* * * * * * * * * 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, June 19, 2011, Issue No. 618<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New -- Addicted to Chinese Trainees<br>- Metropolis Members Club winners<br>- News -- Consumer loans market shrinks by 30%<br>- Candidate Roundup/Vacancies<br>- Upcoming Events -- Next Entrepreneur Seminar<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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<br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>According to an article in the Japan Times on Thursday, <br>quoting numbers from a Labor Ministry report released <br>earlier in the week, there are now 2.02m people in Japan <br>receiving welfare checks, more than any time since 1952. <br>
"Welfare" in Japan is apparently defined as financial <br>assistance offered by the government to a household when <br>its total income falls below the national minimum.<br><br>Presumably a big contributor to this record number of needy<br>
people has been the Great East Japan earthquake in March. <br>The level of joblessness has soared to around 90% of <br>employable survivors in the worst hit areas, and by <br>the end of May about 110,000 were out of work and applying <br>
for the dole at various Hello Work offices in Iwate, <br>Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures.<br><br>So, one would think that with this excess capacity of <br>workers, many of whom are from the agricultural, fisheries,<br>and manufacturing industries, juxtaposed with the <br>
phenomenon of disappearing Chinese trainee workers from <br>factories around the same regions, less than half of whom <br>are yet to return, that there would be a slew of local <br>hirings to make up the shortfall. Certainly after the <br>
Chinese trainees fled the disaster areas, there were plenty<br>of news reports of employers grumpily saying, "We can't <br>trust Chinese employees, next time we'll hire locals." <br><br>But are they following through with local hiring offers? <br>
Our guess is "not".<br><br>[Continued below...]<br><br>-------- Remaining Partners for Tourist Web Project -------<br><br>Our many thanks to the 30+ partner candidates who have <br>contacted us so far. The project is moving forward with<br>
great momentum and full project details are available for <br>interested parties.<br><br>We still have the following prefectures available:<br><br>Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Niigata, Toyama,<br>Fukui, Yamanashi, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Kyoto, Hyogo,<br>
Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Kochi, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, <br>Miyazaki, and Kagoshima<br><br>If you can write and market tourism for your prefecture, as<br>part of a nationwide English-language tourism push under<br>the Metropolis banner, then please email us today for our<br>
Powerpoint presentation.<br><br>Initial project manager: <a href="mailto:terrie@metropolis.co.jp">terrie@metropolis.co.jp</a><br>------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>[...Article continues]<br>
<br>The reason is because a Japanese breadwinner from Iwate on <br>unemployment, or even welfare, can still receive 2-5 times <br>more than the Chinese trainees do for the same jobs. The <br>factory and farm operators may grizzle about their <br>
"unreliable" Chinese employees, but without this source of <br>ultra-cheap labor, they have no way of being able to <br>compete with the flood of goods and produce coming in from <br>China itself. The fact is that thousands of small companies<br>
all over Japan are addicted to cheap trainee labor from <br>China and elsewhere, and to go local they would soon go out<br>of business. <br><br>Thus, unless the government comes up with some kind of <br>subsidy system, the folks in Fukushima will stay unemployed <br>
and the missing trainees will be replaced with new trainees<br>just as soon as the recruiters in the remoter regions of <br>China can find them.<br><br>We have mentioned before in Terrie's Take (TT-399 -- <br>Trainees or slaves?), foreign "trainees" in Japan are paid <br>
a pittance. On average they make about JPY60,000 a month in<br>the first year, then if they are lucky, around JPY120,000 a<br>month for the following two years, after which they have to<br>return to their home country. <br>
<br>One of our readers alerted us to an excellent report just <br>put out this month by a Hong Kong labor relations think <br>tank called the China Labor Bulletin. The report is called <br>'Throw Away Labor -- The Exploitation of Chinese "Trainees" <br>
in Japan' and is a encapsulation of the appalling <br>situation involving the virtual slave trade going on <br>between Chinese recruiters and small- to medium-sized <br>companies in rural Japan who need this cheap labor to <br>
survive. <br><br>Get the report at: <a href="http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/101071">http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/101071</a>. <br>It's a quick read.<br><br>The report chronicles the various miseries that Chinese <br>trainees experience once they get to Japan, including: <br>
withheld wages, no or very underpaid overtime, withheld <br>passports, threats of law suits if they flee back to China,<br>unsanitary living conditions, extremely difficult working <br>conditions... well the list goes on. And of course it's <br>
debatable whether such trainees actually receive any <br>education worth taking home with them.<br><br>The problem is that when you have poor and relatively <br>uneducated people from the Chinese hinterland making just <br>
2,000 yuan per month (JPY26,000), almost anything sounds <br>better than what they have, especially when a recruiter <br>mentions Japan. The report details how trainees are <br>inveigled into a contract, and once committed, how they are<br>
locked in to delivering that contract under very harsh (and<br>real) threats of legal action back in China. <br><br>This cheap labor addiction represents the reality of the <br>Japanese rural labor market. No doubt we'll see the media <br>
highlighting how locals are landing construction jobs and <br>getting back on their feet -- that makes for feel-good <br>copy. But with only a comparatively small number of such <br>jobs going, there may well be a larger number of new <br>
"trainee" visas being issued so as to ensure that <br>the rural factories and farms stay in business for a while <br>longer.<br><br>Our thanks to Geoffrey Crothall, Director of Communications<br>of the China Labour Bulletin for giving us permission to <br>
quote parts of the organizations report. <br><a href="http://www.clb.org.hk/en/">http://www.clb.org.hk/en/</a><br><br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>
Metropolis Members Club Winners<br><br>Congratulations to: Tanya Zminkowski who a pair of tickets <br>to any United direct destination in the USA or Asia <br>courtesy of United Airlines.<br><br>Next week, one lucky MMC member will win one night's stay <br>
for two at the Hotel Avanshell Akasaka, courtesy of Solare <br>Hotels and Resorts.<br><br>Our Metropolis Members Club is growing by leaps and bounds <br>-- join now. No obligations, simply receive our weekly <br>email magazine and enjoy the Metropolis stories, discounts,<br>
and prizes. <br><br><a href="http://metropolis.co.jp/club/">http://metropolis.co.jp/club/</a><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>Also, if you're thinking of Cloud office solutions, take a<br>look at Microsoft's new Business Productivity Online<br>Standard Suite. Terrie mentions Exchange Online in TT602,<br>
and we can do the same implementations for you.<br><br>For more information on this and other SI and IT services,<br>in English or Japanese:<br><br>Phone: (03) 4588-2220, 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>- Japan ranks 4th globally for rule of law<br>- Suicides up in tsunami-hit areas<br>
- Brand Off to IPO in Hong Kong?<br>- Nissan/JAF to offer EV roadside recharge service<br>- Consumer loans market shrinks by 30%<br><br><br><br>-> Japan ranks 4th globally for rule of law<br><br>A little tidbit that may surprise a lot of readers... <br>
According to the World Justice Project, Japan is Number <br>Four globally and Number Two in Asia when it comes to rule<br>of law. The project measures each nation's justice <br>apparatus for effectiveness, security, transparency, and <br>
some other factors. The report notes that Japan has a low <br>score in terms of accessibility and affordability. <br>Apparently New Zealand topped the asian region in the same <br>survey. (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://worldjusticeproject.org">worldjusticeproject.org</a>'s own website, Jun 14, 2011)<br>
<br><a href="http://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/Japan.pdf">http://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/Japan.pdf</a><br><br>-> Suicides up in tsunami-hit areas<br><br>Although it is too early to predict an overall trend, it <br>
appears from initial data that the rate of suicide by <br>post-tsunami survivors has jumped by 18%. Indeed, in Miyagi <br>the rate has soared to 39% over last year. A government <br>report is warning of a lot more cases of post-traumatic <br>
stress coupled with grief and general depression. An <br>expert says that most people recover within 6 months of a <br>major event such as the tsunami but that 10% to 20% of <br>people need up to several years to get past the disaster. <br>
(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://theaustralian.com.au">theaustralian.com.au</a>, Jun 17, <br>2011)<br><br><a href="http://bit.ly/m510qG">http://bit.ly/m510qG</a><br><br>-> Brand Off to IPO in Hong Kong?<br><br>
Perhaps indicating a move to off-shore IPOs, the used brand<br>goods retailer, Brand Off, has said that it is considering <br>doing an IPO in Hong Kong rather than Japan. The company <br>got an early start in Asia and now has 9 stores in Hong <br>
Kong and Taiwan. The company will earn US$51m in sales in <br>Hong Kong alone this year, and is planning to open its <br>first store in China, in Shanghai, in August. (Source: TT <br>commentary from <a href="http://channelnewsasia.com">channelnewsasia.com</a>, Jun 16, 2011)<br>
<br><a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/corporatenews/view/1135581/1/.html">http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/corporatenews/view/1135581/1/.html</a><br><br>-> Nissan/JAF to offer EV roadside recharge service<br>
<br>Nissan and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) have <br>teamed up to offer Nissan Leaf EV owners a service that <br>will ease the minds of many: a roadside battery recharge, <br>just in case you're unlucky enough to run out of juice <br>
before getting home. No further details yet, but it looks <br>like JAF vans will be fitted out with rechargers that pump <br>enough power to get the customer's car to the nearest <br>recharge station for a proper top up. The Leaf has a 150km <br>
range when charged for 7 hours from a 220V power connector <br>(at home), or it can be brought up to 80% capacity in just <br>30 minutes with a special 80V quick charger. (Source: TT <br>commentary from <a href="http://cnet.com">cnet.com</a>, Jun 15, 2011)<br>
<br><a href="http://cnet.co/iBWa9j">http://cnet.co/iBWa9j</a><br><br>-> Consumer loans market shrinks by 30%<br><br>Well the efforts of the nation's courts to curb rampant <br>consumer loan companies and excessive interest rates seems <br>
to be working. According to the FSA, unsecured consumer <br>loans fell about JPY3trn as of March 2011, versus a year <br>earlier. In particular, the number of people with at least <br>5 multiple loans fell 40% to 690,000 by May. Although there<br>
were predictions of a surge in personal bankruptcies after <br>the new lending restrictions came into being, this does not<br>seem to have happened. Rather, the lending public have cut <br>back and learned to adapt to the new rules. (Source: TT <br>
commentary from <a href="http://e.nikkei.com">e.nikkei.com</a>, Jun 18, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20110617D17JFA18.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20110617D17JFA18.htm</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>+++ 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<br><br>BiOS is urgently looking for an Enterprise Support Manager <br>with experience managing overall customer support <br>procedures of software product at our client’s office in <br>
Minato-ku area. The candidate will be responsible for <br>liasing between internal engineering teams and corporate <br>clients to ensure satisfaction of clients using company’s <br>software services, as well as managing official documents <br>
(SLA, service catalogues, etc.) in order to provide quick <br>and appropriate support to clients at all times.<br><br>You will also be responsible for coordinating with internal<br>project managers and engineers from software development <br>
teams to ensure special requests from clients are fully <br>applied to their software development projects.<br><br>Due to the technical nature and demanding work environment,<br>this position is suitable for someone with solid experience<br>
as a customer support/service delivery manager in the <br>embedded software industry, and having a strong knowledge <br>of Linux products. In addition, since this role requires <br>coordination with multinational team members, managers, and<br>
clients, business-level communications skills in English <br>and fluent communications skills in Japanese will be <br>required.<br><br>Remuneration is JPY8m – JPY11m depending on your experience<br>and skill level.<br><br>
** POSITIONS VACANT<br><br>- Marketing Comms Specialist, global sw co, JPY6M – JPY8M<br>- Bilingual Helpdesk/Desktop Engr, ibank, JPY4M – JPY5M<br>- Senior Dev Engineer, global software co, JPY 8M – JPY11M<br>- Junior iPhone Dev, IT services co, JPY3.5M – JPY4.5M<br>
- Sales Team Account Manager, BiOS, JPY4M – JPY5M<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com">tomohiro.kimura@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:kenji.sakota@biosjp.com">kenji.sakota@biosjp.com</a>.<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br>
<a href="mailto:tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com">tomohiro.kimura@biosjp.com</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br>
<br>---------------- CCH Labor Law Seminar --------------------<br><br>CCH Japan presents its 'Japan Labor & Employment Law <br>Seminar 2011'<br><br>Covered are the following key topics:<br>- Avoiding HR Management pitfalls in your business<br>
- Dealing with salary reductions, poor performance, sexual <br>harassment, bullying, creating work rules,etc.<br><br>Date: Friday, 24th June 1:30pm-5:00pm <br>Venue: Happo-en 5F Linden Room<br>Language:English<br>Speaker:Hideki Kano Attorney, Anderson, Mori & Tomotsune<br>
Fees: 20,000JPY+Tax<br><br>Register: <a href="https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form">https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form</a><br>Related Books: Japanese Labor & Employment Law and Practice<br>1st Edition (published 10th June)<br>
<br>* Seminar participants qualify for special 10% discount!<br>Contact: <a href="mailto:support@cch.co.jp">support@cch.co.jp</a>, or 03-3265-1161.<br><br><a href="http://www.cch-japan.jp">www.cch-japan.jp</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>--------------- Start a Company in Japan ------------------<br><br>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 16th of July, 2011<br><br>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>find out what it takes to make it successful. Terrie Lloyd,<br>
founder of over 17 start-up companies in Japan, will be <br>giving an English-language seminar and Q&A on starting up a<br>company in Japan.<br><br>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>and to ask specific questions that are not normally <br>
answered in business books. All materials are in English <br>and are Japan-focused. Over 450 people have taken this<br>seminar in the last 8 years, and approximately 20% have<br>gone on to form companies.<br><br>For more details:<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar">http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar</a><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 corrections or feedback this week.<br><br>***********************************************************<br>END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 8,857 members as of June 19, 2011<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>the quotes), and you will get back a message with<br>instructions.<br><br>FEEDBACK<br>Send letters (Feedback, Inquiries & Information) to the<br>
editor to <a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>.<br><br>ADVERTISING INFORMATION<br>For more information on advertising in this newsletter,<br>Contact <a href="mailto:ads@japaninc.com">ads@japaninc.com</a>.<br>
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or, <a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br><br>Copyright 2011 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>
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