Oscar Boyd offers thought-provoking ideas in his article, Japan Times Commentary Section: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier? As a researcher/ethnographer, I would like to propose the following reasons why Japan is still a coronavirus outlier. To offer a perspective, Mayo Clinic offers the following for the cause for coronavirus: Mayo Clinic: Coronavirus disease 2019… Continue reading Ethnographic perspective on slow coronavirus spread in Japan
Category: Ethnography
Imprinting
I was recently hospitalized for a minor surgery, and being a researcher, I was fascinated and curious why women chose to be nurses. Long hours, heavy responsibility of taking care of patients often facing life or death situation, patients suffering. As smart as these women have to be to admitted into a college nursing program… Continue reading Imprinting
My favorite Indian restaurant
When our family moved to live in Tokorozawa, which is waaay outside of the central district of Tokyo, I was not expecting much in the way of choices of places to eat out. I am very happy my expectation was wrong. One of my favorite place to eat near my home is Jaipur. The Indian… Continue reading My favorite Indian restaurant
The Rights of Passage in Japan: Junior High, High School Club Sports
Less than a minute left to go at the end of the 4th quarter of the game, and the team is losing by 20 points. It's the sudden death game of spring basketball tournament, and the mothers of the losing high school’s seniors cheer on frantically, but they realize that this is going to be… Continue reading The Rights of Passage in Japan: Junior High, High School Club Sports
Causes of Lifestyle Disease in Japan
I've been given the opportunity to interpret for two different clients in their research for lifestyle disease in Japan.It was like being paid well for attending an intense one month crash course.The topic was on lifestyle disease (called seikatsu shukan byo, life habit disease, in Japan), but it made me think of why Japanese people… Continue reading Causes of Lifestyle Disease in Japan
“The opposite of sadness is not happiness”
The lesson 2 of Positive Psychology class at the Penn State University World Campus started with these words: Did you know that the opposite of sadness is not happiness? The opposite of sadness is actually...the absence of sadness.What this means is that if you could get rid of everything that is making you sad, you… Continue reading “The opposite of sadness is not happiness”
Marketing And Marketing/Design Research Perspective on Japan as “Aged Society”
For some time, we heard the warning cries from critics and journalists about Japan's rapidly aging population. Well, it has happened. We are now "Aged" society. Japan has more old people who are over 65 than young people who are under 14. Now what? Society is always changing, and it will now change following the… Continue reading Marketing And Marketing/Design Research Perspective on Japan as “Aged Society”
Free address (sometimes referred to as hot desking or non-territorial) office within althernative workplace strategy (AWS)
Since 1990’s, major companies in the United States have been implementing alternative workplace strategies (AWS), which is about how and where employees work. With advancement of information communication technologies (ICT), as long as data and information was accessible online and internal and external communication could be done in timely manner either virtually or physically anywhere,… Continue reading Free address (sometimes referred to as hot desking or non-territorial) office within althernative workplace strategy (AWS)
Outliers: The Story of Success
I have a habit of re-reading the books I find I like and worthwhile over and over again. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is one of those books. Gladwell talks about how sheer time one spends doing the thing she enjoys are directly tied with achievements and success tied to that activity. The example he used… Continue reading Outliers: The Story of Success
Japanese SNS Activities by Market Sector
About 3 years ago, I found myself doing some SNS based PR work for my friends, and one project lead to another. It has been exciting and fun to be on this new ground, and like everything else before in my life, work came in not as result of formal education, but learning by reading… Continue reading Japanese SNS Activities by Market Sector
Mentoring
Recent posting by Sonic Rim’s Uday Dandavate on Anthrodesign group mail caused me to think about my own experience with search for mentor. (Thank you, Uday!) About 7 years ago, I felt a keen need for a mentor of my own gender. Maybe it was because of “coaching” boom in Japan at that time, and… Continue reading Mentoring
Research conducted in Tokyo now
Product/service development, design research related people like ethnographers, interview moderators, recruiters, coordinators, interpreters, etc. have been keeping busy in Tokyo since latter part of last year, as overseas companies are again very interested in researching Japanese market. After the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake in March 11, 2011, it has of course been an interesting study… Continue reading Research conducted in Tokyo now
Recent Ethnography Research, Particularly of Recruitment Challanges in Japan
Over the past three years, I have become more and more concerned with the difficulty in creating highly exciting learning session for foreign inspiration/innovation seeking customers of both design companies and end user companies. It has a lot to do with recruiting process for people to research. I see following problems in recruiting, some of… Continue reading Recent Ethnography Research, Particularly of Recruitment Challanges in Japan
Identity integrity of adults and children in internet world, physical world
Having children was the best thing I have ever done. Ever since my first son was born 26 years ago, my children taught me more than anybody else I know. Living together with mother-in-law, husband and children was the next best thing. As researcher, I would always be stimulated. One of the most amazing things… Continue reading Identity integrity of adults and children in internet world, physical world
Love of leather, paper
Designers with capability to create and has in reality created things that are truly wonderful to those designers who can talk about design are like real plants to fake plants. Mike Abelson is one of those real designer. He often talks about about his love of working with leather, and recently, he was telling me… Continue reading Love of leather, paper
FUJIKO SUDA 