* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *<br>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.<br>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com">http://www.terrie.com</a>)<br><br>General Edition Sunday, July 25, 2010 Issue No. 575<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New<br>- News<br>- Candidate Roundup/Vacancies<br>- Upcoming Events<br>- Corrections/Feedback<br>- News Credits<br><br>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br>
<br>BACK ISSUES<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a>, or,<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br>
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or call: 03-4550-2557.<br><br>------------- PBXL is Business Communications -------------<br><br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>Here in Tokyo we've had a record heatwave over the last <br>couple of weeks and the mercury rose above 35 degrees <br>
Celsius for 5 days in a row, the highest unbroken period of<br>heat for July ever. Yes, we do expect it to get hot, but <br>more in August when most people are able to take summer <br>breaks and avoid having to hit the streets to go to work in<br>
office attire. Suits and ties in this weather are just <br>nasty.<br><br>Hundreds of people around the country have been taken to <br>hospital for heatstroke, and over the last few days, <br>almost 20 people have died from the heat. Those most at <br>
risk are old people, perhaps because they are less likely <br>to have air conditioning and someone to monitor their <br>hydration. We were out most of today, and obviously hot <br>weather is great for the economy, because everyone makes <br>
for the air conditioned shopping malls and train stations.<br><br>Apparently we have the polar jet stream to thank for the <br>heat wave. Japan is not the only country to be affected <br>by this band of strong winds 12km up in the atmosphere <br>
which are moving west to east. In fact, Russia, parts<br>of the USA, and China have all been affected by the <br>phenomenon and are experiencing record high temperatures.<br><br>While the weather bureau tells us every night how hot it's <br>
been, getting out on the streets to meet clients and <br>traveling to/from work, we'd have to say that it feels <br>hotter than what we hear in the news reports. Yes, 35 <br>degrees is hot, but honestly speaking sometimes it feels <br>
much worse. The high humidity and lack of sea breezes <br>no doubt part of the reason, but could there be another <br>cause?<br><br>[Continued below...]<br><br>---------- Denphone - Voice, Video and Networks ----------<br>
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<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>[...Article continues]<br><br>So we have a theory that maybe temperatures are being <br>called in lower than they really are, not because of any<br>conspiracy but because of the way they are measured (we'd <br>
like to hear from readers who might think differently). <br>You see, the Japan Meteorological Agency is very diligent and<br>follows the global standard for measuring temperature by <br>setting its Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition <br>
System (AMeDAS) weather stations 1.5m above the ground over<br>a grassy surface, and supposedly free of nearby influencing<br>objects that might retain heat. <br><br>Unfortunately, the Agency's Tokyo weather station is smack <br>
dab in a concrete jungle like location in front of their <br>Chiyoda-ku headquarters (take a look at the Agency on <br>Google Earth and you'll see what we mean). OK, we suppose <br>that they compensate for the location so as to approximate <br>
the ideal siting of a weather station in a short-cut grass <br>field, away from concrete and other heat retaining <br>fixtures, but then measuring over a grass field, at 1.5m is<br>the problem in our view. It's not realistic (although it is<br>
consistent).<br><br>Doing several hours of internet searches, we came up with <br>an interesting 2007 study which compares the effects on a <br>weather station of its immediate environment and also the <br>differences of air temperature measurement at ground level <br>
and at 2m (roughly the height at which weather stations are<br>sited -- as mentioned it's 1.5m in Japan). The study was <br>done by the Ataturk university in Turkey, and they made <br>measurements in an inland city over a period of the hottest <br>
month (August) in 2008 -- temperatures which are similar to<br>what we're experiencing in Tokyo right now.<br><br>What they found was that the type of ground cover that <br>temperatures are recorded from makes a big difference in <br>
readings. At the ground surface, based on mean temperature <br>readings over a 24-hour period, there was a 6.5 degree <br>difference between asphalt and soil, and 5.3 degree <br>difference between soil and grass -- for a total difference<br>
of 11.79 degrees between asphalt and grass. <br><br>Asphalt obviously absorbs and retains heat far more than <br>grass does.<br><br>They also found that the height of the weather station <br>significantly changes the extremes of temperature measured.<br>
For example, at 2m above the ground surface, roughly where <br>temperatures are measured for weather bureaus <br>internationally, the difference between asphalt and soil <br>was still 5.22 degrees, but the difference between soil and<br>
grass was 2.32 degrees -- thus giving a lower total <br>temperature difference of 7.54 degrees between asphalt and <br>grass. That's more than 4 degrees lower, indicating the bing<br>close to the ground is bad news if you're a short person -- <br>
like a toddler or a pet.<br><br>These are mean temperatures over that 24-hour period. <br><br>What's really interesting in the study is that at the peak <br>time of 13:00 at the test site, the maximum temperatures <br>
recorded at the asphalt surface, soil, and grass were <br>46.51, 35.3, and 23.53 degrees respectively -- meaning that<br>the asphalt was hotter by 22.98 degrees than the grass -- <br>about twice as hot! <br><br>Again this is clearly very bad news for babies in strollers<br>
and small pets that are closer to the ground when crossing <br>the street. On the other hand, at 2m in the air at 13:00, <br>the maximum temperatures for asphalt, soil, and grass were <br>38.27, 29.99, and 27.55 degrees respectively -- meaning <br>
that asphalt was hotter than grass by a much more <br>acceptable 10.72 degrees. (Note that a grass temperature <br>2m up is actually hotter than grass temperatures at the <br>surface -- interesting...)<br><br>So at the hottest time of the day, in the early afternoon, <br>
it can be significantly hotter next to the ground over <br>asphalt than 2m in the air over grass. Please remember that<br>next time you take your kids or dog to Shibuya in <br>mid-summer.<br><br>The main point of this discussion is that according to the <br>
findings of the Turkey study, the Meteorological Agency's <br>readings taken over grass at 2m will create a reading <br>lower than what you'll be facing in the streets, especially<br>if you're a little person. From what we can see from the <br>
differences, adjusted to Tokyo conditions, is that if <br>you're of normal height and shopping in the Ginza or <br>Shibuya, you're probably walking around in temperatures <br>about 4-8 degrees warmer than what is being broadcast on <br>
TV.<br><br>That means yesterday it was probably 40+ degrees on the <br>streets of Tokyo.<br><br><br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------<br>
<br>BiOS full-service IT solutions has a new service.<br><br>Working with our fully licenced temporary dispatch group,<br>we are now able to provide Japan in-country workers<br>for companies not yet registered in Japan.<br>
<br>This innovative service is available for companies needing<br>to hire staff for Japanese customers, but who are unable<br>to commit to the expense and infrastructure of maintaining<br>an office in Japan. We take care of all aspects of the<br>
employment, contracting, and dispatch -- including <br>management of the employee.<br><br>For more information on this and other SI and IT services,<br>in English or Japanese:<br><br>Phone: 03-5773-3090, Email: <a href="mailto:solutions@biosjp.com">solutions@biosjp.com</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com">www.biosjp.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>+++ NEWS<br><br>- New WTO agreement to open up government tenders<br>- Who would emigrate in event of economic collapse?<br>
- Brother debuts shake-to-recharge battery<br>- Japan is 8th most preferred travel destination<br>- Yen-dollar intervention due to begin?<br><br><br><br>-> New WTO agreement to open up government tenders<br><br>41 countries who are members of the World Trade <br>
Organization (WTO) have agreed in principle to introduce<br>web-based government procurement systems that allow online <br>bidding. Currently the Japanese government buys about <br>JPY15trn of goods and services annually, but only a small <br>
percentage of tenders are bid on electronically, and <br>perhaps as a result, just 3% of government business is <br>won by foreign companies. ***Ed: Clearly this is in <br>Japan's best interest to open up its procurement properly. <br>
Not only will it introduce better price competition and <br>drive down costs, but it will also open up the way for <br>Japanese firms to bid electronically for business abroad <br>as well -- especially since China will start participating <br>
in the system.** (Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://nikkei.com">nikkei.com</a>, <br>Jul 23, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100723D22JFF02.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100723D22JFF02.htm</a><br>
<br>-> Who would emigrate in event of economic collapse?<br><br>In what we think is a brilliant marketing ploy, a job <br>website operator called BizReach has surveyed its members <br>to find out who would leave Japan to seek work elsewhere <br>
should the nation suffer an economic collapse. No one ever <br>asks these kinds of blunt questions, so reactions were <br>interesting... Lots of people (39% in the survey) think <br>this kind of scenario could happen in the future. Anyway, <br>
BizReach found that 51% of respondents earning more than <br>JPY10m annually would be prepared to jump ship and find a <br>job abroad. Most commonly they said their preference would <br>be Singapore (69%), followed by the U.S. (64%), and China <br>
(49%). (Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://nikkei.com">nikkei.com</a>, Jul 23, <br>2010)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100723D23HH619.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100723D23HH619.htm</a><br>
<br>-> Brother debuts shake-to-recharge battery<br><br>Electrical firm Brother Industries has demonstrated a <br>prototype of a battery that recharges when you shake it. <br>The battery is formally called a Vibration Energy Cell, and<br>
in its current AA and AAA formats was demonstrated to <br>power a TV remote, a LED flashlight, and some other <br>gadgets. ***Ed: Put one of these in a Wii and you'd never <br>have to recharge the Wii again -- or in a music player <br>
while you're jogging...*** (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://news.cnet.com">news.cnet.com</a>, Jul 23, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20011523-1.html">http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20011523-1.html</a><br>
<br>-> Japan is 8th most preferred travel destination<br><br>A recent poll of consumers in the USA questioned <br>respondents on where they would most want to travel to in <br>the future. Of these, Italy, Australia, and Ireland came <br>
up tops, followed by Great Britain, France, Greece and <br>Germany, then Japan -- putting Japan at the top of the <br>table for Asia. In fact Japan slipped from 7th last year <br>to 8th place this year -- still a very respectable result. <br>
(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://reuters.com">reuters.com</a>, Jul 22, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS90969+22-Jul-2010+PRN20100722">http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS90969+22-Jul-2010+PRN20100722</a><br>
<br>-> Yen-dollar intervention due to begin?<br><br>A well-known analyst at Macquarie Research reckons that the <br>Bank of Japan may be close to intervening in the FX market <br>to stop the yen from rising further against the U.S. <br>
dollar. According to the analyst, the pain threshold is <br>JPY80-JPY85 to the dollar. He also went on to say that any <br>intervention would probably only be short term in its <br>effectiveness because there is so much surplus liquidity in<br>
the markets due to the very low interest rates available in<br>the U.S. and elsewhere -- thus increasing speculative <br>movements of capital. (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://japantimes.co.jp">japantimes.co.jp</a>, Jul 24, 2010)<br>
<br><a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20100724n1.html">http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20100724n1.html</a><br><br><br>NOTE: Broken links<br>Many online news sources remove their articles after just a<br>
few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we<br>apologize for the inconvenience.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>---------- Microfinance in the South Pacific --------------<br>
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-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES<br><br>=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively <br>
marketing the following positions for customers setting up <br>or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of <br>bilinguals.<br><br>** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION(S)<br><br>BiOS is currently looking for an experienced and highly <br>
successful SMB Sales Manager to join our clients, <br>specializing in sales of Software As A Service. This person<br>will lead a sales department which is currently in the <br>process of shifting to a direct sales model for Japan, and <br>
as such the focus is on direct rather than channel or <br>partner sales. Supporting this, and also forming part of <br>your core duties you will manage lead generation to sales <br>closure for Small and Medium sized Business, take ownership <br>
and direct the metrics of lead generation and opportunity, <br>and lead accounts and take an active role in <br>troubleshooting any changes or issues.<br><br>The successful candidate in this role will have more than 6<br>
years experience in IT software sales, ideally with the <br>SaaS background forming part or all of this, and will also <br>have 2 years experience managing a sales team to successful<br>meet and beat targets on a regular basis. In addition to <br>
this, although not mandatory, the most desirable candidates<br>will have some form of telemarketing and/or telesales <br>experience, and will finally have experience managing <br>Japanese customers in direct sales.<br><br>
Remuneration is up to JPY20m depending on your experience <br>and level<br><br>** POSITIONS VACANT<br><br>- President of Ops, Plastics Manf, Ebina, JP12m – JPY18m<br>- eSourcing Account Manager, JPY4.5m – JPY5.5m<br>- Web Apps Support, LCD Manf JPY3.5m – JPY4m<br>
- Unix Engineer, iBank in Okinawa, JPY4m – JPY5m<br>- Fixed Income Developer, European iBank, JPY8m – JPY12m<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br>
<br>** BiOS Job Mail<br><br>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its<br>job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition<br>carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date<br>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job<br>
description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS<br>home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and<br>searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious<br>to know if there is something out there that might suit you<br>
better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and<br>convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like<br>to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,<br>please email <a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a>.<br>
<br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>----------- Making Web Sites More Affordable --------------<br>
<br>LINC Media's Electronic Commerce team is proud to announce<br>its "WEB PARTNERS" program, whereby we create fully EC<br>enabled websites with as much functionality as you need, <br>plus year-round support, for a flat monthly fee.<br>
<br>Avoid upfront costs and lack of support after the site is<br>up, with the LINC Media WEB PARTNERS service. Our customers<br>to date include major international airlines, Social <br>Network Service sites, and online stores for consumer<br>
products.<br><br>Program includes:<br>- Japanese/English website development<br>- Configuration of core software (Wordpress or Drupal, etc.)<br>- Software development (PHP, mySQL, etc.)<br>- Daily changes to the site<br>- Hosting, security, and backup<br>
<br>WEB PARTNERS is backed by a solid fully-bilingual team<br>with strong credentials and a desire to please. <br><br>Contact: nana.yamaguchi at <a href="http://lincmedia.co.jp">lincmedia.co.jp</a> for details.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br><br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br><br>---------- CCH Japan presents 'HR Seminar 2010' -----------<br><br>Managing and Motivating Your Japanese Team for Success<br>
<br>'Bridging Cultural Differences as a Leader'<br><br>- What expectations Japanese have of their managers<br>- What Japanese think of Western managers<br>- How to pose questions to get the most informative responses<br>
- How to give directions so that they are clearly understood<br>- Giving feedback to Japanese subordinates<br>- Key cultural differences<br>(directness of communication, hierarchy, and management style)<br>- The new workforce in Japan<br>
(The different generations in the Japanese workplace and more..)<br><br>Date: Thursday, 29th July 1:30pm-5:00pm<br>Venue: Happo-en 5F Linden Room<br>Speaker: Rochelle Kopp, Principal, Japan Intercultural Consulting<br>Number of Seats: 50, Language: English<br>
Fees: 20,000 yen + tax<br>Register at: <a href="https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form">https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form</a><br><br>For more details, Please Contact us at: <a href="mailto:support@cch.co.jp">support@cch.co.jp</a>,<br>
or 03-3265-1161, <a href="http://www.cch-japan.jp">www.cch-japan.jp</a>.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>------------- ICA Summer Networking Party!!!!! ------------<br><br>The ICA invites you to join our Summer Networking Party at<br>
La Boheme in Shirogane. This will be an excellent <br>opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new people <br>and network with peers in related industries, or simply to <br>put names to faces.<br><br>Open bar (beer, wine, soft drinks) and great food will<br>
be included. Be sure to bring your colleagues and friends <br>to join the party. Open to all, RSVP required.<br><br>Date: Thursday, 29th July, 2010<br>Time: 19:00 to 21:30pm<br>Venue: La Boheme, Shirogane<br>Map: <a href="http://www.boheme.jp/en/shirogane/home/location">http://www.boheme.jp/en/shirogane/home/location</a><br>
Cost: 3,000yen ICA members, 5,000yen non-members. <br>*Includes open bar (beer, wine, soft drinks) & great <br>quality food.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK<br><br>In this section we run comments and corrections submitted<br>by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and<br>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com">editors@terrie.com</a>.<br>
<br>No comments this week.<br><br>***********************************************************<br>END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 8,989 members as of July 25th, 2010<br>(We purge our list regularly.)<br><br>+++ ABOUT US<br><br>STAFF<br>
Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)<br><br>HELP: E-mail <a href="mailto:Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com">Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com</a><br>with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include<br>
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<br>Copyright 2010 Japan Inc. Communications Inc.<br><br>----------------- Japan Inc opens up Japan ----------------<br><br>J@pan Inc is Japan's only independently published English-<br>language business website. Authoritatively chronicling <br>
online the business trends in Japan, each posting brings <br>you in-depth analysis of business, people and technology in<br>the world's second largest economy. <br><br>Visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a> for the best business insight on<br>
Japan available.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br>