Guest Speaker
Business Seminar
For Osaka Innovation Hub: Expanding startup businesses in Singapore
Sep 2018
20 startup entrepreneurs and students from Osaka Innovation Hub visited WASABI Creation as part of their one week study tour in Singapore. Tong (Founder, CEO), together with Yuta Morita (Intern, SMU MBA student) conducted a seminar for the group on how they can expand their businesses from Japan to Singapore. They covered topics such as incorporation in Singapore, Singapore's demographic, consumer behaviour, influencer marketing, popup store marketing, etc. The participants were very interested in these topics and asked many questions such as "What are the common difficulties and errors Japanese companies have when doing business in Singapore." Tong was glad to have shared his experiences and expertise in these areas.
Japanese Lessons
For foreign domestic workers & caretakers
Sep 2018
WASABI Creation was requested by a nursing training school to conduct Japanese lessons to its students comprising of foreign domestic workers and caretakers. The students are attending the school to step up their skills in nursing care for the elderly. As Japan is seriously facing the hit of aging population, and lack of manpower in providing care to the elderly, they have opened up working opportunities in Japan to foreign caretakers.
In view of this, these foreign domestic workers are trying out learning Japanese to equip themselves with the language skill that will enable them to work in Japan in the future.
Guest Speaker
Seminar to Ryokoku University: How Singapore's policies have shaped a multiracial and international society.
2 Sep 2018
A group of 40 students from Ryokoku University, Japan visited WASABI Creation as part of their educational tour in Vietnam and Singapore. WASABI Creation founder, Tong conducted a seminar on Singapore policies that have shaped the country's multiracialism, and built an international society.
More and more Japanese companies realise the need to venture overseas market as its domestic market continue to string due to aging population and depopulation, however there is a lack of talent within Japan who has the experience, skills, and know-how to bring business across boarders. We hope the seminar will be able to share with the students some ideas and tips on how to be a global talent.
Guest Speaker
Seminars to Business Schools in Delhi, India
Aug 2018
WASABI Creation was invited by our partner, Intraversity in Delhi, to conduct talks to students of various business and management colleges in India. Over the week, we visited and met students from Jaipuria School of Business, JK Business School, Institute of Technology And Sciences, and Accurate Institute of Management & Technology. We shared with the students about our business, market trends in Japan and Singapore, and answered the students' questions on entrepreneurship.
WASABI Creation is also in talks with the schools to work with our partner in bringing students to Singapore for educational tour and internship.
Guest Speaker
"How SMU MBA Students can prepare themselves in working with the Japanese?"
6th Jul 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong was invited by SMU MBA Class to speak at "Japanese Business Night". Tong shared about his experiences when he was working as a fresh graduate in Japan, and talked about Japanese business culture that is unique and special to non-Japanese people.
Tong also talked about basic Japanese business etiquette, such as exchanging business cards, and seating positions for Japanese business meetings. The MBA students shown great interest with many questions.
The event ended with a party serving Sushi for everyone.
Entrepreneurship Training Camp 2nd edition
"Partnership with SAI International College Bubhneshwar, India"
June 2018
WASABI Creation hosted 8 Indian students from SAI International College Bubhneshwar over 4 days for an intensive Entrepreneurship Training Camp at WASABI Creation's office. The students worked in groups of 2 on various topics such as coworking space business, India market entry, Japanese F&B market research, as well as overseas travel trends for India.
An extensive research in in these were done by the students, who also came up with creative proposals to implement new business into the fast growing market. Many presentations and discussions were held with the students to finalise the proposal.
At the end of the program, each student received a certificate of participation for their enthusiasm during the program.
WASABI Consulting
"What can Japanese students do to become international professionals?"
16th Mar 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong was contacted by a group of students from Tokyo University, who are interested to learn about doing business internationally, as they planned their self-funded trip to Malaysia and Singapore. A sharing session was conducted over web conference, where Tong answered questions from the students, shared his own experiences, and gave advises to the students what they can do to groom themselves into international professionals.
Here are the reviews and comments from the students.
WASABI Insight vol.10
Business in Japan~
"Japanese Business Culture & Manners"
1st Mar 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong held a seminar sharing his experiences and insights on doing business in Japan, in particular on the topic of "Japanese Business Culture & Manners".
Tong shared from his own personal experience overs the years while he has been working in Japan, and doing business with Japanese companies. As he grew up and went through the education system in Singapore, knowing the language didn't seem to have prepared him enough to work in Japan as a fresh graduate. Tong talked about the episodes he had encountered all these years, and cover some of the basics about "Japanese Business Culture & Manner".
Topics:
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Japanese business culture 101, how are the Japanese thinking?
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Exchanging business cards
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Visiting & hosting a Japanese company
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Useful Japanese expressions for business
More information: Business in Japan~ "Japanese Business Culture & Manners"
Guest Speaker
The Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, Singapore (CLAIR, Singapore)
Feb 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong was invited by The Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, Singapore (CLAIR, Singapore) to share about WASABI Creation's business and its expertise in helping Japanese companies go global
Tong shared about his past, present, and future projects on how WASABI Creation is bridging Japan, Singapore, and the rest of Asia in terms on Business, Culture, and Tourism. In particular, Tong talked about his observation of how many Japanese companies are facing difficulty in presenting their products to the local markets overseas, and what could be so the solutions to better communicating with local consumers and making online connections for building relationships.
About CLAIR, Singapore
Language & Communication consultation for business executives
Introduction
Language and communication skills are vital for business success. It is especially true when working in Singapore where it is a melting pot of local culture together with a high influx of cosmopolitans from around the world. From meeting new clients, presentation of business proposals, negotiation, to closing the deal, a good understanding of the local lingual & culture, as well as familiarizing yourself with some international business practices will certainly give you an edge and additional trust over your competitors.
If you even wonder why your business partners & colleagues are not responding to your requests, or you have difficulty understanding your suppliers & clients, contact us for a free consultation. Our consultants will assist you in your language & communication skills while bridging the cultural gap you may have for a successful business in Singapore.
About WASABI Communication
WASABI Communication helps Japanese executives & business owners like yourself to kick start your new lives & careers in Singapore by providing coaching & consultation on language & communication skills, understanding of cultural differences, and information on Singapore for business & living.
Our consultants understand that living overseas can be worrying due to many uncertainties and being unfamiliar with the language, culture, administrative system, and lack of contacts for support.
With our understanding of Japanese culture and being local Singaporeans, we are here to make Singapore your second home.
Our Services
WASABI Communication provides private consultation on language & communication skills for solving business problems to professional individuals. Content of our services are highly customizable & flexible.
The sessions are conducted in English as far as possible with support in Japanese when needed, to maximize the learning volume of our clients.
Depending on our clients’ needs and concern, our consultation sessions can be customized with the following contents.
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English communication for business
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English conversation for presentation, meetings, and negotiation
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English discussion on current affairs & work related topics
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Email communication
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Business communication consultation
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Solve problems for work place communication
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Examine & understanding cultural differences for business success
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Business culture & etiquette
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Examine & understand Singapore business culture & etiquettes
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Chinese communication for building relationships
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Consultation & Information for business
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Provide relevant information & advice on setting up & doing business in Singapore
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Chinese language lessons for all levels
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Conduct Chinese lessons from beginner to advance level, for daily usage in Singapore to business communication.
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Since over 70% of Singapore’s population is ethic Chinese, and business activities with mainland Chinese has increased tremendously in recent years, mastering the Chinese language will be an inevitable advantage for business.
A typical session with a Japanese Engineer or businessman would be something like the following.
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Discussion on business or work situation
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Update of recent work situation by the client to highlight any problem faced at work.
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Discuss with the consultant to find out the root cause of the problem.
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Examine whether a difference in culture & perception, or misunderstanding could be the cause to the problem.
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Suggest possible solution & strategy to tackle the problem.
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Email communication
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Examine recent email exchanges by the client at work.
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Spot and correct grammatical & linguistic errors.
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Study and improve on the kind of language & tone used in emails.
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Suggest & guide on how to draft any important mails needed by the client.
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Current affair
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The consultant or the client will pick a suitable article or topic of discussion.
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Discuss on the topic while giving our opinions.
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Practice on proper expression in English and build confidence in discussing various topics.
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Discussion on culture & etiquette
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Answer client’s questions on many cultural differences between Japan and Singapore, including business culture and etiquette.
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Our Clients' Testimonials
Mr. Oka Shoji, 52, Senior Engineer of a pharmaceutical company in Kyoto
"I had been going for English conversation classes in schools such as GABA, however I find that I have benefited the most from Mr. Tong's sessions. I often go to Malaysia for business & deal with Singapore companies, so instead of having an American or British teacher, Mr. Tong being a Singaporean is a lot more insightful on the local language, customs, and culture. Mr. Tong is a businessman himself with business experience in Japan, hence he can really understand the difficulties I face and explain to me in a way that I can easily understand. He often gives me useful advice on how to communicate with our Malaysian & Singaporean partners to achieve success for our projects. Future more, though we speak in English most of the time, Mr. Tong is also fluent in Japanese and he can explain things to me in Japanese when I have difficulty understanding."
Misako Kawazaki, 45, procurement manager of a German engineering company in Shiga
"For my work, I often communicate with suppliers, our company's headquarter and branch offices around the world. Initially I engaged Mr Tong to brush up my English for business, especially for communication over the phone and email. I also consulted him about some communication issues I faced at work, probably due to the different ways of thinking between Japan and other countries. To my delight, after taking his advice, I was able to convince a partner to cancel an invoice that was charged to my company as there was an error in the delivered goods. I highly recommend Mr Tong to anyone who wish to improve your business communication skills or seek advice for doing businesses with foreigners."
Tomoko Fujizawa, 36, head hunter in a recruitment company
"Although I can always use English for my work and daily life in Singapore, I would very much like to learn Mandarin and some local languages like Singlish since I have the opportunity living in Singapore. However, since most Singaporeans speak English to me all the time, there is no opportunity for me to learn other languages. I am glad to have found Mr. Tong as my Mandarin teacher as he has a lot of experience teaching Mandarin to foreigners in Singapore and Japan. He has materials for learning Mandarin in English and Japanese since he is effectively trilingual. He received Chinese education from Hwa Chong Institution during his student days that is why he has a much stronger foundation in Chinese than many Singaporeans. He continues to use Mandarin for his work and relationship building with people from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Now I am able to use Mandarin for ordering food, small talks with the locals, and watch Chinese movie & TV programs."
Venues
WASABI Creation Office (2min from Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
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Singapore Shopping Centre190 Clemenceau Avenue#06-03 Singapore 239924
About Tong
WASABI Communication is run and managed by Tong, a Singaporean who has spent the last 4 years working & living in Japan. During his time in Japan, he has been active in international marketing & sales, partnership with overseas companies, and other international related matters with Japanese companies in industries such as clean tech, tourism & event management. Tong also participated in the planning stage of Knowledge Capital, a major part of a real estate development called Grand Front Osaka right next to Osaka Station.
Tong is also the language & communication consultant for individual business people in Japan, providing language training & communication solution for his clients. Base on his engineering background, his experiences with Japanese people & international business, he is able to bridge the gap between Japanese people and their foreign business partners & clients for successful business overseas. He has also coached many Japanese in learning the Chinese language, including deaf people by picking up Japanese sign language for conducting lessons.
Tong is fluent in English, Mandarin, Japanese, & Cantonese. He is also actively involved in social projects such as We Are One Japan, Future Shorts film festival, TEDxKyoto, & PechaKuchaNight Osaka.
Fees
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English communication for business
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Business communication consultation
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Business culture & etiquette
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Consultation & Information for business
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Private session from S$550 per month, 4 times a week
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Chinese language lessons for all levels
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S$$100 1 person 1.5h
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S$130 1 person 2h
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S$130 2 person 1.5h
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S$150 2 person 2h
A registration fee of S$100 is required for all new clients.
Additional transportation fee is needed for teacher to go to student’s residence or office.
Additional fee is needed for books, video, audio & printed material when they are required.
Cancellation fee
Cancellation is free by phone or email 24h or more before the lesson starts.
Half of the lesson fee will be charged for cancellation made between 24h to 4h before the lesson starts.
A full lesson fee will be charged for cancellation made 4h or less before the lesson starts.
Free consultation
Before you commit to our services, share with me some of the problems you are facing and see how I can help you. I want to make sure our clients will spend quality time with us such that our expertise provides just the right solution to your problems.
Contact me now or mail to hi@wasabicreation.com to make an appointment for a free consultation.