A geek going to Japan

The more I discover Japan, the more I like it. I have spent the past month and a half preparing for the big trip. Some check maps, book hotels, look for the best restaurants, order books, and again check some more maps :) I read.

I started with Les Japonais by Karine Poupée. A correspondent for Agence France Presse, living in Japan since 2002, the author is clearly passionate about this country. How else can one explain the immense work she has put into this book, which in about 600 pages collects facts, figures, impressions on pretty much everything: technology, foods, fashion, history, media, sex, women, businesses etc.  Objective and well documented.

Then came CultureShock! A survival guide to Customs and Etiquette Japan. Written by P Sean Bramble, an American who teaches English in Japan, this book is a bit too simplistic for my taste (yes, I know, it’s a « survival guide »). It does have some very funny stories and useful recommendations and tips. The style is entertaining but the ironic tone and permanent criticisms can become annoying. And the pictures even in the latest edition seem very old!

The third book was A geek in Japan, whose title inspired me for this (guest) post. Curiously enough, I first discovered the book and only then the blog www.kirainet.com (in English and Spanish, with some recent beautiful pictures of sakura). Both are interesting, original and helpful.

Not to forget: The mind of a strategist by Kenichi Ohmae (a McKinsey consultant with a PhD in nuclear engineering), which I loved. A classic first published in 1975, it shows how Japanese business people see strategy and what it is that made them so successful a few decades ago. Ohmae explains that Japanese companies don’t usually have an army of strategic planners but rely on their visionary founders, who have the intuition and creativity necessary to succeed. Interesting insights into defining the critical issue (or the central question, pour les connaisseurs), focusing on key success factors and identifying your strenghts over competitors. Among the main learnings: without competition there is no need for a strategy, address the problems not the symptoms and never stop asking why.

Before I leave, I am planning to also read A short history of Japan: from samurai to Sony. And next one on my list, probably once I’m back: The Toyota Way by Professor Jeffrey K. Liker.

Looking forward to my gaijin experience!