Interesting news from Japan① "Foreign remittance"

Hello I'm TAKE from the Shimbashi business garden.

Let me pick some interesting news from Japan.

"Foreign remittance" is the topic I would like to talk about this time.

As I was working on helping foreign students in my previous job, I have many experiences on foreign remittance.Foreign remittance in Japan is very troublesome on both sending side as well as receiving side.Also, remittance fee is very expensive in Japan.

One of the reason of its expensiveness is that fee is taken at Japanese local bank as well as at non Japanese bank. Furthermore, current foreign remittance system via Japanese bank itself is very safe and requires high maintenance cost.

After the new law that allows non bank to start doing business on foreign remittance is enforced in last spring in Japan, situation is changing with some of the world major money-transmitting company has been coming to Japan.

The commission of a certain world's largest money-transmitting company is just 20 to 60 percent of that of Japanese bank, and the time that takes for the remittance is just a few minutes, which is clearly quicker than the time it takes for a Japanese bank to execute foreign remittance.

It seems that Japanese domestic financial institution is also thinking about various plans to tackle this competitive situation. For example, they are trying to focus its corporate companies, or making foreign remittance service available through existing ATM machine they have.

In either way, I hope the foreign people who live in Japan will get benefit out of this competitive situation by getting better foreign remittance services.

Take

http://www.shimbashi-bg.co.jp/english/index.html

Tel: +81-3-3459-0233

E-mail; info@shimbashi-bg.jp

Japanese Pub - Izakaya ①

In Japan, Social life after work is one of the key points to success business and good relationships. From this blog, I will be telling you about the most typical places where Japanese people use for socializing, the Izakaya.

Izakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment (like a pub) which also serves food to accompany the drinks. The food is usually more substantial than that offered in other types of drinking establishments in Japan such as bars or snack bars.

They are popular, casual places for after-work drinking. Most of them open from 5pm to 5am. Depending on the izakaya, customers sit on tatami mats and dine from low tables in the traditional Japanese style, or sit on chairs and drink/dine from tables. Many izakaya offer a choice of both, as well as seating by the bar.

Usually, you will be given an oshibori (wet towel) to clean your hands with; next an otōshi (a tiny snack/an appetizer) will be served. This is local custom and usually charged onto the bill as an entry fee.

The menu may be on the table, or displayed on walls. Picture menus are common in larger izakaya. Food and drink are ordered throughout the course of the session as desired. They are brought to the table, and the bill is added up at the end of the session. Unlike other Japanese styles of eating, food items are usually shared by everyone at the table.

In my next blog, I will talk about one of my favourite izakaya - Hana no mai (はなの舞), a seafood pub. If you are interested in this izakaya topic, please look forward to the next one!

Beni

Shinjuku Business Garden: http://www.shinjuku-bg.jp/english/

Email: info@shinjuku-bg.jp

Tel: +81-3-6890-1111

-Business Manner in Japan- Polite Bows

Polite bows are very important in the daily life of the business in Japan, especially at first meeting. It's not an exaggeration to say that a polite bow makes business a success.

A bow is a kind of symbol is an expression of respect for your customer.

Bows basically have three types which are informal, formal, and very formal.

The biggest difference among three types is degree angle.

The case of informal bows is about 15 degree angle, formal bows are about 30, and very formal bows are about 45.

However, if you are not Japanese, I think that you do not need to make a bow.

Some Japanese people seem a little strange that foreigners make a bow.

Anyway, the most important thing is to express your respect for your customer at first time.

I wish you good luck and success of your business in Japan!

Meg

Yotsuya Business Garden 8-37 Saneicyo, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo, 160-0008 Japan TEL　 03-3358-1913 FAX　03-3358-1914 （Outside of Japan: +81-3-3358-1913） - Office Hours - Weekdays　9：00～20：00 （Saturdays and Saturdays and Sundays and Holidays: Closed）

Sweet Buffet

Would you like to know something about buffets in Tokyo?

I'm going to tell you the addictive SWEET buffet - Sweet Paradise.

Sweets Paradise is a popular all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink sweets chain in Tokyo. The entrance fee gives you 90 minutes in which to indulge and over-indulge in the cakes, custards, ice creams and more that is available. If you get bored of sweets, they usually have a few savory items, such as curry or pasta.

Let me give you a few examples of the types of cake you can enjoy there. Berry cake, berry mouse, strawberry cream cake, milk crepe, orange mouse, black sesame cake, tofu and bean cake, apple mouse, chocolate cake, fruit cake, cheese cake, chestnut cake, green tea cake, etc. Besides all the regular cakes, there are often monthly cakes and season limited cakes for you to choose from. Although after one or two big plates of cakes, you'll have your eyes on the savories. The variety of salads, pasta and curry won't let you down.

Tye Sweets Paradise when you are in Tokyo! Don't forget to come and visit us at Business Garden! We are looking forward to meeting you!.

Haru

Shinjuku Business Garden

K-1bldg 3F, 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo,
160-0023 Japan
TEL　03-6890-1111
FAX　03-6890-1151
（Outside of Japan: +81-3-6890-1111）

- Office Hours -
Weekdays　9：00～20：00
Saturdays　9：00～14：00
（Sundays and Holidays: Closed）

Do

Snow in Japan

We had sudden heavy snow in Tokyo this week.

When we have heavy snow in Tokyo, we tends to worry if the transportation in Tokyo metropolitan area suffers major delay rather than feeling happy with enjoying snow.

By the way, I want to introduce my experience of enjoying snow in a little bit unusual way in Minakami city of Gunma prefecture. It is called Snow Shoe.

http://www.canyons.jp/index_E.html

The snow shoe is the activity of walking on snow with special equipment look like a short board on the bottom of your shoe. It's very strange feeling for me since it was really easy to walk on the snow with the snow shoe. I enjoyed a lot with not only walking on snow but also seeing the pillar of ice in the cave, and sliding over the snow on a sled.

There are many instructors and tourists from various countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil in the tour meeting place, which has lodge as well as bar.

Looking at people enjoying drinking and chatting in the bar of the tour center at the night, I felt like that the atmosphere was not like Japan.

Recently, the snow mountain in Japan seems to be popular among foreign tourists.

The number of foreign tourists visit Japan to enjoy snow mountains is increasing. They enjoy, at the same time, the traditional tourist destinations like hot spa and visiting temple.

There are many wonderful nature spots in Japan that Japanese have not recognized yet.

We would like to appeal those nature of Japan to the world in addition to other popular sightseeing spots!

Take

http://www.shimbashi-bg.co.jp/english/index.html

Tel: +81-3-3459-0233

E-mail; info@shimbashi-bg.jp

Business Garden News Part1: Big News From Shinjuku Businessgarden

Today's Business Garden new is...."Big News From Shinjuku Business Garden!"

We, at Shinjuku Business Garden, are offering our rental office with special price!!

And this special offer is only for foreign customers and Japanese customers who deal with foreign companies!

For the first month, we offer our rental office with 50% off from the original price!

This is something you can't miss!

Please check out our H.P.

http://www.shinjuku-bg.jp/english/office.html

Yuki

http://www.shinjuku-bg.jp/english/

Tel: +81-3-6890-1111

E-mail; info@shinjuku-bg.jp