This month marks the tenth year anniversary of my little company, Project Kobo. I've always had the tendency to become too serious with anything and over the past ten years, maybe I have taken myself and the world too seriously. I need to start acting my age, and be louder, freer, kinder. My theme for… Continue reading louder, freer, kinder
Category: Workplace design
Philosophy and journey of workplace design
Defending Wrong Acts
What is right and what is wrong? Everyone must have asked this question on ethical matters. Because of my involvement with sustainable seafood project over the pas 3 years, I have asked myself at least a thousand times, what is the right thing to do? The answer to such question all depends on agenda of… Continue reading Defending Wrong Acts
Choosing Science
As I studied for the Spring Semester that will begin on January 13th, 2014, I read Ivana Nikolic's "House for the Homeless: A place to Hang Your Hat" on the textbook, Field Working: Reading and Writing Research. I was fascinated with Ivana's story seen from insiders and outsider's perspectives. I related to her attitude that… Continue reading Choosing Science
“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”
Mystery to science
On July 11, 2013, I adopted two 3 months old male kittens. They are great teachers and companions. At lunch time today at home, my husband started talking about cat story he heard. At the time of the great earthquake. It was about a cat that was talkative and meowed often. On March 11, 2011,… Continue reading Mystery to science
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)
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
Happy New Year
Best wishes for the year 2012! At the end of 2011, I felt the important end to a phase in my life that lasted for 7 years. Call it, learning to be a leader phase. Of all the places, I learned how to be a leader from spending lots of time with my family. I… Continue reading Happy New Year
Heart of Japanese 2011
As business owners and individuals sent words of condolences and encouragement, immediately following the earthquake, I felt miserable because the words wouldn't come. I was in shock after experiencing the same earthquake in Tokyo inside a subway train, and the ominous 6 hours walk home through eerie Tokyo where nothing was broken, yet practically nothing… Continue reading Heart of Japanese 2011
Creating best fit workplace
Mike Abelson and Yuri Shimizu's Research is inspiring. Their ability to capture the spirit of things is amazing. I am stingy when it comes to spending my own money, but they make things so well, I end up buying them despite their price. I was inspired by their booklet , AT Work. I have found… Continue reading Creating best fit workplace
New Year’s Greetings
When a new year starts with a sunrise like this, how can we top it? This morning was so beautiful. On some other days, people would see this and maybe a few would stop to admire the view, but this being a new year's day, hundreds of people gathered around a good scenic spots to… Continue reading New Year’s Greetings
Obvious isn’t so obvious
When designer, researcher requests to see where the actions are, I most often take them to places where they didn't realize of the connection with the product or service they are designing or researching. For instance, in Tokyo, I just can't imagine purchasing iPad to use in my worklife. At home, there isn't any place… Continue reading Obvious isn’t so obvious
Picture does not come with history
Not a special scene to a lot of people. It's a residential complex in Yokohama Japan. It becomes significant if you live there, or if you have some vested interest in some parts of this scene. You might live here. You might have built the building. I thought of how the light colors have changed… Continue reading Picture does not come with history
Every time we spend money, we make a statement about what we value; there's no clearer or more direct indication. Thus, all inducements to spend money -- print advertisements, radio and television commercials, mailers and the like -- are primarily concerned with the inculcation of values. George Leonard When a company decides to do an… Continue reading
Humans will be mostly manufactured
Maybe humanss will be manufactured, not born by year 2209. Look around now. We seem to have already made the choice. We are waiting for the technology to catch up. Kids in advanced country planted in front of PC or gaming device or some sort of machine, because there aren't room for them to play… Continue reading Humans will be mostly manufactured
