Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-08-06
Never Forget How You Got There — The Lesson of Kongō Gumi Kongō Gumi (金剛組) was founded in Japan in 578 AD and survived for more than 1,400 years. Its strength came from something very specific: bui...
2026-08-06
Ichiren Takushō (一蓮托生) — We Are in This Together The Japanese expression ichiren takushō (一蓮托生) literally means “to be born together on the same lotus.” Its origin is Buddhist. The lotus is an im...
2026-08-05
How Does Tokyo Deal with Flooding? Tokyo is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. When typhoons and heavy rain hit the city, where does all that water go? One answer is...
2026-08-05
The Peter Principle: Why Great Performers Sometimes Struggle After a Promotion Have you ever seen someone who excelled in their job suddenly struggle after becoming a manager? Canadian educator Lauren...
2026-08-05
The Man Who Lost Almost Everything—and Started Again at 48 Momofuku Ando (安藤百福) is remembered as the founder of Nissin Foods and the inventor of instant ramen. But his greatest success did not come w...
2026-08-05
Saraba, Osaraba, Sayounara — Words We Use for Goodbye That Did Not Begin as Goodbye The Japanese word saraba (さらば) is often translated as “farewell” or “goodbye.” It sounds somewhat dramatic today, ...
2026-08-04
The Man Who Helped Rescue Japan Toshio Doko (土光敏夫, 1896–1988) was one of the most remarkable business leaders in postwar Japan. An engineer by training, Doko became president of Ishikawajima Heavy ...
2026-08-04
"Eat the Poison, Then Eat the Plate" — 毒を喰わば皿まで One of Japan's most vivid proverbs is 毒を喰わば皿まで (Doku o Kurawaba Sara Made), literally translated as "If you eat the poison, you might as well eat the...
2026-08-04
Who Is “Kimi”? — 君が代 and 君の名は The Japanese word 君 (kimi) is usually translated as “you.” But its meaning has changed considerably over Japanese history. Consider two famous examples: 君が代 (Kimigayo)...
2026-08-03
Who Owns a Pattern? Louis Vuitton and Japan’s Ichimatsu Moyō Louis Vuitton is famous for its Damier checkerboard pattern, introduced in 1888. But an interesting trademark dispute in Japan raised a ...