If you are a long term resident in Japan and consider yourself to be a cultural bridge builder, then this episode is a must listen for you. Sean O’Connell, Professor and Director of the International Center at Nanzan University, is about to drop some gold nuggets in your lap on how you can ace being an even better cross-cultural bridge builder. This is the jandal you have been looking for.

Subscribe to our list so you never miss an episode of Jandals in Japan

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi (or Kia Ora or Konnichi Wa!) over on @jandalsinjapan on Instagram.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How the Karate Kid kicked off Sean’s interest in the martial arts and the Japanese language
• Sean’s tips for also successfully interpreting feeling and nuance between Japanese and English counterparts
• The biggest culture shock moment for people new to business in Japan
• Bringing Sean’s skills in bridge building to life at his bar, The Hungry Moose
• Why Sean loves the Jandals in Japan Podcast!

About Sean

Sean has a passion for bridging cultures, and has spent decades (30+ years in Japan alone) immersed in Japanese language, business, and the like. After an exchange year in Yokohama in 1986, he earned a BA in Japanese, an MA in Advanced Japanese Studies, and a PhD in Intercultural Business Communication. Sean’s career has taken him from guiding and managing Japanese tours in New Zealand, and business interpreting and translation in Japan to corporate training, where he specialises in preparing expats and fostering multicultural teamwork.

Sean is a Professor and Director of the International Center at Nanzan University in Nagoya. In his free time you can find him at the bar he co-founded, The Hungry Moose.

Connect with Sean

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOCNAGOYA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-o-connell-8294b071/

Links:

The Hungry Moose: https://www.thehungrymoose.jp/en

Jandals in Japan is brought to you by Catherine O’Connell Law and PodLaunch with Jayne

Connect with Jayne and Catherine

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jandals-in-japan-podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jandalsinjapan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jandalsinjapan

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jandalsinjapan

Rebecca Thorn is the Kiwi General Manager of the hugely popular Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya. Rebecca shares insights into the hotel's unique blend of neighborhood culture, innovative team dynamics, and creative initiatives, showing that innovation is alive and well in Japan’s hospitality industry. The episode is a deep dive into the vision and strategies that have led to the hotel's success, capped off with exciting upcoming collaborations and events. If you are considering a career in the hospitality industry in Japan, this is an episode not to be missed.

Subscribe to our list so you never miss an episode of Jandals in Japan

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi (or Kia Ora or Konnichi Wa!) over on @jandalsinjapan on Instagram.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Rebecca inspires her team to try new ideas, including finding a way to make waffles shaped like “Hachiko” the famous dog who waited for its master at Shibuya station
• The design, fashion, music and art themes that run through all aspects of the hotel
• How Rebecca is building a diverse and inclusive team in Japan
• The Kilimanjaro Strategy that her team is talking about

About Rebecca

Rebecca, a proud Kiwi, is the General Manager of Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya, which opened in August 2023. She has been loving living and working in Tokyo now for over 5 years. This year marks 19 years with IHG, the company which she has had the opportunity to work in 7 different hotels across 4 different countries with.

Connect with Rebecca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-thorn-65b49940/

Links:

Rebecca’s First Episode #33: https://www.jandalsinjapan.com/episode/thirthy-three/

Personal/work Instagram - @rebecca_thorn_

Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-thorn-65b49940/

Hotel Instagram - @hotelindigotokyoshibuya

Hotel LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelindigotokyoshibuya/posts/?feedView=al l

Hotel Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HotelIndigoTokyoShibuya/

Hotel website - https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/shibuyaku/hndsh/hoteldetail

Gallery 11 Restaurant: https://gallery11.jp/

Vinyl market in Tokyo: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/03/08/lifestyle/vinyl-records-japan-overseas-buyers/

Hachiko: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D

Hachi...

Chris Boyle is Co-founder, Executive Chair and Managing Director of FABRUM. Chris shares FABRUM's expansive journey in the hydrogen energy sector, including breakthrough projects and partnerships with NASA, Rolls Royce, and significant Japanese corporations like Obayashi. We hear real stories about the failures as well as the successes that have helped them to be where they are today.

Subscribe to our list so you never miss an episode of Jandals in Japan

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi (or Kia Ora or Konnichi Wa!) over on @jandalsinjapan on Instagram.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How FABRUM started to get noticed by big organisations such as NASA and Rolls Royce
• The benefits of working with NZTE and how joining ministerial visits gives you credibility in Japan
• The pitfalls of casualness in business and how FABRUM designed a way that helps customers have confidence in them
• The long term vision for FABRUM in hydrogen and for Christchurch and New Zealand’s up and coming engineers.

About Chris

Christopher Boyle is the co-founder and Executive Chair of FABRUM, a New Zealand company with the tagline of “advancing a world where people can do more, with less, for longer, by creating clean-tech solutions which enable humanity to tread lightly.“

Christopher has been with FABRUM for over 20 years. He is an adventurer and serial entrepreneur, setting up a number of start-ups over the last two decades.

After graduating from the University of Canterbury with an electrical engineering degree, Chris ventured into the power industry, which took him around the world in a range of different roles. When he returned home, a reunion with an old university mate led to the creation of FABRUM Solutions.

Christopher was a Finalist in the EY New Zealand Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024

FABRUM is a world leader in providing engineering and cryogenic technologies that help generate power. From designing cryogenic systems for major hydrogen plants to developing lightweight composite liquid hydrogen tanks for the aviation industry, FABRUM has a number of patents on bespoke pieces of technology. The company was driven by the goal to develop Kiwi renewable technology for global adoption, helping sectors like aviation, marine, and heavy industry transportation decarbonise.

Japan’s Obayashi Corporation participated in FABRUM’s $23M Series A financing round in February 2023. Obayashi is one of the world’s leading construction companies with expertise and technological innovation and a long track record of projects in New Zealand. In August 2023, FABRUM collaborated with Obayashi Corporation on their first project together where FABRUM is the supplier of a Hydrogen Refuelling Station (HRS) package for a refuelling station project in Auckland.

Recently, FABRUM’s proprietary storage solutions have achieved some impressive performance milestones. For example, their cutting-edge liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage technology has been shipped to the top car manufacturer in Japan (Toyota) for further research and development.

Links:

FABRUM: https://fabrum.nz/

Jandals in Japan is brought to you by