Articles (in Japanese)

Business Insider Japan

I write a monthly article for Business Insider Japan, one of the largest online media in Japan. Denmark's GDP per capita is almost double that of Japan's, and Denmark is even No.1 in economic competitiveness in 2022 and 2023. Yet, people leave the office around 4 pm daily and enjoy long holidays. How can it be possible? In my article, I write about various elements, from the historical background of the Danish work culture to how its design DNA has led to innovations.

Works, published by Recruit Works Institute

I write a regular column for a magazine called Works, published by the Recruit Works Institute, a research institute of Japan's largest human resources company. I write about the Nordic way of working as a stark contrast to the Japanese way.

WORK MILL with Forbes Japan

Occasionally, I contribute feature articles as a writer. For this issue on the playfulness in innovative work in Denmark and Finland, I wrote several articles, including the cover article based on interviews with an expert and the featured article on the high-profile design lab SPACE10.

Courrier Japon

As a columnist, I published a series of articles on my journey in the pursuit of happiness in “the happiest country in the world.” I covered topics, for instance, what happiness experts suggested to improve my situation and the daunting reality of finding a good career in Denmark. 

Nikkei xwoman

This series of articles is about how I decided to move to Denmark after intense years of working as a newspaper reporter and studying at Harvard University. Nikkei xwoman is the online magazine of Nikkei Group, the Japanese equivalent of the Wall Street Journal.

BuzzFeed Japan

As a contributor, I write about current affairs in Denmark and the Nordic countries. This article on the Danish government’s decision to lift all the Covid-19 restrictions was read more than 100,000 times in just one week. Here is the list of the articles I have written for BuzzFeed Japan.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

I worked as a reporter at The Yomiuri Shimbun for 20 years. It is the largest newspaper in Japan, with a circulation of 9 million copies a day. I covered news extensively across the globe, most recently as a foreign correspondent in Washington, D.C.

Articles (in English)

Medium

I translated the original Japanese articles series published in Courrier Japon into English and published them in Medium.

Republikken

Republikken is a co-working space in Copenhagen for creative and international minds. I used the workplace as a member and wrote some of their blog posts. I also published some of their event reports.

 Communication and Consultancy

Following are some of the projects I have worked on with my clients.

Kontrapunkt

Kontrapunkt is Scandinavia's leading strategic design and brand agency. One project I was involved in was the collaboration between a Danish and a Japanese design company. The focal point was a significant design event held in Copenhagen. For this event, we created sophisticated writing materials ready for potential business opportunities.

The other was a more straightforward copywriting assignment in English for Japan's largest automotive components manufacturer. I used Kontrapunkt's original method to convey their messages to an international audience with a nuanced language to help promote their futuristic projects.

Ørsted

Ørsted is the biggest energy company in Denmark and the world's largest developer of offshore wind power. I was involved in their collaboration with TEPCO, the largest electric power company in Japan. When a delegation of TEPCO visited the headquarter of Ørsted to have a kickoff meeting for the collaborative project, my role was to facilitate communication across languages and business cultures to make the conference successful.

Trollbeads

Trollbeads is a global jewelry brand with sales in 40+ countries. I assisted a Japanese representative who participated in one of the most extensive corporate meetings, which invited delegations from all over the world to Copenhagen. While working with the Japan team, I helped bridge cultural and language differences and assisted in conveying their message effectively.