a globalized world.” (Courtesy of 21foundation.com)
By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle has completed a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association of New York since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a New York City-based soccer team.
Patrick Newell founded Tokyo International School in 2001, which has since become a model institution in many areas of education and learning. The same philosophy is behind the recent launch of the Global Institute, a 21st century kindergarten and afterschool program based in Naka-Meguro.
Patrick holds a postgraduate diploma from Oxford Brookes University with a concentration in international education, and has been a speaker and participant in over 20 international school conferences and workshops. He has also chaired International School Accreditation Teams for the Council of International Schools and New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and currently serves as the chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) Learning Committee.
In this exclusive interview, Newell shares with JQ how traveling the world sparked the interest his chosen profession, the subjects essential for students of the 21st century, and his work through the years as a coordinator and speaker for TEDx in Japan.
How did you become interested in education?
I fell into it while traveling the world. I was working in real estate in Southern California when I suddenly decided that I didn’t want to live that corporate life anymore. So, at the age of 25, I bought a multiple-stop airline ticket to travel the world. I went through the Caribbean, Europe, India and Thailand. While in Thailand, I decided that I wanted to spend a considerable amount of time somewhere in Asia and decided that Japan would be the best place to do it. I moved to Tokyo and joined my wife in the English education business. We then started an English tutoring service for students at international schools. I didn’t have any formal educational training, and so relied on my intuition and what was valuable or wrong from my own education. Education became a passion of mine and I was researching and developing my own model while observing the different models among the international schools in Japan.
Why did you found the Tokyo International School?
We had two daughters and decided to open an international school for them. We started with a preschool and then decided to open Tokyo International School. We started with 12 students in one classroom and now have over 320 students from 50 countries. It was such a challenge opening an international school in the oldest international school market in the world.
WIT Life #281: 今年の漢字
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
In a follow-up to yesterday’s post about the top 10 buzzwords in Japan this year, the country’s “kanji of the year” was just announced. 税 (zei) or tax was selected, referring to the consumption tax increase from 5% to 8% in April. The last time the tax had gone up was in 1997 when it went from 3% to 5%. Prime Minister Abe had to decide by the end of the year whether it would be further increased to 10% next year as planned, but he decided to delay this course of action to a later point in time. The selection of 税, along with the other top candidates, indicates a mood of anxiety and uncertainty in Japan.
Coming in at #2 was 熱 (netsu), meaning heaｔ, fever or passion. This points to Read More
Job: Consulate General of Japan + Azumano International ESL teaching positions (Seattle)
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Two listings via JETAA Pacific NW. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), Community Manager for Be Social Change, the largest social impact community and professional development hub in New York City.. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Educational & Cultural Outreach Specialist & ESL Teacher
Posted by: Consulate General of Japan + Azumano International
Location: Seattle, WA
We would like to share two employment opportunities which have just opened in Seattle!
Please keep your eyes open for future announcements for the 2015 Transitions event, PNWJETAA’s annual professional development and networking event tentatively scheduled for the beginning of February! Read More
Event: Tokyo Winter Career Forum – JETs Welcome!
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Thanks to JET alum Catherine Rackley, who works for Disco International, for sharing this. Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-2014), Community Manager for Be Social Change, the largest social impact community and professional development hub in New York City.. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Event:Tokyo Winter Career Forum
Date: December 20th & 21st (Sat. & Sun.)
Location: Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo, Japan)
The Tokyo Winter Career Forum, the last English/Japanese job fair of the year, is coming up on December 20th and 21st. This will be a wonderful opportunity for JETs interested in continuing to use their experience in Japan and Japanese language ability in their careers. 91 companies from all different industriesare hiring for positions in Japan and elsewhere, including 30 companiesrequiring just business level Japanese or lower such as.
3E INC. (Internet/Telecommunications)
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH (Retail Management)
ATEC INC. (Automotive)
BEBIT (Marketing Consulting) Read More
