Making It Big In Japan

Buck Cooper is Texan, obese, and invisible to his colleagues. Serendipity lands him in Japan, right in the middle of a sumo match. As his life takes a new turn in a country where being big can mean fame and fortune, Buck must embark on the most dangerous, yet adventurous ride of his lifeNto find the ultimate meaning of love and acceptance.

“From Susie Wong to Madame Butterfly to Miss Saigon: you might think that we've had enough of American men adventuring, scoring, and coming undone in the Far East. But you'd be wrong. Gammarino's Big in Japan is a shrewd and lively book, sharp-eyed and unsparing in its account of a young American's good and very bad moments overseas. The writing is wired and the ultimate judgement is merciless. It's seductive and it's devastating.” —PF Kluge, author of Eddie and the Cruisers and Gone Tomorrow While playing to lackluster crowds in their hometown of Philadelphia, progressive rock band Agenbite clings to the comforting half-truth that they're doing better in Japan. When their manager agrees to send them over on a shoestring tour, though, they're swiftly forced to give up their illusions and return stateside. All but one of them, that is. Brain Tedesco, the band's obsessive-compulsive nerve center, has fallen in love with a part-time sex worker - the first woman ever to have touched him - and his illusions have only just begun. What ensues is a gritty coming-of-age tale in which Brain, intent on achieving some kind of transcendence, paradoxically (or not so paradoxically) descends into the Hungry Ghost realm of Tokyo’s underworld. He becomes, in effect, a gaki - the insatiable creature of Buddhist cosmology - and must learn how to live even as his outsize desires threaten to engulf him. By turns compassionate and ruthless, erotic and grotesque, riotously serious and deadly funny, Big in Japan is a sparking, gut-wrenching, face-melting debut novel.

Making it Big in Japan is your ultimate guide to living, working and playing in Japan. The information you get about Japan from reading articles online in English only scratches the surface. Like an outdated textbook, the advice seems to be stuck in the 1980s, without reflecting the real pace of change in Japan. There is a need for more clarity and explanations of information that is often only available in Japanese. To fill this gap I have interviewed the people who influenced me, served as role models, or offered valuable perspectives along my 7+ year journey in Japan, to share their knowledge to all those interested in living and working in Japan. I hope this book will answer all the questions I had before landing in the country. We''ll cover finding work beyond English teaching, setting up a business, learning the language, navigating complicated and frustrating visa processes, understanding the hierarchical culture of Japanese workplaces, mastering the do''s and don''ts of dating in Japan, scaling career progression, and much more. In the book you''ll get answers to questions like... How do I get a visa? How do I get a job in Japan? What is the best way to learn Japanese? What non-English teaching jobs can I get? How do I transition out of English teaching to something else? What kind of career can I have as a foreigner in Japan? What are the best, foreigner-friendly companies to work for in Japan? How do I start my own business and is Japan entrepreneur-friendly? How can I be a freelancer or consultant? As a foreign woman, what do I have to watch out for? What is it like being the only black employee in a Japanese company? What are the best networking techniques in Japan? Can I actually have a decent work-life balance? Do I seriously need to get a hanko? What''s the secret to making Japanese friends? How do I still have fun in Tokyo on a shoestring budget? Where are the best bars and clubs? What are the best tips for dating in Japan, especially when you don''t speak Japanese? What''s the best way to travel and discover Japan? What are the biggest secrets about doing business in Japan? What should I do if I get fired in Japan? Is full time employment my best bet? What other contract types can I consider? What about raising kids in Japan? What happens if I get stopped by the police? How do I invest in Japanese real estate? How can I position myself to obtain a long-term visa and settle down? ...and much more! These burning questions, which are answered through 30+ in-depth interviews, shed a new light on what it''s like to live and work in Japan. Many of the interviewees came here to teach English, while others took completely different routes; setting up their own companies, sales, marketing, translating, programming, manufacturing, service jobs, YouTubing, freelancing or studying. Included are details about the series of events that led them here and the practical steps they took on their paths to success. Whether you''re interested in Japan and are looking for a detailed guide from people who have successfully started a life and built a career in Japan, or if you are already in Japan and looking for ideas/options, then this book is for you! --- About the Author Misha Yurchenko is an author, blogger and entrepreneur. After a one-year study abroad program in Tokyo, he became enthralled with the country. He decided to move to Japan as a recruitment consultant and didn''t look back. Nowadays he writes about his adventures on his blog, and is the founder of Carrus.io, a global coaching platform.

Emerging in the 1920s, the Japanese pop scene gained a devoted following, and the soundscape of the next four decades became the audible symbol of changing times. In the first English-language history of this Japanese industry, Hiromu Nagahara connects the rise of mass entertainment with Japan’s transformation into a postwar middle-class society.

Visual Kei refers to a Japanese pop music movement characterized by eccentric, flamboyant looks, striking make-up, unusual hair styles and elaborate costumes coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Tokyo Rock Catwalk is the first ever book to fully introduce this made-in-Japan pop culture to an overseas audience. Along with stunning full-color pinup pics and photos from some of the most exciting live performances, members of Visual Kei bands and some of their most loyal fans talk about where this phenomenon came from, how it fits into Japanese society, and how the West is waking up to this outrageous movement.

Companies operating in post-crisis Asia find themselves confronted by obstacles that hinder development and progress. Written by two leading analysts, this book identifies the transformation of the competitive landscape in Asia. By focusing on the main difficulties faced by companies it provides a series of strategies for business success and show how to avoid failure in Asia. This is an essential guide for companies who wish to make it big in Asia.

I first met Richard Roa in the fall of 1989. I was in the middle of researching Tokyo Underworld and someone had suggested I interview him because he knew the main character of the book, Nick Zapetti, and also because he worked for a time as a consultant to the Toa-Sogo Kigyo, a real-estate/leisure outfit based in Roppongi, which was, in fact, a transmogrification of the infamous Tokyo gang, the Tosei-kai, a yakuza organization which occupied another major part of the book. My scheduled two-hour interview with Rick Roa metastasized into several lengthy Q&A session because the stories this man had to tell were so damned interesting, starting with the chilling tale he told of being caught in a Tokyo mob run clip joint and what he had to do to get his money back. There was more-his hilarious tale of the American Train venture, his experiences as a bartender in the Ginza's most exclusive (and expensive) hostess club, his adventures with Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston in Japan. But, unfortunately, I could not use much of the material because it did not impact directly on the central thesis of Underworld, which dealt with the corrupt side of the U.S.-Japan relationship. But I always thought that it would make a good book one day, and lo and behold, here it is. I'm sure readers will enjoy this book as much as I did. Robert Whiting, Kamakura, 2004 Author of The Tokyo Underworld

A DARK AND STYLISH PAGE-TURNER FROM A BOLD NEW VOICE IN FICTION Harry Bloch is a struggling writer who pumps out pulpy serial novels—from vampire books to detective stories—under various pseudonyms. But his life begins to imitate his fiction when he agrees to ghostwrite the memoir of Darian Clay, New York City’s infamous Photo Killer. Soon, three young women turn up dead, each one murdered in the Photo Killer’s gruesome signature style, and Harry must play detective in a real-life murder plot as he struggles to avoid becoming the killer’s next victim. Witty, irreverent, and original, The Serialist is a love letter to books—from poetry to pornography—and proof that truth really can be stranger than fiction.