Book Review Monkey Brain Sushi New Tastes in Japanese Fiction

Book Review 

Monkey Brain Sushi - New Tastes in Japanese Fiction

Edited by: Alfred Birnbaum

Publisher: Kodansha International, Tokyo.1991

ISBN: 4-7700-2890-3

Pages: 304

An anthology of eleven modern Japanese writers



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Monkey Brain Sushi is an anthology of eleven up and coming Japanese writers and artists. It includes work by Haruki Murakami, Eri Makino, Genichiro Takahashi, Masahiko Shimada, Michio Hisauchi, Amy Yamada, Osamu Hashimoto, Yoshinori Shimizu, Mariko Ohara and Masato Takeno.





Each writer has a different style which makes the book a collection of themes and stories across a wide range of topics.





Favourites included The Yamada Diary, Japanese entrance Exams, Peony Snowflakes of Love, Kneel Down and Lick my Feet and Momotaro in a Capsule but each brings new information to the reader and shouldn’t be missed.





A handy read that puts you at the front seat of modern writers that have been translated into English. Enjoyable, informative and an entertaining read of short stories.

Book Review

Monkey Brain Sushi - New Tastes in Japanese Fiction

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www.japanesecustomer.com, haruki murakami, amy yamada,alfred birnbaum,

Ikea in Japan shares customers insights

"In Chiba Prefecture, in 2006, local media were sceptical about whether Japanese consumers would accept cheaply made furniture from a foreign brand. Yet, as anyone who has visited an Ikea branch on a recent Saturday will know, Japanese shoppers have embraced Scandinavian interior style as wholeheartedly as they consume US products by the trolley-load at outlets such as Costco.

List attributes Ikea’s success to four attributes. First is research: “We listened to the market and built networks for a long time before we purchased land”, he said. “We studied how people live in Japan, and we still visit homes across the country every year”.

Second is commitment: “You can’t make a quick buck; you need to invest money and time. You need a ‘permanent’ mind set”.

Third is relationship-building: This, List believes, is the only way to overcome bureaucracy. “The World Health Organization has a list of banned substances but Japan has banned additional ones”, he said. “If you test products in another country, even to extremely high standards, sometimes different requirements may still apply”. This is where connections come in handy.

Finally, there is novelty: Japanese consumers expect this. “Unless you develop your products, customers will get tired [of them] very quickly. We use limited collections of items that you won’t get again”.

To this end, List has embraced the Japanese concept of kaizen (continual improvement), made famous by workers on Toyota Motor Corporation’s car production lines. “We are always looking to improve, and we use Toyota as a model”, he said. One of his key advisors is a former manager of the carmaker."


Source: Briton leads Ikea into bright future
By Lucy Alexander for BCCJ ACUMEN
Japan Today.com
MAY. 02, 2016
http://www.japantoday.com/category/executive-impact/view/briton-leads-ikea-into-bright-future



japan, japanese, customer, consumers, ikea, insights, tips, www.japanesecustomer.com, @jcustomers, #japan

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