COLORS TOKYO Blog by Will Tachiiri

Working for World Bank

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:44:28 -0800

Well, it’s been quite a while…

I’ve been working for World Bank Tokyo office as a Social Media Communication Officer, which send me here in Tokyo, leaving my family behind since mid October.

Japan is hosting WB/IMF annual meeting next year, and I’m responsible for Social Media marketing at this position, yes first Japanese Social Media expert hired by WB!

Laputa Brings Japan's Otakus Together

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:44:00 -0800

Laputa Brings Japan's Otakus Together:

As the Internet continues to take over our lives, new net-related activities become popular. In Japan the video site Nico Douga has become a major destination for otaku wanting to watch various anime-related videos, and the newest trend there is watching TV broadcasts live while entering comments into the Nico system so others can see them. It’s called jikkyou (lit. “live updating”), and it seems to create the feeling of being part of a giant wave of other fans as they all watch together. Last week the popular Hayao Miyazaki film Castle in the Sky Laputa (officially known as “Castle in the Sky” in the U.S. due to the unfortunate meaning of la puta in Spanish, a joke Jonathan Swift included intentionally to troll us from beyond the grave) was broadcast on TV, and fans all through Japan logged into Nico to share comments with each other. Twitter was buzzing, too, with thousands of users tweeting comments about about the film. At the climactic moment when Sheeta and Pazu shout the Spell of Destruction — “Barus!” — everyone joined in, resulting in 14,595 tweets being sent in one second, which appears to be a new record for Twitter.

Person remembered…forever.

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:21:32 -0700

Person remembered…forever.

Disaster preparedness to be key topic at IMF-World Bank meets in 2012

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 11:17:02 -0700

Disaster preparedness to be key topic at IMF-World Bank meets in 2012:

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) — World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Friday he and Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi agreed to make disaster preparedness one of the key topics at the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Japan next year.

Speaking at a World Bank seminar in Washington, Zoellick said it would be good for Japan to share information about the March disaster and its efforts to rebuild with the rest of the world.

The World Bank chief and Azumi met earlier in the day.

Big Japan Quakes Still a Risk

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:19:21 -0700

Big Japan Quakes Still a Risk

We will never forget the victims… may their souls rest in...

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:49:21 -0700

We will never forget the victims… may their souls rest in peace…

Rainbow appeared in the evening of my birthday. Is my promise...

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:10:54 -0700

Rainbow appeared in the evening of my birthday. Is my promise with heaven dealt?

This is what Hanna, my eldest daughter made for me, on the app...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

This is what Hanna, my eldest daughter made for me, on the app ;)

Yoshihiko Noda, who’s he?

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:48:35 -0700

Yoshihiko Noda, who’s he?

Mr. Yoshihiko Noda, a new prime minister of Japan

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:47:54 -0700

Mr. Yoshihiko Noda, a new prime minister of Japan

Quite interesting Man from Korea.

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:43:45 -0700

Quite interesting Man from Korea.

Tokyo 2.0

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:41:56 -0700

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.

A fantastic tool to design your business!

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:24:38 -0700

A fantastic tool to design your business!

Dorian Holley is an amazing singer, no doubt!

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Dorian Holley is an amazing singer, no doubt!

With Dorian Holley (from Tonight Show band) at Kulack’s...

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

With Dorian Holley (from Tonight Show band) at Kulack’s Woodshed.

Mission in Japan is finished, for now

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:19:56 -0700

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.

Yes, he is "Mr. Hercules" in Japan

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:13:00 -0700

Yes, he is "Mr. Hercules" in Japan:

Turned out to be a sad birthday surprise...

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:12:00 -0700

Turned out to be a sad birthday surprise...:

My first appearance on a live TV program at JCOM (CS).

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

My first appearance on a live TV program at JCOM (CS).

60 mins. Ust program “Takuhiro Night” live.

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:40:00 -0700

60 mins. Ust program “Takuhiro Night” live.