COLORS TOKYO Blog by Will Tachiiri

Tokyo 2.0

I have ideas of my next books, actually I’ve started writing some of them for some time like novels on Wikipedia and English as a corporate language in Japan. However, what strongly stimulated me into writing is a theme of “Internet and Capitalism”.

What’s the story behind the scene when Steve Jobs’ Apple became the most valuable company in the US (and in the world), a company which nearly went out of business more than a few times. How his vision different from other entrepreneurs? 50% of the business fails within the first year.

While Steve Jobs is gaining all the reputation, honor, fame, whatever you name it, a unknown small business owner hung himself due to the recession, failure of the business, only to feed his family and pay the outstanding debt out of his life insurance. Was his death worth it?

As I often travel to Japan, like 7 to 8 times a year, I carefully watch what’s happening in Japan, especially in Greater Tokyo area where the centers of business, bureaucracy, economy, entertainment and politics are all located within. When the world of capitalism like today looks like a casino without house, means no one’s winning, should Japan keep its conventional way of thinking and acting? I don’t see much of “sustainable development” in Japan for various reasons.

This is what I’ve been thinking of for the last week since I came back from Japan after long two-month biz trip. For the approach, I’d take a perspective of what I studied at college, “political ecology” which branched out of the school of “political economy”. In Japan academia, it seems to be adopted the best by the school of “Environmental Sociology”. (Fine, I can live with that) What I’d research is the world of Internet, or what’s called “Cyber Space”, especially my expertise on Social Media like Wikipedia, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and so forth.

Well, I haven’t been quite done with my translation work for the previous book on Earthquake and Tsunami, and Social Media (Tsunami 2.o) so there’s plenty on my plate ;) Wish me good luck, I need one.

Mission in Japan is finished, for now

I came back from Japan after two months’ staying in Tokyo and Osaka. Spending more than a month in Japan was a first thing for me after 7 years, and that’s when us family moved back to the US.

I’ve done 6 seminars, appeared on Radio for 6 days, showed up on a Cable TV program, etc. My book is not quite as selling as the previous one, but so far doing fine, it went over 18K copies.

I got signed off for another book about Wikipedia, and still writing my other books. There will be one or more translation work for me as well.

Lots of things to do while back in the US, but most of all I’m enjoying now my time with my lovely families… I may go back to Japan next month again, but till then stay in peace.