You are receiving this monthly newsletter for employers/recruiters because you purchased a job ad or signed up for the newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.

​

Happy New Year! 新年、明けましておめでとうございます。

It has been a while since the last newsletter, and I hope you are well. Today I will touch upon the following:

• 2025 Update
• 2026 Events, inc. the Japanese Job Fair in Michigan & Career Fair in Georgia
• Cross-cultural training opportunities
• Special discount for the job board

The last half of 2025 got incredibly busy! In July, I joined the Japan-related Careers webinar organized by the Embassy of Japan in the US and Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC). It is quite the personal achievement to be included on the Embassy's website to help promote careers in the US/Japan space.

Later that month I spoke at the Compliance & Leadership Forum organized by Waterview Consulting Group, joining other incredible speakers.

In August, I was very excited to represent my company, Japan Consulting Office, and the Japan America Society of Michigan & Southwestern Ontario at the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) Annual Conference in Kentucky. It is an honor to be included on this list of all NAJAS Society Solutions Providers. Here is the LinkedIn post with some photos from that exciting conference.

In August I also presented at a Career Development Workshop for the JET Alumni Association of Chicago, as well as joined a Strategic Recruiting & Retention webinar with Cinter HR Plus.

August 29th marked the 7-year anniversary of Ikigai Connections, and it was so heartwarming to receive a lot of love on LinkedIn!

In November, the Michigan-Japan HR Conference was a success and featured speakers from the Japan America Society of Michigan & Southwestern Ontario member companies. You can view the full list of incredible speakers and sponsors in this LinkedIn post.

In general for 2025, the Shushoku Cafe YouTube video series, in partnership with QUICK USA, continues to educate job seekers on the many career opportunities out there. Last, but certainly not least, my cross-cultural training work with Japan Consulting Office continues to inspire me as a bridge-builder, especially when I see the "aha" moments during my in-person or virtual sessions.

On the job seeker side, there are many more partners who I continually collaborate with, including USJETAA and region-specific alumni chapters, various Japan America Societies, universities, and language educators. If you are interested in seeing things from a job seeker's perspective, take a look at the weekly Ikigai Connections newsletter. (You can also see how job ads are promoted here.)

I am sincerely grateful for my amazing list of customers and all of my incredible partners in the US, Japan, and Europe, many more of whom I have not listed. I wish everyone success and happiness, both personally and professionally, into the New Year and beyond.

Sincerely,

Kasia （カーシャ）

Founder, Ikigai Connections & Sr. Consultant, Japan Consulting Office (LinkedIn)

​

Upcoming Events

The next Compliance & Leadership Forum will be held on January 23 (virtual - details & registration). Plan your trip to Chicago for the next HR Summit in the first week of May, organized by Pacific Dreams. If you'd like to be kept informed on similar topics, please click on the 🔔 in my LinkedIn profile.

Also, there are two job fairs happening in February that may be of interest if you are working in the US/Japan space:

1. ​February 5 in Michigan: Japanese Job Fair
2. ​February 19 in Georgia: JA-GA Futures Forum

Personally, I am very excited to meet both job seekers and employers at the Michigan one! Employers can still register to join the following companies: AISIN World Corp. of America, DENSO, FANUC America Corporation, Fifth Third Bank, HIROTEC America, Klawsome!, Paris Baguette, PASONA NA Inc., The Residences at Sakura Novi, and Toyota Tsusho America, Inc..

​

Cross-cultural Training

Get a taste of how Japan Consulting Office trainers work virtually and in-person by attending an efficiency-boosting Open Workshop for both Japanese and non-Japanese individuals.

Each virtual seat at an Open Workshop offers the following:
🎯 A pre-course questionnaire so we can focus on what matters most to you
📚 1-month access to all JCO E-learning modules (7 engaging topics in English and 8 in Japanese)
🗣️ A live, interactive 2-hour session (11 AM - 1 PM CT) with practical tips you can start using right away
Price per session: $490 USD

𝗛𝗥 𝗼𝗿 𝗟&𝗗 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀: If you're in charge of training at your organization, you can attend for free by agreeing to a follow-up call. It’s a no-risk way to see if the course is right for your organization.

Learn more about each workshop and hit "reply" if you are interested in joining:

• "Working and Communicating with Japanese Colleagues, Clients and HQ" Jan 27, Feb 24, or March 24 session information here (in English)
• 「アメリカ人同僚との仕事とコミュニケーション講座」Jan 20, Feb 17 or March 10 session information here (in Japanese)

​

Special Discount for Nihongo Jobs

Thank you for being a part of this community! Utilize the energy surrounding a new year by posting a job ad to the Ikigai Connections community of 20,000+ followers who are interested in using their Japanese language and/or cultural skills in a career. Learn more about Nihongo Jobs here.

For a limited time, take 35% off one 15-day or one 30-day job ad. (Offer expires January 31.)

• 15-day job ad $129 > $83.85
• 30-day job ad $249 > $161.85

Follow these steps (if you already have a job description created, it should take you 10-15 minutes on average):

1. ​Log in or register on Nihongo Jobs
2. Select the 15-day or 30-day job ad
3. Add your job ad details
4. On the payment page, use this coupon code: new2026
5. Upon submitting, you will receive a confirmation email with links to the social media posts. (This usually takes a few minutes, but please check your spam folder if you don't receive it.)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to hit "reply"!

Learn more about the Nihongo Jobs job board here. See how featured job ads are promoted: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, Bluesky, Threads, LinkedIn newsletter (Tuesdays), job seeker newsletter (Thursdays).

If you haven't already used coupon code "nihongo" for 25% off a single 15-day or 30-day job ad, login/register to use it now.

​

​