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Rochelle Kopp
For Rochelle Kopp's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 5, 2023
What should you expect when you land a job in Japan?
What is it like to work in Japan? With the number of foreign residents slowly rising, we take a look at what they might be in for when it comes to the country’s corporate culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 3, 2023
Help wanted: The (sleeper) agent of change
Some Japanese businesses may see layoffs overseas as a chance to hire "agents of change." If you"re one of those agents, don"t expect to revolutionize things too soon.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 28, 2022
Center helps non-Japanese kids tackle the obstacles of getting into a Japanese high school
From testing to etiquette, new arrivals to Japan face linguistic and cultural challenges when enrolling in high school in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 10, 2022
That New Year's resolution to improve your Japanese can help with other aspects of life here
Whether you've resolved to stress less or find a new job in 2022, bulking up your Japanese vocabulary can be key to achieving any new goal.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 20, 2021
Scholars launch effort to assist peers stuck outside of Japan
Japan's border situation and lack of digitized archives continue to cause problems for academics who need access to historical documents.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 1, 2021
Chaos at Japan's borders
Japan announced on Monday that it will ban all new foreign entries for at least one month in an effort to prevent the omicron variant from spreading domestically.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 28, 2021
LaShawn Toyoda learned how to code during the pandemic. Japan's international community is glad she did.
After a lot of study, LaShawn Toyoda took what she learned and created a multilingual database of where to find vaccinations in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 21, 2021
Bringing gluten-free concepts and cuisine to Japan
The medical problems associated with gluten are not as common in Japan, though some think this may not be the case a few years down the road.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 3, 2021
The downside of decision-making practices in Japan
Adherence to the rules is important in Japan. When those rules donu2019t work, it is sometimes easier to make a whole new set.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 7, 2020
The pandemic border policy that will leave a scar on Japan's foreign community
Border restrictions imposed on non-Japanese residents to stop the spread of COVID-19 were seen as discriminatory by many, but they're not likely to prevent travel here in the future.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 7, 2020
'My business is going down the drain': Stories from residents stuck outside Japan
Itu2019s hard to list the stories of every person still stuck outside of Japan due to the countryu2019s border policies, but two of them show just how complicated the situation can get.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 26, 2020
The bureaucratic wall that hampers entry to Japan
The requirements Japan has put in place to enter the country amid the pandemic don't quite match up with the realities of what's going on overseas.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Aug 31, 2020
A costly waiting game for inbound foreign workers
While some permanent residents and students are slowly trickling back into Japan, businesses are waiting to hear if new hires can join their ranks.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 25, 2020
Episode 62: How Japan's border closures have affected international students
Since Japan imposed entry restrictions on April 3, many students and academics have been left stranded outside the country, unable to pursue their studies and research. Many have also lost the scholarships that have funded their studies so far.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2020
Travel bans throttle Japanese universities’ global ambitions
Non-Japanese students and faculty find study and research plans upended by pandemic restrictions.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jul 17, 2020
Re-entry ban causes foreign firms and talent to question long-term plans in Japan
As confusion continues over the Japanese government's re-entry ban for foreign residents, the international business community has started voicing concerns.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 12, 2020
Is Japan’s low COVID-19 death rate due to a 'higher cultural level'?
The nation's successful management of the pandemic has become a point of pride for many Japanese.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
May 11, 2020
How the coronavirus widens a cultural divide
If you'd like your Japanese colleagues to come around to your way of thinking, you'll need to convince them in a way that's common in the culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Apr 1, 2020
Does Japan’s culture explain its low COVID-19 numbers?
With the West now taking another look at widespread use of face masks to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, it's worth noting another aspect of Japanese culture that might be keeping the number of infections down: shame.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Mar 5, 2020
Japanese corporate culture explains why experts given back seat in virus response
Organizations in Japan tend not to rely on specialists when it comes to solving in-house problems, which may be a consequence of fostering a workforce of generalists.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world