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:
-
Japanese business culture 101, how are the Japanese thinking?
-
Exchanging business cards
-
Visiting & hosting a Japanese company
-
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
WASABI Enterprise~
シンガポールの日本人起業家、日系ベンチャー企業を垣間見る
Produced by WASABI Creation
Growing with your child is a journey worth documenting.
Memom helps you to be a journalist recording
the story of your child's growth.
By 島 孝平
秋田国際大学三回生、シンガポール国立大学交換留学生
スマホやSNSの普及にともない、たくさんの写真を撮り、FacebookやTwitter、Instagramなどで親しい人と共有して楽しむ人が増えている。なかでもひときわ大切な我が子の写真を、簡単に、そして安全に保存・共有できるのがiPhone向けアプリ、「memom」である。
memomは「memory（思い出）」と「moment（瞬間）」を合わせた造語である。また、アプリのアイコンとなっている羊には、羊は古来から人間の暮らしに深く関わってきたことから、アプリを使ってくれる人にずっと寄り添っていたいという思いが込められていると、momem社の代表である米岡さんは語る。開発のきっかけとなったのは、スマートフォンなどの普及とともに、写真を撮る枚数が増え、大切な写真が埋もれてしまいつつある現状に気づいたことであった。
アプリmemom発表までの道のりは険しいものであった。Memomを起業するまでに、米岡さんは2つの会社を渡り歩いた。新卒として入社したソフトウェア関連の会社は、ITバブルがはじけた煽りを受け、米岡さんは部署ごとのレイオフを経験した。その後入社したファイナンス会社でも、リーマン・ショックの影響で会社が傾いていくのを目の当たりにした。この2つの会社に共通していたのは、経営者がビジョンを持っていなかったことだと考えた米岡さんは、社員にとって働きがいのある会社を自分自身で作ることを決意したという。同時に海外でビジネスをしたいという思いも抱くようになった。このような経緯で米岡さんはシンガポールでビジネスについて学び、memomの設立に至った。
こうして開発されたmemomには２つの大きな機能がある。ひとつはユーザーがアップロードした写真をタイムライン形式で閲覧することができるというものである。アップロードされた写真には撮影された日付が記載され、子どもの成長の過程を時間を追って見返し、楽しむことができる。もう一方の機能は「コラージュカード」と呼ばれるもので、一週間または二週間に一度、最近とった写真の中から５枚を自動で選び出し、コラージュを作成してくれる。作成されたコラージュは、タイムラインやフェイスブックで簡単に共有することができる。
米岡さんの企業・アプリ発表までの道のりは、けわしいものであった。米岡さんはmemomの立ち上げにいたるまでに、2つの会社に所属していた。新卒として入社したソフトウェア関連の会社は、IT バブルがはじけた煽りを受け、レイオフを経験。その後就職したファイナンス会社でも、リーマン・ショックによる経営難を目の当たりにした。この2つの会社に共通していたのは、経営者がビジョンを持っていなかったということであったと米岡さんは考えた。そこで米岡さんは、社員にとって働きがいのある会社を自分自身でつくることを決意したという。同時に海外でビジネスをしたいという思いも抱くようになった。このような経緯で、米岡さんはMBA取得のためシンガポールに渡り、ビジネスについて学ぶようになった。
