journeyofimagination : Messages : 18116-18145 of 18232

**Spiritual Progress** · 18116 - 18145

* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *
A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.
(http://www.terrie.com)

General Edition Sunday, November 22, 2009 Issue No. 543

+++ INDEX

- What's new
- News
- Candidate roundup/Vacancies
- Upcoming events
- Corrections/Feedback
- News credits

SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:
http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie

BACK ISSUES
http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take, or,
http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/

--------------- PBXL LOVES ENTREPRENEURS ------------------

JUST GETTING YOUR BUSINESS STARTED? DON'T BUY A PBX!!!!

Instead, PBXL will give you the THREE MONTHS OF SERVICE FOR
FREE to businesses incorporated less than one year ago, or
founded/operated by individuals who have attended Terrie's
Entrepreneurs' Handbook seminar.

At PBXL, we understand how tough it is to get a business up
and going, and we want to make sure that new businesses
start off right. PBXL provides Cisco based scalable, high
quality telephony and communications solutions.

For more information, please fill out our contact form at
http://en.pbxl.jp/about.php or call 03-4550-2557.

--------- PBXL is Hosted Business Communications ----------

+++ WHAT'S NEW

Last Friday a group of us went out to Roppongi to look for
locations for future Metropolis magazine events and
afterward we hit the T.G.I. Fridays restaurant close to
Roppongi Crossing for some fast food. There may be a
recession going on, but Friday's was full to overflowing,
and people looked like they were having a good time. The
five of us had as much as we could possibly eat (the plates
are impossibly huge) and plenty of beer, and yet the total
bill only came to JPY14,000.

Leaving the store, we couldn't help but think that when
people get depressed due to economic or other
circumstances, what's the normal cure? Well, they will seek
out a cheap and cheerful place to meet friends and forget
their cares for a while. We believe that T.G.I. Fridays is
just such a place, and therefore, in much the same manner
as Uniqlo and Nitori -- the restaurant chain is providing
people with a way to enjoy themselves but at a much lower
price than a year ago.

It's probably no accident that Friday's is run by a smart
restaurant operator, named Watami. You may never have heard
of them, but you would surely recognize some of the
hundreds of pubs and restaurants that they own and run
around Japan, including Watami, Za-Watami, Nagomitei,
Gohan, Wataminchi, and of course T.G.I. Friday’s.

[Continued below...]

------- Need a furnished/serviced office in Tokyo? --------

Space Design's SOHO office spaces are the answer to the
executive who wants to reduce initial cost (no key money,
flexible contract terms) and keep monthly rent transparent
and predictable (no operating costs or extra monthly
charges).

With locations in Toranomon, Kyobashi, Kojimachi and more,
Space Design offers compact office space to many companies
getting started in Tokyo.
Many firms use these spaces to register new offices in Tokyo
or to downsize on current space without giving up
prestigious locales or access to rental meeting rooms,
reception, etc.

Contact Ruth Shiraishi at Space Design Inc., to learn more
about how they can support your growth and success.

Serviced Apartments also available.
shiraishi-r@..., www.space-d.co.jp/en/
-----------------------------------------------------------

[...Article continues]

Basically Watami is one of those hard-core Japanese firms
that sets a standard of excellence both in its focus and
its ability to extract a profit out of what has to be an
incredibly difficult business segment -- despite the
current recession. The company is involved in the entire
"food chain" of the restauranting business, including
running its own farms (even a fish farm) to grow the
produce it serves. Watami is in fact a pioneer in company-run
farming, having started its first operation more than 10
years ago. Today its various farms supply about 20% of the
leafy vegetables used in its 600+ restaurants.

Owning your own farms may not sound like a big deal, but
as a side note, Japan has laws to protect individual
holdings of farm land. Until a recent law change, companies
could only hold up to 10% of a given farm, and so they
would have to enter into weak lease arrangements with the
traditional farmer-owners. With the new law change,
corporates can now hold up to 25% -- providing extra
leverage when negotiating with farmers for control of
their operations. Based on this legal change, Watami
apparently plans to lease even more land, in Oita, to start
a large organic farm. This is smart because organic veges
command a premium in Japanese-style restaurants these days
and are certainly an attractant for young health-conscious
female customers.

Watami has had a hard time of it over the last three years,
but the company seems to be coming right now, thanks
partly to a change of the old guard earlier this year, and
also due to some very tough restructuring and cost control
measures. From FY2007 through to FY2008 (ending March 31st,
2009), the company's sales fell a dramatic 43% to JPY23.7bn
(US$263m), however at the same time net profit over the
same period actually climbed 50% to JPY1.876bn (US$20.84m).

Apparently restaurant sales are down about another 6%
for the first half of this year, but it looks like profits
will remain steady or even improve a bit.

What is important to know about Watami, is that in addition
to bringing its restaurant operations under control, the
firm made a very smart move into a second business area a
few years ago -- that of running nursing homes. As a
result, the consolidated revenues of the firm in March this
year were JPY111bn (US$1.23bn) and the consolidated net
profit was JPY2.56bn (US$28.45m).

Like restaurants, nursing homes are also notoriously difficult
to make money out of, but Watami seems to be able to do
this, thanks in no small way to a high 95% occupancy rate.
It's interesting to see how they are squeezing profits from
this stone. Sales are up because last year they bought a
company named Takushoku that makes and delivers obento
(boxed lunches) for the elderly. We suppose that after
someone gets fed at home by Watami, it's only a short sales
pitch before they are ensconced in one of its 44 nursing
homes as well -- another consumption point for those farms!

All the company needs to do now is go into the water and
electricity businesses, and they will have all the inputs
to their nursing home operations tied up.

Watami, being the kind of company it is, is taking no
chances with the flow of customers over the bonenkai
(year-end parties) season, which is normally one of the
busiest times of year for restaurants and pubs. This year
they are issuing meal vouchers worth 50% of the bill for
parties booked before the end of this month (November). So
if you're thinking of holding a bonenkai, get your
reservation done now and experience some positive
deflation...!

Lastly, don't forget that our sister company, Metropolis is
launching Japan's first international Konkatsu party --
otherwise known as the Metropolis Cupid Party, on
November 29th (last Sunday in November). See you
there.

For more details, go to metropolis.co.jp/cupid.

**************

If you were arrested or had a serious accident in Japan,
who would be there to help you? The short answer is, unless
you're living with a spouse or partner, probably no one.

That's why The Japan Helpline, run by Ken Joseph, is so
important.

We are renewing our appeal to readers to join us in being
one of JHELP's "One Hundred Club" members. If just 100
people sign up to give 3,000 yen per month to Ken's team,
they will be able to cover their costs so that they can
continue to help those of us in need.

To donate:
https://www.lincmedia.co.jp/jhelp?lang=en
Your support keeps The Japan Helpline going.

...The information janitors/

***------------------------****-------------------------***

------- Do You Really Need a Full-time Accountant? --------

Your business is under pressure and you've already cut your
marketing and travel budgets. What else is there? In fact,
you might be surprised. An outsourced accountant can cost
a lot less than a full-time one and yet still get through
the same amount of work.

LINC Media's Back Office team offers outsourced accountants
to either work on your premises or ours. The secret in
saving money is three-fold:
1. Your accountant probably doesn't need to be in the
office full time, but reliable part-timers are hard to come
by -- so using an outsourced accountant causes you to only
pay for the hours you need.
2. Finding a bilingual accountant takes so long that most
firms accept the higher cost of keeping one on full-time.
LINC Media's staff are bilingual and are available now.
3. We allocate level-appropriate work to various staff
inside our back office operation, meaning that you're not
paying high-end Senior Accountant wages for low-end
functions, such as data entry.

For more information, contact miyuki.kojima@....
http://www.lincmedia.co.jp/services/outsourcing?lang=en

-----------------------------------------------------------

+++ NEWS

- Diners stay away from restaurants
- Blood test for early detection of Alzheimers
- Post Office to figure in finances again
- da Vinci med-bot approved by Ministry of Health

-> Diners stay away from restaurants

Proof that people are actively cutting back on the small
pleasures in life, including eating out, the Nikkei
reports that the wholesale price for cooking oil -- paid by
restaurants, has dropped about 3% in November versus the
month earlier. The wholesale price for cooking oil is now
at its lowest level since March 2004. According to the
Nikkei, prices have dropped even as manufacturing costs are
going up, largely because of wholesalers trying to
stimulate sales again after the Kao Econa oil scandal (the
oils were found to have carcinogenic substances last
month). But as Nikkei notes, the strategy doesn't seem to
be working -- because the problem isn't availability, it's
lack of customers. (Source: TT commentary from
nikkei.co.jp, Nov 21, 2009)

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/e/ac/tnks/Nni20091121D20JFA10.htm

-> Blood test for early detection of Alzheimers

MCBI Inc., a biotech start-up licencing research by the
University of Tsukuba, has announced that it has developed
a blood test that may help detect Alzheimer's disease early
on. Following on from research at the UCLA in the USA and
elsewhere over the last couple of years, MCBI says it can
detect (umm.... err...) two peptides in the blood which
appear to occur in a precursor ailment to Alzheimers, known
as MCI. MCBI says that it will start clinical trials and
hopes to bring the test to market in 2015. ***Ed: This is
an exciting breakthrough, and we're sure that the analysis
of the peptides in question will be picked up by other labs
around the world -- just as soon as they can remember where
they put those darned lab notes!** (Source: TT commentary
from nikkei.co.jp, Nov 21, 2009)

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/e/ac/tnks/Nni20091120D20JFA05.htm

-> Post Office to figure in finances again

As Junichiro Koizumi understood, the Japanese Post Office
represents a gigantic savings cookie jar that politicians
just can't keep their fingers out of. Between the Post Bank
and the Post Insurance organizations, the group holds about
JPY300trn (US$3.376trn) in public savings and government
bonds. So now the DPJ is now floating a trial balloon
whereby they are considering having the Post Office start
lending money to regional companies in an attempt to help
outlying firms get past the current credit crunch. ***Ed:
Our take is that this is but the first move, and the DPJ
will go "whole hog" next year and put the Post savings
hoard to work on funding many more government programs. The
problem, of course, is that the Post Office is in fact
already the largest investor in government bonds, so in a
way this will be a case of Peter robbing Paul.** (Source:
TT commentary from reuters.com, Nov 21, 2009)

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5AK1BN20091121

-> da Vinci med-bot approved by Ministry of Health

In what could represent a revolution in surgical
procedures in Japan, Sunnyvale, California-based Intuitive
Surgical announced on Friday that its robotic surgery
system, da Vinci, has received regulatory approval from the
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), allowing the
company to start marketing the machine in Japan. The da
Vinci is an amazing device that looks like it's from the
future. It allows surgeons to do complex surgery using an
interactive console located some distance away from the
patient. The surgeon controls a range of four robotic arms
located on a gurney containing the patient. The arms are
fitted with scalpels and other tools. The point of da
Vinci is to  scale and filter the surgeon's hand movements
into more precise movements of the robotic arms. The result
is tremendous precision and dexterity, thus allowing
surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures even
though there may be complex dissection and reconstruction
work needed. ***Ed: In terms of industry impact, this is
Lasik all over again, but this time for prostate cancer and
other ailments.** (Source: TT commentary from cnn.com and
Intuitive's own PR website, Nov 20, 2009)

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/178876.htm

NOTE: Broken links
Many online news sources remove their articles after just a
few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we
apologize for the inconvenience.

--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------

Formed in 1998, BiOS is a full-service IT solutions
provider, delivering SI and business support services to
foreign multinationals, including some of the world's
largest banks, logistics, and retailing companies.

Service Offerings:
* IT Infrastructure Projects, Office Setups/Relocations
* MS Office Training, Hardware/Software Procurement
* IT Personnel Outsourcing and Recruiting
* BiOS NetCare: Bilingual IT Service Desk and Support
* BiOS Advanceserve: Secure Online Data Backup (free trial)

BiOS is committed to providing quality services at
competitive prices. We're here to help!

Phone: 03-5773-3090, Email: solutions@...
Web: www.biosjp.com
-----------------------------------------------------------

***------------------------****-------------------------***

+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES

=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively
marketing the following positions for customers setting up
or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of
bilinguals.

** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION(S)

BiOS is now recruiting a CRM Marketing Manager for direct
placement with one of our largest customers, a globally
recognized IT services and solutions vendor. Working
closely with both customers and other client departments,
the CRM Marketing Manager will act as a CRM subject matter
expert to drive the evolution of targeted marketing within
the Japan team to improve revenue and margin growth.

The successful candidate for this role will have at least
7 years of experience in CRM, Database Marketing, Direct
Marketing or similar, with a track record of delivering
measurable results preferably in the B2B IT industry. As
well as this you will be required to demonstrate a thorough
understanding for the target market (Medium Sized
Businesses) as well as the ability to market directly to
decision makers within those organizations. Being in Japan,
it goes without saying that your bilingual ability will
also be essential to this role.

Remuneration is JPY10m – JPY13m depending on your
experience.

** POSITIONS VACANT

- Tech Support Mgr, Global Telecoms Co., JPY3m – JPY5m
- Project Mgr, Global Telecomms Company JPY8m – JPY10m
- IT Support Analyst, Tokyo Law Firm, JPY3.5m – JPY5m
- FileNet Architect, European Insurance co., JPY6m – JPY7.5m
- Deskside Engrs, Global IT Vendor in Tokyo, JPY3m – JPY4m

Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:
stuart.gibson@...

** BiOS Job Mail

Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its
job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition
carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date
vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job
description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS
home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and
searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious
to know if there is something out there that might suit you
better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and
convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like
to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,
please email stuart.gibson@....

Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:
stuart.gibson@...

-----------------------------------------------------------

----------------- Web Hosting in Japan --------------------

Ever wanted to host your website in Japan but the cost
put you off?

With shared hosting accounts from 210 yen per month,
Tsukaeru.net makes it easy to utilize Japan's world
renowned super-fast backbone for prices comparable to the
US. Tsukaeru also has a range of VPS (virtual private
server) packages available. Known for its reliability
backed by 10 years experience in the Japanese market,
Tsukaeru.net is ranked No. 1 for VPS sign ups.

Become a Tsukaeru.net affiliate and start earning.
Earn as much as 50% of sales price for a single effortless
introduction! Don't miss out on this great offer.
Its free to register and there are no minimal sales
requirements.

See http://www.tsukaeru.net/en/?pid=220
-----------------------------------------------------------

+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

-------- One-Day Conference on Translation on Nov 28 ------

Venue: Osaka Umeda Sky Bldg., Tower West, 22F
Date: Nov 28, 2009 9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (plus reception)

PROJECT Osaka is a one-day conference on translation organized
by the Japan Association of Translators at which experienced
translators will share their knowledge about the
profession of translation with aspiring translators or those
at the beginning stages of their careers.

http://jat-project.org/osaka/
Admission: Students: 4000 Yen, JAT Members: 5000 Yen,
Non-Members: 6000 Yen

-----------------------------------------------------------

-------------------- MIDEM Event --------------------------

MIDEM+: Your exclusive access to customised business
solutions at MIDEM, the world’s music community

MIDEM+ is an innovative solution to personalise and
maximise your MIDEM experience:
- Personal recommendations from MIDEM+ connectors
- Customised business consulting from MIDEM+ experts
- Exclusive networking events and dedicated services
throughout MIDEM

www.midem.com/plus
MIDEM & MIDEM+: 23-27 January 2010
-----------------------------------------------------------

------------- iWine Tasting Gala in November --------------

en.iwine.jp presents its Winter Wine Gala
- Come try 100 wines for only 3,980 yen on Nov 25!

Want to find a favorite wine?

Why not do it the way the pros do: by tasting lots of wines
at once! en.iwine.jp is proud to present a large-format
wine tasting event, featuring over 100 wines from all
around the world. Take your time and taste a variety of
flavors from the varietals and styles you enjoy most... or
branch off on a new journey of exploration. Lots of new
wines will be on offer and some fantastic deals and
discounts on pre-orders will be available on the night,
just in time for Christmas!

Other beverages and food available as desired, order and
pay at the bar.

Wednesday Nov 25, 2009, 7:30-10:30pm (cash bar after 10:30)
Venue : 57 Fifty Seven
http://www.fiftyseven.co.jp/jp/access_j.shtml

Tickets limited to only 250 and only sold online.
Click here: http://en.iwine.jp/wintertasting
to find out more information and purchase tickets!

http://en.iwine.jp/
-----------------------------------------------------------

***------------------------****-------------------------***

+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK

In this section we run comments and corrections submitted
by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and
amplify our points, by email, to editors@....

*** In TT534 we discussed the new rules to compel
foreigners to take out Health Insurance in order to get
their visas renewed -- even though for Japanese there is no
criminal penalty for not paying the insurance. We received
many comments about the discriminatory aspects and also
some about how the Japanese health system is way too
expensive for what it offers. One of the best of these
letters is from the reader below...

Our Reader Says:
I have been on Japanese National Health for over 15 years
and recently lost a baby tooth which had somehow managed
to hang on for 37+ years. Investigating replacement options
I was disturbed to find that the only replacement method
would would be a bridge, which would damage the surrounding
(one front, one lateral, and both perfectly healthy) teeth
by shaving them down and fitting them with crowns which
would in turn hold a replacement tooth in the gap in
between.

An implant is the only way to replace a missing tooth
in a situation like this, without damage to surrounding
teeth, but this procedure is not covered by JNH at all.
Indeed, I don't even have the option of claiming the amount
that a bridge would have cost.

Given that the total cost of an implant is around 300,000
to 400,000 yen, combined with the absolute necessity of
filling in the gap -- missing teeth can cause other
serious health problems in addition to the inconvenience
and purely cosmetic considerations, this was quite
upsetting.

My dentist explained the JNH policy and that although he
agreed that there should be coverage. He reckons it will
take some time for coverage to catch up with more advanced
care. As with everything in Japan, this... takes...
tiiiiiiiime......

Having just read a New York Times article
(http://s.nyt.com/u/CWA), which appeared coincidentally
only 4 days after I forked out cash for my implant
procedure, I am even more convinced that JNH needs to be
revised to cover dental implants and for dentists to be
given more authority to decide which care is appropriate.
It should be clear that for younger and even many older
patients needing to replace teeth, bridges are neither a
quality option nor a cost-effective one.

We respond:
We think it’s only the Japanese themselves who think their
health care system is world class. It’s definitely good as
a baseline service, but if you want anything new or fancy,
the system fails its subscribers -- and what's worse is
that there is no "middle way", allowing someone to make up
the difference between the mandated treatment cost and
something that they may actually want.

------------- Enliven Your Tired Website ------------------

The J@pan Inc Marketing department offers web development,
design, marketing, and translation services to help
companies enhance their performance internationally.

Our services include:
- Professional translation and localization
- Catchy copy writing
- Modern, stylish print and web design work
- Effective PR and online marketing solutions
- Targeted direct marketing (email, communities, DM, etc.)

Backed by solid marketing and design experts, our staff can
provide a total creative solution, including brand
enhancing websites, brochures, annual reports, and
advertising.

Contact: marketing@... for more details.
-----------------------------------------------------------

***********************************************************
END

SUBSCRIBERS: 9,500 as of November 22, 2009
(We purge our list regularly.

+++ ABOUT US

STAFF
Written by: Terrie Lloyd (terrie.lloyd@...)

HELP: E-mail Terrie-request@...
with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include
the quotes), and you will get back a message with
instructions.

FEEDBACK
Send letters (Feedback, Inquiries & Information) to the
editor to terrie.lloyd@....

ADVERTISING INFORMATION
For more information on advertising in this newsletter,
Contact ads@....

SUBSCRIBE
Get Terrie's Take by giving your name and email address at
http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up, or go
straight to Mailman at:
http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie

BACK ISSUES
http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take
or, http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/

------------ Japan Inc is worth every penny! --------------

J@pan Inc is Japan's only publicly sold English-language
business magazine. Authoritatively chronicling business
trends in Japan, each beautifully designed full-color issue
brings you in-depth analysis of business, people and
technology in the world's second largest economy.

Visit www.japaninc.com for more information
-----------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Terrie mailing list
Terrie@...
http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie

Yahoo! Groups Tips

Did you know...

Messages

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail
	Sign In New User? Sign Up
		LAUNCH - Groups - Help

Yahoo! Groups Tips

Did you know...

Best of Y! Groups

Messages