Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-09-04
TOTO Washlet: Innovation Begins Where Data Ends Today, the TOTO Washlet is recognized around the world as an example of Japanese innovation. But its development began with a surprisingly simple probl...
2026-09-04
Regret Wants to Change the Past. Reflection Wants to Change the Future.We all make mistakes. We say things we should not have said, make decisions that turn out badly, or miss opportunities we wish w...
2026-09-03
Komeda Coffee: Another Japanese Coffee Shop That Doesn't Rush You Like Tsubakiya Coffee, Komeda Coffee challenges a common assumption in the restaurant business: higher table turnover means higher ...
2026-09-03
Higher Turnover Is Not the Only Way to Increase ProfitWhen restaurant and café owners think about increasing profit, one of the first ideas is often turnover. Serve customers faster. Clear the tabl...
2026-09-03
自我 — The Self and the EgoJapanese has an interesting word: 自我 (jiga). 自 means “self,” and 我 means “I” or “ego.” Together, 自我 refers to one’s sense of self—the awareness that “I am me.” In English...
2026-09-02
When an International Brand Created a Character Just for Japan Global brands usually try to keep the same image everywhere. But sometimes succeeding in Japan means creating something uniquely Japanes...
2026-09-02
6 Business Structures to Know Before Starting a Business in the U.S. Starting a business in the U.S. looks a little different than setting up a company in Japan. One of the most important things to ke...
2026-09-02
She Understood Social Presence Before Social Media When Fumiko Motoya was asked to run APA’s hotel division, she had no experience managing hotels. But perhaps that was her advantage. Instead o...
2026-09-02
Nagori — What Remains After Something Is GoneJapanese has a beautiful word: 名残 (nagori). Nagori describes something that remains after something else has ended or disappeared. But it is not simply ...
2026-09-01
The Railroad Company That Survived by Not Selling Train Tickets Choshi Electric Railway is a small railroad company in Chiba, Japan. But what makes it remarkable is not its trains. It is how the co...