Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-08-14
About Japan — How Many Colors Are in a Rainbow (虹 Niji)? How many colors are in a rainbow? If you grew up in the United States, you probably learned seven: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indig...
2026-08-13
余白 (Yohaku) — The Value of What Is Not There The Japanese word 余白 (yohaku) means “blank space” or “margin.” In many Western traditions, attention is often drawn to what is there—what has been creat...
2026-08-12
The Company Built by a Small Samurai House in Tosa In 1835, Yataro Iwasaki（岩崎彌太郎）was born in rural Tosa, present-day Kochi Prefecture. His family had once belonged to the samurai class, but his g...
2026-08-12
Why Don’t You Start Your Own Business? "I’d like to run my own company someday." I think quite a few people have probably thought this at one point or another. So why don't they actually do it? "...
2026-08-12
Why Don’t You Start Your Own Business? "I’d like to run my own company someday." I think quite a few people have probably thought this at one point or another. So why don't they actually do it? "I'm...
2026-08-12
The Japanese word for “word” is 言葉 (kotoba). Look at the kanji and you may notice something interesting: 言 = words / speech葉 = leaf So why does a “word” have a leaf in it? An old and beautifu...
2026-08-12
After World War II, “Made in Japan” was often associated with cheap, mass-produced goods. Japan changed that image by making a strategic decision: compete with quality, not quantity. Japan has li...
2026-08-12
○ Means Yes, × Means No In Japan, a simple circle and cross can mean more than you might expect. The symbol ○ (maru) generally means correct, good, OK, or yes, while × (batsu) means incorrect, bad,...
2026-08-11
Coffee Meetup at PSPINC Bellevue We had a great Coffee Meetup this morning at the PSPINC Bellevue headquarters. It was wonderful to see everyone who stopped by, enjoyed some coffee, met new people,...
2026-08-11
From Used Clothing to a Japanese Retail Giant In 1831, Shinshichi Iida opened a small shop in Kyoto selling used clothing and cotton goods. He named it Takashimaya (髙島屋) after his father-in-law’s hom...