As I woke up this morning to a beautiful fall day in Osaka, I was a half day closer to my birthday, the big 50, than if I had stayed in my own time zone. It is coming up fast. Yes, I am thinking, reflecting, trying to stay cool and... Continue reading

I left NYC in the early morning darkness on December 1st, onwards to my vacation in Osaka, Japan, my old home for almost a decade long ago. More on my long wonderful history with Japan will be woven through these writings as I turn 50 and celebrate the whole month... Continue reading

Geneva is beautiful. An understatement I know but sometimes the easiest word is the best. Think of all that can be described as beautiful--in your beholden eyes. Clear blue water, bright blue skies, pristine architecture--old and new, elegant figures rendered in marble or stone, flowers bright against the muted hues... Continue reading

Early morning, sunny and bright on Lake Geneva. As we walk the city, I feel like pinching myself. I am in Geneva, the Geneva! There is a feeling of calm, sophistication and gentleness that hovers in the air. It's as if this location where so many peace talks are held... Continue reading

Stops in Interlaken(more rain) and Lucern (hitting every electronic store we could find to look for an adapter for my laptop--no luck!). At some point on the way to Lucern, we were driving up into the mountains again and the rain turned to heavy snow and on the way back... Continue reading

We realized that Gstaad is less that 20km from where we were in Zweisimmen so we rearranged our plans for the day and headed there first. I have read about Gstaad in so many books and I was finally going to be there. I didn't care that it was raining--driving... Continue reading

Heading to Zweisimmen: Bern was great and the drive to our hotel in the swiss alps means there were even more marvels before darkness fell. Snow topped mountains in the distance as we follow that rushing turquoise river up and up and up and it rushed down, down, down. Sheer... Continue reading

The mood that strikes me as I continue our exploration of Bern is one of languor (of the senses). It’s not so much a destination I am heading towards but a state of mind, a feeling, a place of comfort and healing after heartbreak and the chill and sting of... Continue reading

Bern is a charming surprise for me. I had images in my head of Bern as the capital (don’t know where I got them from) but they turned out to be so wrong. At least the older part of the city where we landed so to speak. Took us a... Continue reading

Straight on to Zurich. My excitement mounts with each passing kilometer. Border crossings are easy now, one minute you are in one country, the next we are in a new one without even slowing down. Zurich. It's my second time here with Jeff but last time we had to cut... Continue reading

Up early today and loaded up the car ( I left some stuff at Jeff’s house but I really still have too much- but a girl needs options—never know what social event might arise on the road) and left bright and early for Switzerland. Jeffie at the wheel, the navigator... Continue reading

Jeff’s friend Connie is a great cook. For my welcome to Germany dinner this time, it was Roast Duck. Deliciously done with the perfect amount of crispiness on the outside hiding a wonderful pink blush on the inside. Served with simple white rice and German style salad on Connie and... Continue reading

.....I realized that it was better to spend my vacation living and enjoying every moment of it as it was happening instead of trying to write about it. So now that I am back and can put some thought into what I am writing (and relive it all-yeah!). I will... Continue reading

The Rhine and the Mosel meet up near or at Koblenz. We wanted to give equal time to this river and its lovely vineyards as well. It was a spectacularly beautiful sunny day to drive the course of a river and take in the beauty of earth, light and water.... Continue reading

First, a little about 'Red Lips and Wine(and Travel, Food & Fun)". It was long winter filled with too much cold and snow in the northeast and losses of different kinds and work, work, work. Now, it's Spring and time to shake off heartaches caused by callousness and embrace something... Continue reading

The name itself brings up memories of old seafaring stories but I might be confused--too much wine maybe? Anyhoo, the drive up to Lorelei along the winding Rhine with castles dotting either side of the river on average every 3 miles, is truly a sight to see ( My brother... Continue reading

Wineries dot the drive along the Rhine river as we made our way to Rüdesheim. 'Rüdesheim am Rhein' is a winemaking town in the Rhine Gorge (part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site) and of course it is a gorgeous town. There are places that evoke something in you (I... Continue reading

After a short trip to Heidelberg to see the castle and a wonderful lunch, we headed down the Rhine. Heidelberg views: Continue reading

Go Nishikori-san! We are rooting for you! Continue reading

Women Leading Business and Policy Share Lessons on How Japan and the U.S. Can Overcome Gender Disparity. Tapping Potential: Encouraging Women’s Empowerment in the U.S. & Japan When: Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 6:00 pm, at the Japan Society Calls for greater presence of women in the upper echelons of corporate and political power in the U.S. and Japan have grown stronger as globalization encourages greater workplace diversity and official endorsements have been made by Prime Minister Abe and officials in the US. While the workforce participation rate of women in Japan has grown, rates of employment in managerial and executive... Continue reading

Ampleen’s upcoming Sustainability Fashion Event - Fashion Evolution: Consumer Power is this week. Date: Thursday, November 7th. 6:00pm - 9:00pm Venue: Scandinavia House located at 58 Park Ave (38th Street), New York, NY 10016. Click here for more information and to register. Hope to see you there. For more information about our current Women in Japan-US Business profile, Shoko Sekiguchi and Ampleen, please visit Ampleen.com. Continue reading

After a long hiatus to handle the demands of client work (thankfully!), I am pleased to continue our Women in Japan-US Business profile series today with another story of a dynamic woman, Shoko Sekiguchi, who has thrived as a Japanese women working in the United States both in large corporations and in her own business. Shoko is the Founder/ CEO of Ampleen Inc, a social enterprise that educates and empowers nonprofits, corporate partners and green conscious individuals for more sustainable living in the urban environment. Japan-US Business News: What was your educational experience? Was it helpful in getting you where... Continue reading

The Tale of LIXIL: One Corporation’s Transformation from a Japanese Company to a Global Enterprise. Under Former GE Executive, LIXIL Becomes a Model of Expansion in Today's Economic Climate. Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 1:00 pm, at Japan Society New York, NY – Long the dominant building materials and housing equipment company in Japan, LIXIL sought to strengthen its Japanese base and extend into new global growth areas. In 2011 Yoshiaki Fujimori, a 25-year veteran of GE, joined LIXIL as its CEO with the goal of transforming the traditional Japanese company into a truly global enterprise. Fujimori, a pupil of the... Continue reading

Come celebrate Keizai Society's 23rd anniversary at our Shinnenkai on Friday, January 25th! Register Now! Friday, January 25th, 2013 Program: 6:00 - 10:00 PM Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club 3000 Alexis Drive Palo Alto, CA 94304 This year Keizai Society will be honoring Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, Hiroshi Inomata, the Consul General of Japan, will lead the tradition of Kagamiwari (sake barrel "breaking") ceremony; and Mike Inouye from NBC Bay Area is the master of ceremony. Keizai Society's 2013 theme, "Redesigning US-Japan Business for the Next Generation," underscores the new relationship structures and modes of commerce evolving today... Continue reading

Date: Thursday, July 19th, 2012 from 6:00 PM - 8:15 PM New Location: Oshman Family JCC (Jewish Community Center) Taube Koret Campus, F-401, 4th Floor, Freidenrich Conference Center 3921 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA 94303 Keizai Society's theme for 2012 is "Japan in Transformation" - It encompasses commercial entrepreneurship and new venture formation as well as social entrepreneurship, new patterns of employment, corporate reform and many other critical priorities that are already breathing new life into Japan's business community and its other institutions. _____________________________________________________________________ Keizai Society is a Silicon Valley based business and professional networking organization. Their primary purpose is... Continue reading