Of Wasabi, Dentsu and Diplomacy | Tokyo on Fire

Tokyo on Fire!

We're pleased to welcome special guest Dr. Toshio Nagahisa, executive director of the PHP Institute. This week starts off with what got people’s chins wagging and eyebrows to raise through the roof. The tragic story of a young Dentsu employee’s suicide has got Japan talking once more about the ever-present issue of its unforgiving work-life balance. Extreme work hours have almost become synonymous with Japan’s image as a diligent, hard-working nation - but do long hours necessarily produce better results? And at what cost? In other news, two recent incidents have brought to the forefront the difficulties one may face as a foreigner in Japan. An Osaka sushi store was accused of purposefully serving inedible amounts of wasabi to foreign customers in an act of xenophobia, and a Nankai train conductor took a lot of flak from Japanese and foreign media alike after apologising to customers for the “annoying” foreigners on board. The huge influx of tourists Japan has experienced over the past few years have left many locals feeling stifled, causing frustration to fester. There is no doubt that a tourism boom is just what the country needs, but a city can only hold so many people - how long will it be before this all reaches boiling point? It’s not just Chinese tourists with their large suitcases visiting Japan - this month is a busy one for Prime Minister Abe and Emperor Akihito as they expect visits from not just one but three heads of state! President Temer of Brazil, King Abdullah of Jordan and President Duterte of the Philippines will all be making a trip, and each event carries different significance for Japan. Will Temer’s visit have an impact on Tokyo 2020 preparations? And how will Duterte’s controversial stance towards the US affect Japan’s relations between the two states? These are some of the questions that may be on the table.