ビジネス日本語講座

This episode explores a harsh reality: the better someone speaks, the less their content is questioned. In today’s information-saturated society, fluent speech often replaces substance. What audiences consume is not truth or depth, but the feeling of understanding—comfort, clarity, and emotional ease. Skilled speakers avoid concrete claims, rely on abstraction, and create arguments that are difficult to challenge. As a result, speech becomes performance, almost like music, rather than a vehicle for ideas. This shift reflects a broader structural change, where responsibility and meaning are diluted. In the age of endless information and AI-generated content, the value of substance continues to erode.

In today’s episode, I explore a simple but uncomfortable idea: people who can understand instructions quickly tend to survive easily in modern society. In workplaces, fast comprehension reduces friction, lowers training costs, and makes you appear reliable. As a result, you are less likely to be excluded or struggle financially. However, this ability is not the same as creativity. Many thinkers, artists, and innovators take time to process, question, and reconstruct ideas. Society rewards speed, but progress often comes from those who think slowly. This episode examines the gap between adaptation and creation, and why they should not be confused.

In this episode, Shigeki examines why “athletic-minded” white-collar workers often struggle in capitalism. While they excel in labor markets through discipline, endurance, and obedience, these strengths do not translate into success in capital markets. Capitalism rewards systems, scalability, and income generated without direct time input. In contrast, the athletic mindset equates effort with hours worked and values personal sacrifice. This creates a dependence on selling time and labor. By contrasting human-dependent models with system-driven value creation, this episode highlights a critical shift: moving from endurance-based work toward building assets, automation, and reproducible structures that generate value beyond individual effort.

In this episode, Shigeki explores why many Japanese companies still retain what he calls a “socialist view of the body.” While Japan is often seen as politically conservative, its corporate culture treats the employee’s body not as personal capital, but as part of the organization’s productive machinery. The common phrase “your body is your capital” sounds empowering, yet structurally it reinforces lifelong dependence on wage labor. By examining postwar national design, the high-growth employment model, and corporate incentives, this episode questions whether protecting your health is enough—or whether true freedom requires building assets beyond your body and labor.

This episode questions the common workplace phrase “Your body is your capital.” While health is essential, the episode explains that, from an economic perspective, the human body is not capital but the source of labor. Capital is something that can continue generating value even when you are not working, such as assets, systems, intellectual property, or brand value. The discussion also explores why this phrase is widely accepted in corporate culture and how it can unconsciously encourage people to rely only on labor. Listeners are encouraged to protect their health while also building real capital that can outlast physical effort and create long-term independence.

This episode explores why the business term “Supply Chain Management (SCM)” often turns into a buzzword or “magic spell” in corporate environments. While SCM is originally a practical framework covering procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and delivery, its broad scope makes it easy to use without concrete meaning. The episode explains how abstraction, IT integration, consulting language, and distributed responsibility contribute to this phenomenon. Through examples from food production and the automotive industry, the discussion separates real operational SCM from presentation-level SCM. Listeners will learn how to recognize when SCM is being used as a real business tool and when it is being used as empty corporate language.

This episode explores an unspoken survival strategy inside many traditional Japanese companies: showing your presence, even when you have no specific task. In these environments, performance alone is not enough. Relationships, trust, and perceived cooperation strongly influence evaluation. Visiting departments, engaging in small talk, and being visible function as “sharing existence,” not just sharing information. The episode also contrasts this with freelance and individual work, where visibility without substance creates no value. This is not about good or bad management, but about understanding cultural and institutional systems. If you work in Japan or plan to, this episode explains why “being seen” can be as important as what you produce.

In this episode, I explore the common workplace phrase “Don’t make me say the same thing twice” and what it reveals about work culture. I discuss how this mindset often prioritizes speed and immediate understanding over patience, training, and long-term employee development. Not everyone learns at the same pace, and pressure to understand instructions instantly can reduce confidence and increase mistakes. I also examine how this phrase can sometimes shift responsibility away from those giving instructions. Finally, I reflect on how independent work environments allow people to learn at their own pace. This episode is about communication, learning differences, and how workplace culture shapes employee confidence and performance.

In this episode, I explore why many Japanese salary workers who leave corporate life often choose to open soba restaurants. This is not simply about food or personal preference. It reflects deeper cultural and psychological factors. Soba represents visible craftsmanship, disciplined training, and a socially respected independence story. Many workers are attracted to the idea of creating something tangible with their hands and escaping complex corporate human relationships. However, the reality of running a soba shop is physically demanding and financially challenging. The episode explains how soba symbolizes a cultural narrative about meaningful work, independence, and dignity in Japanese society rather than just a business choice.

In this episode, I discuss why large-scale AI-driven job loss may be less likely in traditional Japanese corporations. While global discussions often focus on productivity and automation, many Japanese companies prioritize employment stability, organizational harmony, and relationship-based evaluation. I explain how workplace survival often depends not only on technical skills, but also on reading organizational culture, maintaining trust, and fitting into group dynamics. This does not mean high income or rapid promotion, but it can mean long-term employment stability. The key message is that AI risk depends on where you work. Understanding your industry and organizational culture is essential for building a realistic career strategy in the AI era.

This episode explains the practical mindset needed to survive and stay employed in traditional Japanese corporations. Instead of focusing on personal philosophy or self-expression, employees are often evaluated based on reliability, consistency, and the ability to execute instructions. The episode introduces a key concept: switching your thinking “subject.” Inside the company, think from the company’s perspective. Outside the company, think from your own market value perspective. It also discusses why visible, explainable skills are essential for long-term career security. This episode is useful for professionals working in structured organizations, people interested in Japanese corporate culture, and anyone who wants to protect their career stability in uncertain job markets.

In this episode, I explore why public job training programs rarely teach how to succeed in solo business or entrepreneurship. Using Japan as a main example, I explain that these programs are designed to help people return to stable employment, not to create independent business owners. I discuss how governments prioritize predictable outcomes such as employment rates and tax stability. I also explain why solo business is difficult to standardize, since success depends on personality, persistence, market choice, and sometimes luck. This episode is not a criticism of job training systems, but a realistic look at their purpose. If you are interested in working independently, you may need a different learning path.

In this episode, I examine the popular advice, “Find a job you love” or “Turn what you love into work.” While this message is often meant to encourage people, it can oversimplify reality. Not everyone has a clear passion, and that is completely normal. Many people choose work based on what they can do, what they can tolerate, and what allows them to live. I discuss how work always includes responsibility, stress, and human relationships, even when you love it. I also explore the idea that meaning in life does not have to come from work. Living without a dream job is not failure—it is often a practical and honest way to survive.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I discuss what Japan should do next in a world where the rules of economic competition have changed. I argue that Japan does not need to change how hard it works, but where and how it chooses to compete. The core problem is not individual worker productivity, but structural systems built for an industrial era. I explore why pursuing perfect quality in all tasks, creating work to preserve employment, and rewarding effort display over results are now limiting growth. The future belongs to those who design rules, platforms, and standards rather than only producing goods. Ultimately, success today requires updating how we win, not how hard we try.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I explore why Japan was able to dominate parts of the global economy in the late 20th century and why those same strengths became limitations in today’s world. I argue that Japan did not succeed despite low productivity, but because the industrial battlefield rewarded stability, quality consistency, and accumulated manufacturing knowledge. Lifetime employment, internal knowledge retention, and a strong domestic supply chain created powerful competitive advantages. However, as the global economy shifted toward speed, platforms, intellectual property, and scalability, the definition of competitiveness changed. This episode examines how economic success is shaped not only by effort or culture, but by whether a country is optimized for the right era.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I explore the subtle boundary between being needed by a company and being controlled by it. In the AI era, simply being “useful” is no longer a rare or secure form of value. As technology reduces the uniqueness of many professional skills, the real question shifts from ability to dependency. I discuss the difference between having a replaceable role and forming a dangerous dependence on an organization. True strength is often quiet—real irreplaceability appears as a natural result, not a claim. Ultimately, the key to freedom is not maximizing usefulness, but designing a life that does not rely entirely on a single system or employer.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I explore how two common workplace archetypes—the arrogant craftsman and the sports-style managerial leader—can damage organizations in different ways. The craftsman type tends to weaken teams horizontally by hoarding knowledge and discouraging younger employees, while the sports-style manager often causes vertical damage by spreading conformity, valuing effort display over results, and gradually weakening independent thinking across the organization. This is not about blaming individuals, but understanding structural patterns that shape behavior. By examining how culture, incentives, and hierarchy interact, this episode invites listeners to think more deeply about how organizations decline—and how certain leadership styles can unintentionally accelerate that process.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I examine why the Japanese drama *Kodoku no Gourmet* (Solitary Gourmet) has gained fans not only in Japan but also overseas. While many explain its popularity through Japanese food culture, I argue that the deeper reason lies in its lack of imposed meaning. The show offers no life lessons, no dramatic character growth, and no ideological message—it simply presents a man eating when he is hungry. In a world where people constantly feel pressure to justify choices and define purpose, this “meaning-free” design is refreshing. By placing desire without judgment, the series provides comfort to modern audiences who are exhausted by narratives demanding interpretation, success, and personal transformation.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I reflect on the meaning of reading in the modern age. Today, we have countless ways to learn through videos, audio, and digital content, yet reading remains a uniquely demanding but valuable experience. I share my personal struggle with slow reading and my failed attempt to learn speed reading, which taught me that reading is not about absorbing every word. True reading expands imagination and allows us to experience lives and perspectives beyond our own. I also discuss why literature is essential for developing emotional flexibility and humor. Ultimately, reading is not about efficiency or memorization, but about enjoyment, discovery, and the accumulation of small moments of insight.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, I explore the relationship between nihilism and challenge from a philosophical and personal perspective. Nihilism often appears as a defensive attitude—rejecting meaning, effort, and ambition to avoid the pain of failure. Reflecting on my university days, I discuss how cynicism can become a shared escape from vulnerability and growth. Drawing on Nietzsche’s idea of creating values beyond nihilism, I argue that real strength comes from facing meaninglessness and still choosing to act. While nihilism may feel safe, it ultimately produces emptiness. True vitality emerges when we accept risk, confront uncertainty, and create our own sense of meaning through action and lived experience.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------●ビジネス日本語学習者のための無料メルマガ講座⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://my162p.com/p/r/odSmegng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠●ビジネス日本語学習者向けブログビジネスのために日本語を学んでいる人のための情報を発信しています⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessnihongo555.blogspot.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------