Gaijin Gourmet! Eating Healthy at a Japanese Festival (Matsuri)!

Welcome once again to another edition of the Gaijin Gourmet - It's our first "Travel Edition"!

It's coming to the end of the year and that means lots of parties, drinking and eating too much, get-togethers, drinking, Thanksgiving, eating and drinking too much, Christmas, more drinking, falling down, acting like an idiot, New Year's parties, and eating and drinking too much (and just all-around being an embarrassment to myself and everyone else when I'm drunk and making an ass of myself).

And, if you live in Japan, of course this time of the year also means, year-end "Matsuri" (Japanese Festival).

The Gaijin Gourmet at the matsuri trying to act like he is important and doing something useful!

Of course with all these parties and dinners we have to attend, we must also watch what we eat and be careful of our stomachs and bulging waistlines. In particular, once 'we fine diners' (that's you and me, dear reader!) get past 50-years-old, we have a checklist of things we can and cannot eat - or, if we do partake, we do so in moderation. We enjoy in moderation because we don't want to have to take all sorts of medicines and nasty chemicals from that pesky doctor who keeps warning us about inconveniences like “myocardial infarction,” “intracerebral hemorrhages,” “pulmonary embolism,” “hyperuricemia” blah, blah blah!

Oh, doctor! Those are big words! I’m so scared!

Sorry, doc, I'm busy! I don't have time for your Ivy-League graduate big words! I only worry about foods that may cause real problems like: heart attacks, stokes, blockages of the arteries, Gout and sudden death.

I worry about real problems… Like the hangover I have right now; it’s not a pretty sight!... Especially when it is me looking in the mirror at myself and - damn! I don't remember coming home last night!

The local villagers all gather round at this time of year to greet and pay respects and thank the gods for a good harvest for the year. It is a ritual that goes back a thousand years. At the shrine, people toss in coins and pray to the gods for family health, happiness, prosperity, world peace and a winning lottery ticket.

So, with that in mind, let's try to cut out all sweets, carbohydrates, alcohol and other foods high in cholesterol and very bad for our health and enjoy the festivities and food at the Japanese matsuri!

Early hours. The festival grounds are not crowded yet. The Gaijin Gourmet always avoids crowds.

Today we're going to the matsuri near my house in Setagaya! Yeah!

They hold the matsuri every year around mid-October. Usually, I eat tons of food and drink too much but this year we're on that "Health-Kick" that quack doctor ordered. Let's see what kind of delicious food we can eat at the festival and still stick to my "Doctor's orders" diet!

Oh, my god! First thing I see is one of my favorites! Okonomiyaki! Okonomiyaki is kind of like a Japanese pancake... But it's not like a western style pancake; it isn't sweet. It is filled with vegetables and a little bacon or pork in an egg and flour batter! Delicious!... Oh, wait a minute! I can't eat any carbohydrates and the bacon is filled with cholesterol. I guess we'll just have to skip the Okonomiyaki this year! But, fear not! There's still plenty more!

Onward and upward my palates!

This is Yakisoba. This is the staple of any Japanese festival or event: It is noodles fried on a flat skittle with mixed in vegetables and pork... I love it! I'll have one, please....Oops!... No. I can't have one. The noodles are made from flour, there's pork in it and it is fried in oil! Probably Cholesterol City (not to mention it has carbohydrates!)...

The wife orders one anyway. She says it tastes pretty good. But, hey! Why is it that sometimes the Yakisoba at the matsuri doesn't have any pork in it? Cheapskates!

Next up, by far my favorite food of them all! Takoyaki! They are delicious! Foreigners call Takoyaki, "Octopus Balls." Octopus Balls? You know like “Men’s balls!” Yuck! Sounds awful! But Takoyaki tastes great! I want some!

Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion and then sprinkled with green dried sea weed (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi).

Oh, but, come to think of it, I can't eat octopus either because the doctor says it is really high in cholesterol so it is really bad for me - squid too... So, no Takoyaki this year!

On to the next stand… I’m sure there is something that isn’t high in cholesterol and full of carbohydrates!

Japanese weiners!?

Pork or made of fish? I don't know, but I'm guessing that these are extremely high in cholesterol and just looking at them makes me feel like I’m having a heart attack!

But they do look so good, don’t they? At least these don't have any carbohydrates in them! Come on! One bite couldn't hurt....

"No! Absolutely not!" I imagine my doctor yelling into my ear!

Ah? My totally all-time favorite food: Yakitori. Yakitori is Japanese style barbecued chicken on sticks.

If there is only one type of Japanese food in heaven, it has to be Yakitori! I’ll bet even God eats Yakitori! I could eat it everyday forever! This is the ultimate Japanese tasty food that goes along great with any drinks and on any occasion.

As I am about to yell, “Give me ten sticks, please!” I see my wife glaring at me. I can read her mind! She is thinking, "I know if you start eating Yakitori, you'll start drinking beer too; and then if you start drinking beer, you won't be able to control yourself and you'll start drinking more and eat everything in sight!"

Wow! She's right! How did she know that?! We've only been married for just over twenty years!

This year, I'll pass on the Yakitori, but, ummmm.... That sure smells good!

Hey, what's the deal here? There's absolutely nothing I can eat at the festival that doesn't have carbohydrates or very high cholesterol! No fair!

Wait! What? There is at least two things at the matsuri to eat that don’t have any carbohydrates or cholesterol? What are they?

Kakigori: Shaved ice with sugar flavored syrup... The kids love it, especially on hot summer days. It has lots of calories but not nearly as fattening nearly as ice cream...

Kakigori?! No way! I have to eat something healthy for dinner before I can start eating sweets...

I need a healthy snack!

Chocolate covered bananas?

Oh, yeah… Right! “Please give me a chocolate covered banana without the chocolate!"

Is there nothing at the matsuri that a health-conscious guy like the Gaijin Gourmet can eat and still have fun while on our Weight-Watchers Diet?

There is?

Raw cucumber on a stick! Healthy and delicious... Not too much fun, though!

A raw cucumber on a stick! Mmmmm... Just like mom used to make... I can eat these. In fact I do, everyday at home! This cucumber cost ¥200 each (about $1.70 USD each)... Kind of expensive for a cucumber... Very salty too!

So, finally, at the entire matsuri, I had a bottle of water and a cucumber.

So, in summation, if you are going to a matsuri and you want to have fun, then toss the diet plan for that one night... Otherwise, about the only thing you'll be able to eat and drink are raw vegetables (if they have those) and green tea or water.

... Just like if you were staying at home!

And just like I always say to my wife at home when we are arguing because she wants to go out to dinner and I want to stay home, I say, "What's the point of going out if we are just going to come back home anyway?"

She has no intelligent retort to say when confronted with brilliant logic like that!

Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed our culinary journey to sample the aromas, drinks, and fine dining at the local matsuri. I hope to see you here next time when I go to another festival where the food is great.

That is, if I don't have to do some "Doctor's Stop" diet and I can eat anything or drink anything I like. Including a lot of booze!

...Otherwise I am staying home!

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Looking for a delicious healthy meal in Tokyo, the world's most expensive and crowded city for under $5 (USD)? Here's a bunch of them linked below!

Gaijin Gourmet - Delicious, Healthy Meal in Tokyo for Under $3 (USD) - Yoshi Soba! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-delicious-healthy-meal-in-tokyo-for-under-3-usd-yoshi-soba/

Gaijin Gourmet - Delicious, Healthy Meal in Tokyo for Under $3 (USD) - Komoro Soba! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-delicious-healthy-meal-in-tokyo-for-under-3-usd-komoro-soba/

Gaijin Gourmet - Fuji Soba Tokyo's Top 3 Soba Chain Restaurants robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-fuji-soba-tokyos-top-3-soba-chain-restaurants/

Gaijin Gourmet: 「モンスターMOGULLA！東京の地下からこんにちは」 robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-「モンスターmogulla！東京の地下からこんにちは/

マイク・ロジャース!「ザ・外人グルメ」！のぐるなび ippin(イッピン)の新しい記事がアップされました！robot55.jp/blog/マイク・ロジャース「ザ・外人グルメ」！のぐる/

Gaijin Gourmet! The Best, Most Delicious Soba Restaurant in Shibuya and Shinjuku robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-the-best-most-delicious-soba-restaurant-in-shibuya-and-shinjuku/

Gaijin Gourmet – Hamazushi! Tokyo’s Best Robot Sushi! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-hamazushi-tokyos-best-robot-sushi/

Gaijin Gourmet – Sukiya! Japan’s Best Gyudon (Beef Bowl) robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-sukiya-japans-best-gyudon-beef-bowl/

Gaijin Gourmet Advice for Foreign Gentlemen Living in Japan!
http://robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-advice-for-foreign-gentlemen-living-in-japan/

Gaijin Gourmet – Best Soba Chain in Tokyo？Yude Taro and ¥220 Draft Beer?! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-best-soba-chain-in-tokyo？yude-taro-and-¥220-draft-beer/

Gaijin Gourmet: The Best Premium Salad Bar in Tokyo? – Sizzler in Setagaya robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-the-best-premium-salad-bar-in-tokyo-sizzler-in-setagaya/

Gaijin Gourmet! Great Cheap and Delicious Soba in Gaienmae on Ginza Line! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-great-cheap-and-delicious-soba-in-gaienmae-on-ginza-line/

The Gaijin Gourmet: The Best Salad Bar Deal in Tokyo at Big Boy – My Favorite Rock N Roll Diner!! robot55.jp/blog/the-gaijin-gourmet-the-best-salad-bar-deal-in-tokyo-at-big-boy-my-favorite-rock-n-roll-diner/

Tokyo’s Best Cheap Sushi is in Okachimachi!? 東京の一番安くて美味しい寿司屋？御徒町にあるの？ http://robot55.jp/blog/tokyos-best-cheap-sushi-in-okachimachi/

The Gaijin Gourmet: Soba Wars At Hanzomon Station in Tokyo robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-soba-wars-at-hanzomon-station-in-tokyo/

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At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp

ROBOT55 はビジネス、商業、製品紹介動画の制作のみならず、アートや音楽の映像も創っております。ビジネス動画においてはウェブ動画時代の到来に合わせ、お求めや すい¥70,000という格安価格より承ります。ご予算に応じて皆様にご満足のいく高品質動画を制作致します。勿論インディー・バンド向けPV制作も行っ ております。よ！
コチラよりお気軽にお問い合わせ下さいませ♬

On Tonight! June 18, 2015 11pm Japan Time! Ninja Slayer from Animation and "The TV Show"

TONITE! Thursday nights at 11 pm (Japan time) on Niconico Douga is “Ninja Slayer from Animation” featuring the program we create, “The TV Show!” It’s on tonight June 18, 2015 at 11 pm Japan time. Don’t miss it.

Here is the direct link for the show so you can go directly to the correct URL and watch it live tonight.

今夜の放送のurlです。Here is the link for tonight:
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv217561429?ref=rnk_active&zroute=ranking&provider_type=official_and_channel&ref=rnk_all

Tonight’s guest? Sawagi!

Here’s a cool video by Sawagi. This track is called, “Fuss Uppers”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmh5nrU0Xi4)

Here’s the link to watch it live again.

今夜の放送のurlです。Here is the link for tonight:

http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv217561429?ref=rnk_active&zroute=ranking&provider_type=official_and_channel&ref=rnk_all

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At Robot55 we make Top 3 videos and Top 3 New Artist videos and other video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp

ROBOT55 はビジネス、商業、製品紹介動画の制作のみならず、アートや音楽の映像も創っております。ビジネス動画においてはウェブ動画時代の到来に合わせ、お求めや すい¥70,000という格安価格より承ります。ご予算に応じて皆様にご満足のいく高品質動画を制作致します。勿論インディー・バンド向けPV制作も行っ ております。よ！
コチラよりお気軽にお問い合わせ下さいませ♬

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ザ・ TVショウ、格安ビデオ制作, 格安, ロボット・ゴー・ゴー,  格安, Top 3 Videos, ビジネスビデオ制作, ロボット・ゴー・ゴー, 撮影, 格安, ビデオ制作, 動画, 紹介動画, Top 3 Videos, ビデオ, 東京, 撮影,ビデオ編集, 動画制作, ROBOT55, Indies artists, Top 3 Indies Artist videos, The TV Show

Professional Bilingual Cameramen, Editors, Lighting and Full Film and Video Production Team in Tokyo and All of Japan!

Robot55 offers professional bilingual cameramen, writers, lighting and editing staff that are successful in Japan and WE DO CURRENTLY MAKE HIT PROGRAMS IN JAPAN RIGHT NOW! Besides that we have an over 25 year history of making popular shows in Japan. Our current hit show is on Niconico Douga and the first week’s show has had more than 1.5 million viewers. Check it here: Ninja Slayer from Animation – The TV Show

Our staff are ex-BBC and ex-TV Tokyo professionals with an average of 25 years experience. When you need professional staff cameramen, editors (we do Da Vinci Resolve) as well as full film and video production team in Japan, please contact us at: contact@robot55.jp

First week’s Ninja Slayer From Animation show hits over 1.5 million viewers

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At Robot55 we make TV commercial quality videos (and other video productions) for businesses and services and products. We even make programs that are smash hits in Japan right now with over 1.5 million viewers! Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us!contact@robot55.jp

ROBOT55 はビジネス、商業、製品紹介動画の制作のみならず、アートや音楽の映像も創っております。ビジネス動画においてはウェブ動画時代の到来に合わせ、お求めや すい¥70,000という格安価格より承ります。ご予算に応じて皆様にご満足のいく高品質動画を制作致します。勿論インディー・バンド向けPV制作も行っ ております。よ！

コチラよりお気軽にお問い合わせ下さいませ.

Robot55 Discount Video Production in Tokyo

Even though I haven't been blogging on this blog (my own blog) these past few days, I have been blogging religiously everyday over at a new video production business we started in Tokyo. That company is called Robot55. 

Robot55 Top Page image

That's not Robot "Fifty- Five," it is "Robot Go-Go." "55" in Japanese can be pronounced as "Go-Go."

Robot55 is a discount professional video production service in Tokyo. We specialize in 30 second and 60 second internet-use videos to promote businesses, organizations, products, restaurants, bars and services.

The reason all our commercial videos are 30 seconds or 60 seconds? Well, data gathered by research agencies show that there are two very important numbers to remember when making a video to promote your business, product or service. They are "10 Seconds" and "15 Seconds."

“10 seconds.” That’s how long you have to grab the attention of viewers in a video marketing clip. According to research by Visible Measures, 20% of your viewers will click away from a video in 10 seconds or fewer. And it doesn’t get a lot better than that. You’ll lose about 1/3 of your viewers by 30 seconds, 45% of them by 1 minute and almost 60% by 2 minutes. And those numbers remain the same no matter how long the video is. 

 “15 seconds.” According to research conducted by Jun Group (2011), videos that are 15 seconds or shorter are shared 37 percent more often than those that last between 30 seconds and 1 minute. If you make your video longer, that stat goes down. Those shorties are only shared 18% more often than videos of longer than 1 minute.

So why would anyone in their right mind make a video for advertisement purposes that is longer than 60 seconds at most? 

(Of course, the data tells us 15 seconds is optimum. And it is, if you are selling a nationally recognized brand, like, say a dishwashing liquid that can be bought at any store in town. But if you are small business, then you need to get your address, hours, etc. all into the video. Pretty tough to do in 15 seconds. But! We're working on it and are coming up with some great ideas!)

(For more data and details, please read: 90% of All People Say a Video Helps To Decide a Purchase! (www.robot55.jp/blog/90-of-all-people-say-a-video-helps-to-decide-a-purchase/) 

Here's a 60-Second video we just completed for a very happy customer:

This is perfect because, in English or Japanese, you know within the first 5 seconds what this place is all about. 

Like I said, all our videos at Robot55, that are for advertising purposes are under 60 seconds. In this way, we can uniform and streamline the entire production process and bring our clients professionally crafted videos at 1/3 or 1/4 what the competition charges. I like to think that we are pioneers in this much like Charles Schwab or Earl Scheib.

"Discount" is not a dirty word; it is smart business.

And we are planning to hire the physically disabled so that they can do office work and video editing at home and earn a decent wage.

Over at the Robot55 blog, I've been blogging about interesting things "Japan" as well as tips on how to take better photos and make better videos.

We even have a series started there entitled: Video Tips! Make Your Own Video For Your Business For Free! (www.robot55.jp/blog/video-tips-make-your-own-video-for-your-business-for-free-part-2/) Where we give professional advice to small business owners - and anyone else - on how to make a better video to promote their business for absolutely free!

I hope, if you have been missing me here, you'll just jump over the the Robot55 blog. At the Robot55 blog,  there's great advice for making better videos and taking better pictures as well as great retro videos about Japan.

Hope to see you there!

Robot55 Blog: http://robot55.jp/blog-center/

Robot55 URL: http://robot55.jp/

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Oh! And please come "Like" our Facebook page if you can. Much appreciation!

https://www.facebook.com/robot55video?ref=hl

When People Stop Caring - Stop! Quit and Save Your Life!

I wrote yesterday that artists and writers need to know that love and hate are the two sides of the same coin. It is great if many people love and adore your work. It is good also if people hate your work. If people love or hate your work, that is much MUCH better than if they don't care either way about your work.


If people don't care, that is death. If people don't care then you should stop. I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. It's like the advice a wealthy friend gave me once about a dysfunctionate company we were both at when he realized that that company was a waste of time and he quit. He said to me as he was leaving, "Save your life and stop. Start doing something else." 


Then he walked out the door. 

These last 3 days, I have had a feeling of depression somewhere deep in my heart and been under great stress. It's because of that letter I received from the president of the major Japanese broadcasting corporation that I wrote about the other day. This morning, I have decided that I have to take my own advice to stop working with poor management and dysfunctional people and leave that place of business forever.


I had to make a decision. I've made it. 


I should have done it long ago. That ridiculous letter from the president was just another in a long history of absurd things that have happened to me at that company over the years. When you read the story and understand the roots of the problem, you'll know why, as I said, that company loses so much money every year.


And don't think I am merely being bitter about this one station. That is not true at all. I have worked, and still do, with many other stations. I have never seen an organization run as ineptly as today's topic... (Gee, when I put it that way, I must be stupid to have stayed there so long, right? Agreed.)


I have worked in TV and radio since 1985. I have "worked" (in a sense) in the music business since 1978. If you wonder what that means, let me say that I have played music and, while not getting paid enough to support myself, I used to get checks and I was paid to perform. The most I ever received at once was about $1,100 in 1979 or so. Not bad.


When my son was born, I threw away my TV set. It was soon after the Iraq war had started and I was so fed up with the lies on TV. I had to work with TV people because of my job. But I decided that I didn't want to bring these people into my house (and in Japan you have to pay a monthly licensing fee if you own a TV) so I threw them out. I don't want to pay to bring liars into my home.


Soon after that, I quit having anything to do with TV. Even though I own a company that makes TV and radio programs and TV commercials, I do not do that myself anymore but, my staff have families and mouths to feed, I won't stop them from pursuing their chosen career.


Over the years, I have made many radio programs. By far the vast majority have been at a FM radio station in Tokyo. I have a love/hate relationship with this radio station and its people.


Fact is that there is only a couple guys there at that station who are kind and honest. Just a few. Sad.


I don't want to talk about that station too much (anymore) but allow me to spill my guts this time. Please let me give you an example of how people at that station operate. This one example is like many that have happened to me while working for that company. This event happened at least 12 years ago... But, today, it is the same. The names have changed but the way the station operates doesn't.


At the end of the nineties, I produced and co-hosted one of the most famous late-night radio shows in Tokyo. So popular was that show that sponsors approached us and asked if they could become our sponsors! That is extremely rare! The Program Director at that time told me that if I could bring in sponsors, then he would pay me a sales commission. So I did. I brought in the largest record chain in the world as a big sponsor.


The station was doing poorly and losing money. But I wanted to be a part of the "team" and to help out wherever I could so I decided that, after the record store chain became a sponsor, I didn't need a commission. I didn't need extra pay. I wanted to show that I was part of the family - hell, I wanted to be a part of the family - so I wanted to forfeit my commission and give it to the station to show them my heart's feelings.


When I went to see the Program Director to happily tell him my decision, before I could get a word out of my mouth, he rudely snarled at me, "We're not paying you any commission!" And with that he turned around and stormed away without letting me say anything.


I was shocked. I didn't want commission. I just wanted the satisfaction and happiness of telling someone that I was giving them something they wanted. I felt like the small dirty faced boy who looked up and handed the single yellow flower that he had picked to a lady and that person took that flower from him and crushed it under the heel of their shoe in the dirt. As doing so, the evil in their eye showed through, cursing from the snarl of their lips...

I was speechless... "Why was it so necessary to hurt my feelings?" I thought. 


It's a really sad situation when people are so dirty and despicable that they cannot allow people a small moment to share happiness. Have these people no compassion or self-respect? 


Like I said, that was many years ago. I feel like this sort of thing has happened many times. I have brought in many sponsors and yet, I am treated rudely. Forgive me for feeling sorry for myself....


Two days ago, I wrote about a president of a company who wrote me a letter that was just shocking. This isn't sour grapes. His letter wasn't really worthy of an adult and certainly not worthy of one written by a person in an executive position at a large company. I had been writing professional business correspondence to this president, but he wrote back to me a letter that looked like it was written by a 14-year-old complaining about his companies past inter-staff squabbles and fighting. I'm writing about business and he's airing his families dirty laundry out in public - and I hardly even know the guy! 


I couldn't believe it (you wouldn't believe it either. Refer to: Be Professional! Working at a Japanese Company - Any Company - Filled With Low-Quality Dysfunctional People and Management - Don't Do That to Yourself). 


I didn't add to that article one very important point; that this company president would write such an amateurish letter to me is even doubly more astounding when you realize that my company is a sponsor to that station and, while not a massive sum, we spend ¥900,000 (nearly $12,000 a month) on commercials at that station. 


Astounding!


Well, perhaps not so incredible when you look at the past record. I have to be one of the few who have brought sponsors, some huge ones, to that station and yet, whenever I hand them flowers, I feel like they crush them in the dirt in front of my face


Now? What can I do? If I go to war with this child-president, I have every right to cancel all the commercials immediately and without penalty. The story will come out what happened and this president will most likely get into big trouble at his company for writing such an idiotic letter. He could even lose his position if the news got out to famous advertising companies, which it would if we go to war.


But does that do me any good? No. Why?


Because, I can't act like a child like he does or they do. I have to act my age and control my emotions and not seek revenge. I have people working at that station who work for me. Those people are good people and they have wonderful families and mouths to feed. I can't do anything to hurt those people.


There are people on my side, at my company (and inside of our investor - one of the most famous companies in Japan) who are furious about this mail and they want me to take that company president to task. They have every right to think that. After all, if you were paying nearly $12,000 a month and then found out that the person you were paying that money to stated that he didn't want your business and said he didn't want to work with you, wouldn't you want to quit? Of course you would. It is natural and common sense that anyone would. Most people would cancel their cellphone or cable TV service for more minor infractions than that.

But, I can't act like a child like the broadcasting company president. I cannot be like that. So, like I said, I must take my own advice. And, at the same time, this is Japan, I must take personal responsibility for this problem. 

When a business dies or when a team or marriage ends, it is, in a way, a sad day. But, it is also a day for celebration. It is a day of freedom. The chains are removed and you are released. For me, that day has arrived. It is hard for my heart to let go, but let go is the only choice I have.

The other choice is war and war will hurt too many people I care about. I cannot go to war and damage this president; a pyrrhic victory isn't a very good victory at all, is it? The best choice is to be a mature individual and to quietly bow out.

Therefore, I hereby resign for ever doing any work with that company ever again. 

If you ever find yourself in this sort of situation, then take my friend's advice. Walk out the door. There is a better opportunity waiting for you. 

"Save your life and stop. Start doing something else." 

There is a reason for everything.

This was written for T.U. Thanks for everything you've done for me. I won't forget!

Be Professional! Working at a Japanese Company - Any Company - Filled With Low Quality, Dysfunctional People and Management - Don't Do That to Yourself!

In one of my jobs, I give advice to major corporations on marketing and promotions. I work with some great folks. Usually, these big companies ask me for advice (or how to get tickets to sold-out concerts - yep. I can even do that!) Sometimes, in order to create new business, I put on my sales hat and approach companies that are in serious need of help. Today's post is about that kind of company; I mean a company in serious need of help. There's lots of companies like that. Here's an example.

The following is a true story. In the last two days, I've had some experiences that are just hilarious and just go to show how dysfunctional the people are who are in the employ of this one particular well known to be hereinafter called, "the Inertia Company" in Tokyo.  Everyone in Japan knows this company but it is not very respected. It used to be. But not today. It once was rich and profitable but, over these last 15 years, due to the Internet and not being able to adapt to the times (think Bronotosaurus), this company has fallen into serious financial troubles and disrepair. After hearing this story as just one microcosm of the whole problem, you'll see why.


It is all I can do to keep from laughing out loud at just how incompetent the employees as well as the upper management are at Inertia. This story would make a funny TV comedy show but, it is so ridiculous that, well, it might be too hard to believe. Here is what happened:


Over the past few months, I have met with the new director of Inertia. The guy before this new director didn't last 3 years. The guy before that one was gone after one year. When companies lose millions of dollars, that tends to create a high turnover rate in manglement... Er, I spelled that wrong, I mean, "management." In spite of the high turnover, like a good trooper, I've been trying to help them all with sales. And why not? Even if I think they are not good management people, if I can help them sell and make money, then I make money. Everyone's happy, right? 


But, with corporations like today's example of Inertia, I think God makes me do this sort of thing as a kind of "purgatory on earth" or, perhaps, to make me a better person and teach me patience. 


The Inertia Company has been losing more than one million dollars a year for the last 3 years. The new director and I met to discuss new ways to create new business revenue streams. In our last meeting, he told me that he, "Totally and completely agreed with my ideas..." and he added that he wanted me to give him "a few months to reorganize the company so that we could move forward with this new way." He also told me to contact him after that time.

Artist's rendition of Inertia Company Tokyo

As an aside, I go to that company sometimes and know that nothing has been reorganized by him since our meeting three months ago. Nevertheless I have been contacting him and trying to arrange a follow up meeting to discuss organization and operational implementation of this new plan.


By the way, I have already sold this new plan that I shared with the new director of Inertia to a few of Japan's most successful and profitable companies. In June of last year I presented it to one of Japan's most respected and profitable corporations and by August 1st, they had fully adopted the plan and now use it to boost sales - which they have done quite successfully - thank you!


Anyhow, over these past few weeks, I have been contacting this gentleman as he asked me to do. I repeatedly sent him very polite and professional business letters discussing items like CRM "Customer Relations Management," and very cost effective digital systems on how to use this new plan to obtain customers. With these notes, I have been asking for follow up meetings.


Finally, I offered him a lunch meeting whereby I could bring one of my top salesmen. This salesman is responsible for bringing this new CRM system to some of Japan's top sports teams whereby they use the system. Actually, using the system to give clients what they want is a no-brainer. I expected the director of this company to set a firm date soon.


That is, until yesterday. Yesterday he sent me a mail that just shocked me. I'd expect a mail like the one he sent me from a junior staff or a newbie or a junior high school student, but from a 50+ year old man who is a director at a company?! Extraordinary!


Here's a flow of the mails so you can get a feeling for the conversation. My mails (a total of four in four weeks) said something like this:


Dear Mr. Director,


How are you today, sir?


As you know, some of the biggest and most influential companies in Japan have just started using the CRM tool I mentioned to you at our first meeting. I'd like to continue that conversation. I know you are terribly busy so perhaps I could meet you over lunch to discuss implementation on how you can use a CRM marketing tool (at no cost) in order to provide your potential clients with the data they need on their users and thereby gain a mutually beneficial business relationship with those potential clients? Won't you please arrange a suitable time so that we can discuss over lunch? I will arrange my schedule to fit yours at any time. Please advise.


Mike Rogers


The director of Inertia dropped my jaw yesterday with his mail. He answered me something along these lines:


Mr. Rojers (sic)


We like you but cannot work with your company. 


We cannot work with you as there is a person at your company who used to work together with us at our parent company. When he worked here, he hurt the feelings of people at that parent company in the past. As you know, people are animals and their feelings do not heal so quickly. Therefore, even though your idea is good, we have no intention of working with your company because of him.


Mr. Director


I was flabbergasted. Here I am writing professional business correspondence, talking about increasing sales for a company that is losing over a million dollars a year, and this guy writes back to me talking about his internal family problems and squabbles! (No big deal, but he even spelled my name wrong!) I mean I talk about money and he starts telling me about his squabbles with brothers who were fighting.


I have no problem with them not working with us. But I'd expect some sort of reply like, "We have decided on another avenue to increase our sales. Thank you for time. Let's stay in touch and perhaps we can work together in the very near future." You know? This is what I'd expect from a professional.... But I am not dealing with professionals. This is like dealing with a room full of kids!


I have never worked at that company and have no idea what he is talking about. I don't really care. The above example is in English, but his original letter was in Japanese. At first I thought I was misreading it. To double check, I showed it to my Japanese wife and she was so surprised too. I mean, really, this is a business letter from the director (president) of a company!? My wife said, "I've never seen anything like that before. Do you think he wrote this letter when he was drunk? He sounds drunk."


I checked the time stamp on the email. I suppose it's possible that he was drunk. I mean, perhaps he was drinking at 11:30 in the morning on a Tuesday. Hell, I could see it. If I were running a company that was losing a million dollars a year, I'd be drinking all the time too!


Like I said, I was so surprised to see this letter. No. "Surprised" is not the word. "Totally and completely dumbfounded and floored" is more like it. I have never seen anything like that before. I'm the kind of guy who doesn't need to like people to work with them. All we need is professionalism and that's fine with me. We don't need to be bosom buddies to make money with them. Isn't that a part of professionalism?


I wrote back and decided that I should ignore his comments about hurt feelings and events that happened years ago. I wrote:


Dear Mr. Director,


Thank you so very much for your honest feelings.


Anyway, in order to implement a CRM system that can help boost your sales (as your competitors are doing and your former sales partners are now doing also) then let me introduce another company that has a similar system to mine. It is not as advanced, but can still do the job better than nothing. This system too, can allow your sales department to sell what the customers need and gain clients.


I am quite sure that there is no one at your company who understands this sort of new system so I can, at anytime, and for absolutely no charge, come down to your company and help tutor your sales folks on how to use this system effectively. Please let me know.


Mike Rogers


And that was that. He didn't answer my mail. I'd imagine that if I had written such a silly letter and then received back a professional "adult" attitude letter, I might be ashamed or embarrassed. But shaming or embarrassing this guy is not my intention at all. My entire intention was to help his company increase sales. I am not interested in his "family affairs" and they are none of my business! I can't believe he'd tell me about them!


Does anyone wonder why the Inertia Company is losing so much money? What a mess! Their president basically said to me, "I don't like you so I don't want to make money with you!" Laughable. How did this guy get to be president? 


Well, maybe I don't like someone like Bill Gates either but I don't have any problem using his stuff to make money for me! (Actually, I am a Apple guy, but you get my point).


And now, after that incredible story, what's the point of all this? How does something like this apply to you? Folks, life is short. If you are in a company like this, get out. After that experience and this absurd correspondence from a company director with the emotional baggage of a 12-year-old I don't want to help them. I hope they don't ask me ever again (they have asked many times!) But fear that they will.

There's lots of companies run by nincompoops like this example above. Companies that are struggling along, barely making ends meet; the yearly sales targets are never met and the mood of the company and the employees goes down. The quality of management sinks and an ever lower standard, and dare I say, IQ? comes in and begins taking the ship to even lower depths. Of course it does. Why? Because the good, talented people see the writing on the wall and get out of these sorts of companies while they can and take better jobs somewhere else. The people who are left over? They are the low quality ones who have no where to go. They have nowhere to go because they are left without gumption, drive, motivation and, sadly, without a clue. They can't go anywhere even if hey wanted to!


When a company is left with low quality people like that where is there to go but down?


People look at a companies like Apple Computer, Softbank or Google and think, "Oh! But they had a good idea and a good product or service!" Sure, that's true. But even more than that, they have good people. They know what it takes to make a good company. After all, what is a good company but a gathering of good people?


A company like Apple is filled with such good high-quality people that even if they didn't sell killer products, even if they sold chopsticks, they could make a profit and a good company. Apple people are like that. Apple could even make ice seem cool! Apple could rebrand ice and sell it to Eskimos!


A bad company like the one above I mentioned? A bad company could take great products like Apple has and they'd soon find some way to turn them into a loser and quickly be bordering on bankruptcy. That's what a bad company is.


Like I said, I work at several different places during the week. I get to see up close and inside of some of the finest companies in Japan and in the world. I've been to Apple Japan, Google Japan, All Nippon Airways, Softbank, Air New Zealand and Recruit, just to name a few, more times than I can count. I've worked with them and organized many promotions with them. I am doing so now.


I've also worked at some of the most dysfunctional and incompetent companies in all of Japan too; like the Inertia Company. I won't bother to mention their real names. Why? It pains me to do so. Why name them? Bashing these poor people is like kicking a mangy disease ridden one legged dog; it's not necessary or desirable at all. I don't even want to touch or get close to them.


That's what this blog post is about; not touching or getting too close to sick companies. Like a diseased animal, you need to stay away from them or you will become like them. For people who are young; for people who want to have a future; for people who want to give their children the best that they can; for people who want to escape and live their life to the fullest, this blog post is for you (and me). Don't take a job with a bad company. If you find that you are with a bad company, then get out as fast as you can.

As a multi-millionaire friend once told me, "Sometimes the jobs you reject are just as important as the jobs you accept."


Of course a job and food on the table is important. But, while you work at that poorly run company, you must make the effort to learn all you can and use your connections to get out and get a better job.


Remember birds of a feather flock together. If you are always working with poor quality and incompetent people you will probably become that way or, at least, be perceived by others as being that way.


So, if you work at a place like the one I described above; get out as quickly as you can. A life is too short having to work in a place where you cannot dream and be your best. Don't do that to yourself.


Find a good company with good people. Have a dream aspire to be the best you can be...


And above all be professional.