ビジネス日本語講座

In this episode, I explain why “cunning” is the most important skill for surviving long term in Japanese companies. It does not mean cheating or breaking rules, but mastering subtle adaptation to an environment that values harmony and risk avoidance over truth or performance. Success is measured by how little friction you create, not how right or talented you are. I show how sincere people often t...

In this episode, I explain why the phrase “it’s not too late” is often dangerous. Although it sounds hopeful and encouraging, it is usually a psychological trigger designed to rush decisions and stop critical thinking. It ignores market structure, timing, and real risks, and later shifts all responsibility onto individuals when things fail. I show how this language is commonly used in business, se...

In this episode, I explore why modern Japan rarely creates stories of people who die for abstract ideals such as nations, religions, or grand principles. Rather than criticizing or praising this tendency, I describe it as a structural feature of Japanese society. Everyday life, family, work, and immediate responsibilities are valued more highly than distant ideologies. This makes radical nationali...

In this episode, I explore how desire is treated in Japanese society. Desire itself is not forbidden, but showing it openly is. People are expected to hide their personal wants behind harmless stories such as “self-growth,” “learning,” or “contributing to society.” As a result, only “odorless” and safe desires are allowed to appear in public. I discuss how this creates a culture where people who s...

In this episode, I examine what “being good at work” really means in a world where most labor cannot be measured by numbers. Office work is judged through vague impressions rather than clear results, yet these evaluations still shape careers. I argue that today’s problem is not inaccurate evaluation, but the fact that people can no longer wait for it. In an unstable economy, self-promotion and per...

In this episode, I examine why modern “celebrity business owners” and flow-based entrepreneurs no longer provoke class anger, but are instead consumed as entertainment. By comparing flow businesses that survive on constant energy and hype with stock businesses built on trust and accumulation, I explore how inequality is transformed into a story rather than a conflict. Luxury, power, and hierarchy...

In this episode, I question the way self-help culture assumes that life must always have meaning. Many motivational messages begin with the promise that your struggles are meaningful and your life is destined for purpose. While this sounds kind, it can quietly become dangerous. It excludes those who cannot find meaning in their experiences and turns uncertainty into failure. I argue that meaning i...

In this episode, I examine a paradox of modern society: as more people succeed through personal responsibility, those who cannot survive by that logic gradually lose their voice. Self-reliance, effort, and competition are not wrong, and they have created many capable and independent individuals. However, when a society is designed only around self-responsibility, structural problems are translated...

In this episode, I explore why capybaras have become unexpected icons of comfort in modern society. Their popularity is not simply about cuteness, but about what they represent. Unlike traditional “healing” figures or mascots that carry roles, messages, or expectations, capybaras do nothing and ask for nothing. They offer no lessons, no encouragement, and no meaning. In a world that constantly dem...

In this episode, I reflect on Japan’s growing emphasis on tourism as a national strategy and ask what it reveals about the country’s current direction. Tourism is often presented as a hopeful engine for economic revival, yet it is typically a labor-intensive, low-productivity sector that struggles to support long-term stability. By looking at issues such as demographic decline, aging society, and...

In this episode, I explore why living freely has become increasingly difficult in modern society. Although we often hear that values are more diverse and people are free to choose their own paths, the reality may be the opposite. By comparing postwar Japan with the present, I argue that earlier eras were restrictive but gave real weight to personal choices. Today, countless lifestyle “templates” c...

In this episode, I examine the concept of “Three-Nothingism” and how it has evolved in modern Japanese society. Originally used in the 1970s to describe apathy among youth, the term has transformed into a new configuration: no ideology, no criticism, and no engagement. This is not a sign of laziness or ignorance, but a rational survival strategy in a society where taking a stance carries risk. By...

In this episode, I explore how “storytelling” has shifted from a tool for communication into a mechanism for hiding desire. In contemporary society, individuals, companies, and even states are expected to justify their actions with purpose, meaning, and moral narratives. Yet beneath these stories often lie simple, unspoken desires: comfort, approval, power, or control. Rather than confronting thes...

In this episode, I examine why so-called “establishment-friendly experts” — government advisors, media commentators, consultants, and influencers — tend to survive, succeed, and accumulate wealth in the 21st century. Rather than attacking individuals, this talk analyzes the structural reasons behind their stability. These figures rarely lie outright; instead, they selectively frame problems in way...

In this episode, I reflect on how repeated exposure to AI-generated animal videos may quietly reshape our sense of ethics. These videos are cute, harmless, and comforting—but they depict beings that cannot be hurt, exhausted, or disappointed. As we grow accustomed to relationships without risk, pain, or responsibility, our emotional responses begin to detach from real, living others. This is not a...

This episode examines Japanese TV programs that introduce local companies and factories, especially those aired during the New Year holidays. While these shows present clean workplaces, smiling employees, and strong “teamwork,” they leave out crucial information. What happens if you don’t join company events? Does refusing after-work drinking affect your evaluation? These questions are never asked...

In Japan, year-end and New Year television used to be loud, emotional, and full of forced meaning. Viewers were told to reflect, feel inspired, and set new goals. Today, that atmosphere has quietly disappeared. Modern holiday TV is calm, repetitive, and avoids demanding anything from the audience. This episode explores why this shift happened. It argues that television has not declined, but that s...

In this year-end episode, I reflect on a simple but often overlooked truth: real connection is not created by language alone. You can study a foreign language for years and still feel no bond with certain people, while sometimes sharing deep understanding with someone despite limited words. Communication goes beyond vocabulary and grammar—it rests on values, worldview, and shared emotional rhythm....

This episode explores what “confidence” really means in an age obsessed with self-esteem and certainty. Rather than treating confidence as strength, loudness, or unwavering belief, this talk reframes it as the willingness to act while fully accepting the possibility of being wrong. Drawing on everyday examples from work, politics, and self-help culture, the episode critiques performative confidenc...

In this episode, Shigeki analyzes why “lightness” becomes the optimal survival strategy inside Japanese corporations. This is not a personal attack or a moral critique, but a structural explanation. In organizations where decisions change frequently, responsibility is blurred, and evaluation criteria are unclear, taking everything seriously can lead to exhaustion. Those who survive tend to detach...

In this episode, I analyze the rise and decline of “meaning-free” YouTubers and explain why that era is coming to an end. Early YouTube thrived on vlogs that avoided opinions, responsibility, and ideology, offering viewers a sense of freedom from overproduced media. However, once this style became a template, it lost its power. As living costs, global instability, and social anxiety increased, vie...

In this episode, I explore a mindset often praised in modern society: the belief that “not thinking deeply, yet still winning” is a virtue. We examine how ideas like being “natural,” “easygoing,” or “not overthinking” are used to justify success without reflection. This mindset works well when supported by youth, energy, luck, or favorable circumstances—but it becomes fragile over time. As those a...

In this episode, Shigeki explores the hidden dangers of overvaluing “trust” and “credibility” in business and society. While trust is often praised as the foundation of success, he argues that it does not create culture, discovery, or innovation. Trust functions mainly as a system that prevents mistakes and discourages deviation from the norm. Through historical examples such as Christopher Columb...

In this episode, I examine the hidden dangers that emerge when life-advice content becomes intertwined with neoliberal self-responsibility thinking. While life coaching and self-help often appear kind and supportive, they can quietly shift blame onto individuals who are already vulnerable. When failure is explained only as a lack of effort or mindset, thinking stops and responsibility is simplifie...

In this episode, I examine how the word “salaryman” has quietly reshaped individual identity in Japanese society. Unlike professions defined by skills or expertise, “salaryman” describes people only by how they are paid, not by what they do. This linguistic habit ties identity to companies rather than personal abilities, making it difficult to describe oneself outside organizational affiliation. I...