Podcasts about gaijinpot

"Trusting people to do things and respecting them and not micromanaging them has been essential to our culture." "If you believe in somebody and you respect them, they start to feel confident in their ability to do that thing." "If people feel they have a lot of autonomy in their work, they will naturally be coming with ideas." "AI is a power tool for us, and if we are not the craftsmen with the best use of these power tools, we are going to be in trouble." "Leadership is creating the environment for people to be successful."   Anatole Varin is the Founder and President of The Plant, an enterprise commerce technology company that builds and operates custom digital commerce systems for global companies entering Japan and Japanese companies expanding internationally. The Plant develops its own technology stack rather than acting solely as a systems integrator, giving it greater control over speed, quality, security and localisation. Varin came to Japan in his late twenties after living in France, Spain, Brazil and the United States. He initially worked in education and later completed a master's degree in commerce in Nagoya. While researching a portal project for small and medium-sized enterprises in Aichi, he taught himself programming and became deeply involved in the early Internet economy. He went on to co-found GaijinPot, where he served as a one-person technology team responsible for coding, design and server management. After selling his interest, he founded The Plant more than twenty years ago. The company grew from a small Japan-based development business into an international organisation of roughly 100 people, with major development capability in China and an Australian presence. His career is defined by self-directed technical learning, entrepreneurship, trust-based growth and the gradual transition from individual maker to organisational leader.   Anatole Varin's path to entrepreneurship in Japan was neither linear nor heavily planned. He arrived in his late twenties simply because Japan seemed interesting, worked in education and later pursued a master's degree in commerce in Nagoya. His thesis project involved building an online portal for small and medium-sized enterprises in Aichi at a time when the commercial Internet was only beginning to take shape. With little formal technical education, he taught himself to code by buying books, experimenting constantly and building the system from scratch. That work led to GaijinPot, the portal for foreigners living and working in Japan. As the sole technical person, Varin wrote the code, managed the servers and handled design. The experience gave him a powerful taste for speed and autonomy: he could have an idea and place it into production within days because there were few dependencies and nobody blocking execution. When he later founded The Plant, he initially expected to create consumer-facing online businesses. Several failed. As cash tightened, he began accepting development work from companies that knew his capabilities, and the business gradually evolved towards enterprise commerce systems. The Plant's growth was built largely through word-of-mouth. In enterprise technology, a mistake can directly damage a client's operations, so trust is fundamental. Large consulting brands often act as a proxy for trust; Varin had no such brand. Instead, he relied on personal reputation, repeat delivery, the quality of his developers and independent audits and certifications. Over time, clients who had experienced the company's speed and reliability recommended it to others. The company also differentiated itself by building and controlling its own technology stack. Many technology projects are slowed by chains of consultants, subcontractors and global platform owners. The people doing the work can be far removed from the product, while local Japan requirements compete with requests from dozens of other markets. By keeping development close to the customer and controlling the underlying technology, The Plant can respond faster, localise effectively and maintain security and quality. Its expansion into China was driven less by market entry than by access to a deep pool of engineering talent, while the Australian presence grew from the long-term relationship with its founding CTO. Varin's greatest leadership challenge was the transition from doing everything himself to working through other people. His natural preference is to build, move quickly and avoid unnecessary friction. Leadership, however, requires explaining the vision, motivating others and accepting that people need context rather than merely watching the founder work. He has received criticism for not articulating direction enough, yet his visible passion and direct involvement have also become important cultural signals. His strongest leadership instinct is trust. Long-serving leaders such as the company's CTO and China head became influential examples for others. Varin tries to respect capable people, avoid micromanagement and allow them to run with promising ideas before immediately attacking the weaknesses. By sharing their enthusiasm and backing them early, he helps people build confidence. Some ideas do not become viable products, but the failure is usually treated as an investment in learning rather than a reason to punish the person who tried. Autonomy is also the engine of innovation. Varin believes that people are naturally creative when they feel trusted to make decisions. The company uses objectives and key results to give teams a distributed process for setting goals, but the larger mechanism is environmental rather than bureaucratic. Transparent Slack channels, open access to company information and shared financial results help people understand what is happening and contribute without waiting for permission. Technology is now reshaping the company again. Varin views artificial intelligence as a power tool that every team must learn to use well. The Plant has established an AI centre of excellence, is moving developers towards technical product and system-design roles, and has embedded AI capabilities into its next platform, Cortex. AI allows faster prototyping and development, reinforcing the company's speed advantage, but it also creates pressure to grow the client base because the same work may require fewer people. His response is not to retreat or reduce the team, but to grow into the challenge. For leaders in Japan, Varin recommends learning the language while remaining realistic about identity. Fluency creates opportunity and helps Japanese colleagues communicate with greater ease and nuance, but a foreign executive will not become Japanese simply by copying surface behaviours. The better goal is to understand the environment, respect people, communicate openly and build a culture suited to the organisation. His final definition of leadership brings these ideas together: create the environment in which people and the company can succeed, establish alignment on where to go and support capable people in finding the path. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan requires close attention to trust, communication style and the distinction between cultural understanding and imitation. Varin's organisation is unusually international, yet its client base and operating environment are deeply connected to Japan. Foreign leaders need to recognise that Japanese colleagues may communicate more indirectly and feel more comfortable expressing nuance in Japanese. At the same time, Varin cautions against believing that fluent language or local mannerisms will make a foreign executive Japanese. The more useful goal is to understand the context, respect how people work and develop a culture that can function authentically inside Japan. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives often struggle because they value their own speed and expertise so highly that they fail to provide sufficient direction and context to others. Varin experienced this personally. As a highly productive founder-programmer, he was accustomed to having an idea and executing it immediately. Once the company grew, that approach no longer scaled. People needed the vision explained, motivation, guidance and room to interpret the objective. Another common difficulty is dependency: multinational systems can make Japan wait behind dozens of global priorities. Leaders who do not understand the local need for channels such as LINE or the speed of the market can unintentionally block progress. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Varin's experience suggests that risk in Japan is often managed through relationships, reputation and proof of reliability. The Plant won business not by asking clients to take an abstract chance on a small supplier, but through referrals from people who had already seen the quality of its work. Longevity and visible client success function as powerful green flags because few organisations want to be first. Inside the company, Varin reduces fear by backing good ideas before immediately listing all the reasons they could fail. When an initiative does not create a viable product, the result is usually treated as time and money spent learning, not as a career-ending error. What leadership style actually works? Varin's style is autonomy-centred. He trusts capable people, respects their expertise and avoids micromanagement. When someone is excited about a promising idea, he tries to ride the wave with them, support the energy and allow the person to discover where it leads. That confidence can be developmental: people who are believed in begin to believe more strongly in themselves. His style is also highly visible. Employees see that he remains technically curious, engaged in the work and willing to experiment personally. The weakness of this style is that passion and example do not always replace a clearly articulated vision, so effective founder leadership must balance involvement with explicit alignment. How can technology help? Technology is both The Plant's product and its organisational philosophy. Owning the complete technology stack reduces the delays and information loss created by long outsourcing chains. It allows the company to localise quickly, respond to Japan-specific platforms and maintain stronger control over quality and security. AI is now accelerating that advantage. The Plant encourages AI use across technical and non-technical teams, has created an AI centre of excellence and is embedding AI into its Cortex platform. Varin expects roles to move away from writing every line of code towards defining what should be built, supervising AI-generated output and exercising stronger product judgement. Does language proficiency matter? Varin believes Japanese proficiency opens substantial opportunities. It allows direct communication, helps colleagues relax and gives access to the ambiguity, softness and subtlety built into Japanese expression. He also notes that language ability declines when it is not used, regardless of how long someone lives in Japan. His own Japanese was stronger when his daily environment required it. Language can even influence personality, making a speaker appear softer or more indirect. Nevertheless, proficiency should not become a performance of being Japanese. It is a practical bridge for relationships, understanding and opportunity. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate lesson is to create an environment where people can succeed. For Varin, that environment includes autonomy, respect, transparency, good colleagues, a pleasant physical or virtual workspace and alignment around where the company is going. Leadership does not mean personally solving every problem or controlling every decision. It means selecting and supporting people who can carry responsibility, allowing ideas to develop, sharing information and adjusting continually as the organisation learns. The founder's task is to make success more likely for the people and the company, not to remain the only person capable of producing it. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

Doc Kane Life in Hikone And A Special Offer From Maplopo For Listeners Of Lost Without Japan Season 5 EP 118 Get CLEAR on Japanese grammar with Maplopo's Verb Pro Masterclass. Stop grumbling, stumbling, and fumbling your way through Japanese... and finally get to sounding confident and intelligent in the language this year. For a limited amount of time, Lost Without Japan listeners save 70% off the full retail price and pay only $60 through December 31st. PLUS get access to Maplopo's private Discord community for support on your verb-related conjugation questions. Head on over to maplopo.com/lost-without-japan and begin your transformation today. Website: https://maplopo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maplopo LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dockaneinjapan/ Gaijinpot: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/author/dockane/  TokyoDev: https://www.tokyodev.com/authors/doc-kane As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#   

Interview with Doc Kane, Owner and Operator of Maplopo Season 5 Ep 117 Lost Without Japan Welcome to a very special episode of Lost Without Japan, where we sit down with Doc Kane of MapLopo to discuss Japan and explore the opportunities his services could offer to you, the Lost Without Japan Listener. Website: https://maplopo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maplopo LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dockaneinjapan/ Gaijinpot: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/author/dockane/  TokyoDev: https://www.tokyodev.com/authors/doc-kane As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#   

Meet Sabria, a marketer for GaijinPot – Japan's biggest job board for foreigners – who sits down to talk with us about the origins of GaijinPot, the challenges created by its controversial name, and the future of parent company GPlus Media. --Check out GaijinPot:https://gaijinpot.com/https://gplusmedia.com/en/Follow us on our social media:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!youtube.com/@unpackingjapan

Interview with Doc Kane, Author, Co-Founder of Maplopo and movie maker in Japan Welcome to a very special episode of Lost Without Japan, where we sit down with Doc Kane from................. Website(s): maploposchoolhouse.com Website(s): maplopo.com Website(s): https://dockane.com/  Gaijinpot: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/author/dockane/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBmOvNpoe-pUk8decS1EBoA  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maplopojapan  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maplopo/  https://linkedin.com/in/dockaneinjapan As always, the Lost Without Japan show Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit# 

This week we talk with Julian who has been a Photographer and Videographer in based in Tokyo. He has worked with companies such as Gaijinpot, Japan Go!, and Tokyo Portfolio as well as for YouTubers like AbroadInJapan and Sydsnap. He has even worked with famous Japanese movie star Ken Watanabe. Julians Info: https://www.juliandomanski.com/ Instagram : @kantanjapan Contact Us: Listener voice questions: https://anchor.fm/tokyofresh/message Twitter: @tokyofreshpod Instagram: @tokyofreshpodcast @afroinjapan @zyrell MERCH JPN https://suzuri.jp/tokyofreshpodcast USA/EU/WORLD https://my-store-b9e39f.creator-spring.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tokyofresh/message

How to Hire and Retain Great Teachers with Peter LacknerIn today's episode we talk to Peter Lackner of JobsinJapan about how to hire and retain Great teachers. We also discuss his journey as an entrepreneur, starting a company in Japan and how the English teaching market has changed in Japan, and the opportunities for  entrepreneurs.Profile Peter Lackner is the Managing Partner at JobsinJapan.com and has had management-level positions at major job boards in Japan including: CareerCross.com, GaijinPot, CareerEngine (formerly eCentral) and currently the managing partner at JobsinJapan.com.Running a job board gives Peter the opportunity to speak with employers and job seekers every day and find out why some are successful and others are not. This is why JobsinJapan exists - to help job seekers find the jobs they want and employers to find the candidates they need. You can often find Peter speaking to groups on how to get a new or better job, and to employers on how to avoid making a bad hire. Finding the right fit for the right position is a win-win situation for both job seekers and employers.

Autumn: a thing that happens, as far as we know, every single year. North of the Equator, it’s happening RIGHT NOW. This episode is about that!After a classic and arguably needless SDS PSA, Wyatt explains the German tradition of Feldgeister (“field spirits”), also known as Korndämonen. These corn demons are believed to be responsible for the wellbeing of each field’s crops, so you’d best respect them or you might get beaten with some boobs.Next, Jake rattles off a series of ghostly encounters from followers of the blog GaijinPot. Which of these readers can prove themselves to be THE MOST INTO JAPAN? And how relevant to the week’s theme even is this entire segment?Embrace the fall spirit, make it into a doll, and summon forth this episode from the thickest air available (the internet) to join in for another week of Superduperstitious!EPISODE LINKSSupport Mi'kmaq fishing communities: https://bit.ly/3kRM7SlMerch Shop: https://www.superduperstitious.com/shopPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/superduperstitiousFour Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.comFour Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/Four Phantoms on Untappd: https://untappd.com/FourPhantoms/beerWyatt’s storyThe Feldgeister: http://www.heathenhof.com/feldgeister-harvest-spirit-land/The historical basis of Lycanthropism: https://www.scribd.com/document/192578736/Wettstein-WerewolfJake’s storyGaijinPot stories: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/true-japan-ghost-stories-from-gaijinpot-readers/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Julian Domanski from both Kantan Japan and Ryu Tokyo joins the show to inform us that he is one of the few foreigners in Japan who does NOT work an English teaching day job. We also talk about his well-informed news podcast and how his podcast stands out from the rest of them. And we talk about the advice YouTube creator Chris Broad from the Abroad in Japan YouTube channel gave us to grow a better online presence. Plus so much more. Check out Julian's Kantan Japan channel here: https://www.youtube.com/UCvdNKi3OKh--N3pFNS-Sxbg Check out his podcast This Week in Japan here: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ryu-tokyo-weekly-digest And check out Ryu Tokyo the next Gaijinpot website: https://ryutokyo.com/ Join the Discord for Why Come Japan updates, memes, and more https://discord.com/invite/8dQ9fH5

Part two of the resume. The letter of recommendation. While this is nice to have in the states other countries, in Japan, you really need to get on this thing.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themangasensei/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themangasensei/Twitter: https://twitter.com/themangasenseiYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFyhPCVFsM_0D0YtoFFlkWwWebsite: manga-sensei.comMusic by Gizmo

Part two of the resume. The letter of recommendation. While this is nice to have in the states other countries, in Japan, you really need to get on this thing.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themangasensei/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themangasensei/Twitter: https://twitter.com/themangasenseiYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFyhPCVFsM_0D0YtoFFlkWwWebsite: manga-sensei.comMusic by Gizmo

This week me and Liam (writer at Gaijnpot) debate who exactly is to blame for the current state of ALTing? I take the side that softly defends the dispatch companies, while Liam lays the blame squarely at their feet. Give it a listen and share your thoughts in the comments on whatever platform you listen to this on. Enjooooy.   Right click here to download the MP3   [Follow ALTInsider on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube]   Things Mentioned in This Episode:   The Japan Podcast Network - Twitter - Facebook Liam's Articles on Gaijinpot The Meat Guy! - Use the coupon code "ALT" for 500 yen off your order! The Article that Spawned this Debate Starting a English Broadcast at your schools by Tom Earthbound - Theme of Onett - Smash Remix OPAS.com JobsinJapan.com   Thing to Do: Check out Liams articles on Gaijinpot here.   Bonus Thing to Do:   Check out what I got from The Meat Guy! The Barbeque Set of awesome! If you want one, be sure to use the coupon code *ALT* for 500 yen off.  Discuss this show (or anything else you want) with other like-minded peeps on the ALTInsider discord by clicking the image below:

For the first episode of 2017, it's an interview with Kyle, an English teacher and Gaijinpot writer living in Hokkaido. Listen along to his trials and tribulations from his path from America to Japan, and beyond...   Enjoy!   Right click here to download the MP3   Things Mentioned in This Episode:   Kyle's Facebook Kyle's articles on Gaijinpot The Lesson Plans Pokemon Anime University of Hawaii Hilo Portland Video The story of my Marriage in Japan Sapporo Promo Vid Niseko Promo Video Thing to Do: Go read one of Kyle's articles here Discuss this show (or anything else you want) with other like-minded peeps on the ALTInsider discord by clicking the image below:

On episode #2 of the Making Money Not Teaching English in Japan series, I interview Chad, a translator and twitch streamer. We get into how he went to a Japanese college, how he got into translation and of course all about what Twitch is and how he gets money for playing video games. Enjoy! Right click here to download the MP3 Things Mentioned in This Episode: Chad's Stream Chad's Twitter Under the Table Work NUH JLPT Getting a Job Outside of Teaching English Epic Riding your Bike in Japan Trip Reports Edo Period Diablo Dragonball Universe A Crap Ton Monster Hunter Twitch Partner Requirements League of Legends Call of Duty 4 My post on Gaijinpot about "The Look" Thing to do: Check out Chad's Stream Sometime Discuss this show (or anything else you want) with other like-minded peeps on the ALTInsider discord by clicking the image below:

After a short break, Anthony Joh is back on the air with another episode of the GPod. On this show he recaps some of the popular articles that have been posted to the GaijinPot Blog. • Choosing a Japanese Typeface for your hanko. • What you need to know about exchanging business cards in Japan. • Cycling the Shimanami Kaido Highway. • Volunteering at Second Harvest • Differences between the U.S. and Japanese Education Systems All these articles and more can be found on the GaijinPot Blog - http://blog.gaijinpot.com In the second part of the show he reviews some of the other great podcasts about Japan. • Just Japan • A Short History of Japan • Japan Eats • Let's Talk Japan • Tokyo Cheapo • Tokyo Podcast • Bad Communication • Two and a Half Oyajis The links to all these podcasts can be found in the show notes of GPod 20 http://blog.gaijinpot.com/gpod-20-best-podcasts-japan/ For more information about Working, Studying or Traveling in Japan check out GaijinPot at: http://gaijinpot.com

The genre of anime films have exploded in popularity around the world recently and to help us understand this phenomenon Anthony has invited the team from the Anime Addicts Anonymous Podcast to the GPod. On this show we will be covering five films that helped define the world of anime. From landmark films in hand drawn animation such as Redline to the Oscar winning film Spirited Away, we delve into the mysterious world of anime films to learn more about this unique Japanese art form. For more information about Working, Studying or Traveling in Japan check out GaijinPot at: • Jobs in Japan • Study in Japan • Travel in Japan Connect with us on social media: • Facebook • Twitter • Google+

Tokyo is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world to live, but how much does it actually cost to live here? On this episode of the GPod, Anthony is joined by Reno Tibke from AkihabaraNews to discuss the true cost of living in Tokyo. We break down our monthly fixed living expenses, cover various transportation costs, internet connectivity and annual taxes that you will be required to pay. There are a lot of numbers covered in this show so to see a list of all the expenses we mentioned and their respective costs, visit the GPod #11 on GaijinPot at http://blog.gaijinpot.com/tag/podcast/ While the cost of living in Tokyo can vary greatly depending on the location, these numbers should give you a rough estimate of what it costs to start you new life in Tokyo.

On this show we are joined by Reno from Akihabara News as we cover the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show which runs till December 1 at Tokyo Big Sight. Eco cars are particularly popular this year and many manufacturers were eager to show off their latest hybrid vehicles. For full coverage of the show, including video and photos check out the GaijinPot blog.

GaijinPot is pleased to introduce our very own podcast called the GPod! Join host Anthony Joh every week as he brings you the latest news and interviews with people making a difference in Japan. In this first episode we talk to Peter Wilson, co-founder and managing director of GaijinPot. Peter talks about the early days of starting GaijinPot and how the business grew as the internet took off in Japan. We also touch on some of the recent changes we've made to the website and the launch of the new GaijinPot Study section. For more information about working or studying in Japan visit us at www.gaijinpot.com

The Anime Addicts are joined by Anthony Joh of GaijinPot to discuss working and finding a job in Japan! We also do impressions on Makai Ouji: Devil's and Realist, Gin no Sai, and more! We do a review on Ironman: Rise of the Technovore! Don't miss it!

The Anime Addicts conduct an interview with Anthony Joh from Gaijinpot.com. Gaijinpot is the largest English job board that helps English speakers find jobs in Japan. Anthony is here to help answer many common questions people what to go to Japan typically ask.