Masaru Takei
@mtake1.bsky.social
Writer in Tokyo ✍️
Essays on culture, business, and everyday life.
HR leader turned essayist — exploring how stories shape work and society.
Author of Letter from Tokyo on Substack.
https://substack.com/@letterfromtokyo
Essays on culture, business, and everyday life.
HR leader turned essayist — exploring how stories shape work and society.
Author of Letter from Tokyo on Substack.
https://substack.com/@letterfromtokyo
Japan hit a record ¥2.7T box office in 2025.
But the more interesting shift may be in Jakarta.
Indonesia’s local animation is moving from import culture to real industry.
A new curve in Asian animation is forming.
#jumbo
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
But the more interesting shift may be in Jakarta.
Indonesia’s local animation is moving from import culture to real industry.
A new curve in Asian animation is forming.
#jumbo
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
The Next Curve Begins in Jakarta【Workday Tokyo#025】
Reading the Structural Rise of Indonesia’s Animation Market
open.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Japan hit a record ¥2.7T box office in 2025.
But the more interesting shift may be in Jakarta.
Indonesia’s local animation is moving from import culture to real industry.
A new curve in Asian animation is forming.
#jumbo
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
But the more interesting shift may be in Jakarta.
Indonesia’s local animation is moving from import culture to real industry.
A new curve in Asian animation is forming.
#jumbo
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japan is building a 500 km/h maglev.
It’s also expanding streetcars.
Why do slow trams still matter in Japan?
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on LRT, urban time, and cities moving at two speeds.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s also expanding streetcars.
Why do slow trams still matter in Japan?
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on LRT, urban time, and cities moving at two speeds.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japan at Two Speeds【Weekend Tokyo#025】
Maglev Dreams and Streetcar Cities
open.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:46 AM
Japan is building a 500 km/h maglev.
It’s also expanding streetcars.
Why do slow trams still matter in Japan?
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on LRT, urban time, and cities moving at two speeds.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s also expanding streetcars.
Why do slow trams still matter in Japan?
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on LRT, urban time, and cities moving at two speeds.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
If you’re a director or senior manager struggling with this shift,
I’m also running a short anonymous survey.
No right answers — just experiences.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
I’m also running a short anonymous survey.
No right answers — just experiences.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
February 10, 2026 at 10:46 AM
If you’re a director or senior manager struggling with this shift,
I’m also running a short anonymous survey.
No right answers — just experiences.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
I’m also running a short anonymous survey.
No right answers — just experiences.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
In Japan, management is sometimes called a “punishment.”
Why is that — and what changes when people start managing managers, not just people?
I wrote a short piece on why management is often avoided in Japan, and why “managing managers” remains under-discussed.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why is that — and what changes when people start managing managers, not just people?
I wrote a short piece on why management is often avoided in Japan, and why “managing managers” remains under-discussed.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Do Young People in Japan Really Not Want to Be “In Charge”?【Workday Tokyo#024】
Why Management Has Become an Unpopular Job
open.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:43 AM
In Japan, management is sometimes called a “punishment.”
Why is that — and what changes when people start managing managers, not just people?
I wrote a short piece on why management is often avoided in Japan, and why “managing managers” remains under-discussed.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why is that — and what changes when people start managing managers, not just people?
I wrote a short piece on why management is often avoided in Japan, and why “managing managers” remains under-discussed.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Reposted by Masaru Takei
Japan’s comfort and safety don’t exist automatically.
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Who Creates Safety, Cleanliness, and Civility?【Workday Tokyo#023】
A Tokyo Resident’s Answer to Gen Z’s Fascination With Japan
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Japan’s comfort and safety don’t exist automatically.
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japan is entering mask season again.
Not for disease — for pollen.
Hay fever now shapes work, productivity, and the economy every spring.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Not for disease — for pollen.
Hay fever now shapes work, productivity, and the economy every spring.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japan Is Entering Mask Season Again【Wisdom Tokyo #010】
Hay Fever, Productivity Loss, and the Quiet Economics of Spring
open.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Japan is entering mask season again.
Not for disease — for pollen.
Hay fever now shapes work, productivity, and the economy every spring.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Not for disease — for pollen.
Hay fever now shapes work, productivity, and the economy every spring.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
CyberAgent’s latest earnings show strong momentum in media & IP, including ABEMA.
It’s a good moment to revisit this piece on the company’s leadership transition—from founder to a CEO who joined as a new graduate.
CyberAgent’s Leadership Transition Workday Tokyo#018 open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s a good moment to revisit this piece on the company’s leadership transition—from founder to a CEO who joined as a new graduate.
CyberAgent’s Leadership Transition Workday Tokyo#018 open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
CyberAgent’s Leadership Transition【Workday Tokyo#018】
From a Founder-Led Company to a Graduate-Bred Organization
open.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:50 AM
CyberAgent’s latest earnings show strong momentum in media & IP, including ABEMA.
It’s a good moment to revisit this piece on the company’s leadership transition—from founder to a CEO who joined as a new graduate.
CyberAgent’s Leadership Transition Workday Tokyo#018 open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s a good moment to revisit this piece on the company’s leadership transition—from founder to a CEO who joined as a new graduate.
CyberAgent’s Leadership Transition Workday Tokyo#018 open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Tokyo still attracts people.
But it’s becoming harder to stay.
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on housing costs, family policy, and why the city is turning into a place people pass through — not settle in
Tokyo Is No Longer a Destination【Weekend Tokyo #024】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
But it’s becoming harder to stay.
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on housing costs, family policy, and why the city is turning into a place people pass through — not settle in
Tokyo Is No Longer a Destination【Weekend Tokyo #024】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Tokyo Is No Longer a Destination【Weekend Tokyo #024】
Why People Still Come — and Why They Don’t Stay
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Tokyo still attracts people.
But it’s becoming harder to stay.
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on housing costs, family policy, and why the city is turning into a place people pass through — not settle in
Tokyo Is No Longer a Destination【Weekend Tokyo #024】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
But it’s becoming harder to stay.
A new Weekend Tokyo essay on housing costs, family policy, and why the city is turning into a place people pass through — not settle in
Tokyo Is No Longer a Destination【Weekend Tokyo #024】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Reposted by Masaru Takei
Japanese school lunch is not just a meal.
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Place That Smells the Best at School【Weekend Tokyo #022】
When we walk into a small, local restaurant in Asakusa with our family, the staff often ask us the same question.
open.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 4:57 AM
Japanese school lunch is not just a meal.
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Reposted by Masaru Takei
Japanese Gin made beside a church.
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
How Japan’s Craft Gin Distills Place, History, and Silence
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:26 AM
Japanese Gin made beside a church.
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japan’s comfort and safety don’t exist automatically.
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Who Creates Safety, Cleanliness, and Civility?【Workday Tokyo#023】
A Tokyo Resident’s Answer to Gen Z’s Fascination With Japan
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Japan’s comfort and safety don’t exist automatically.
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
They are maintained by everyday, often invisible, work.
A view from life in Tokyo.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japanese Gin made beside a church.
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
How Japan’s Craft Gin Distills Place, History, and Silence
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:26 AM
Japanese Gin made beside a church.
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
From Nagasaki’s hinoki-scented air to the Goto Islands, a look at how Japanese craft gin distills place, history, and silence
Japanese Gin Made Beside a Church【Weekend Tokyo# 023】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Follow-up to Who Owns the Last Goodbye?
Cremation was only the beginning.
This piece looks at inheritance, digital memorials, and how Japan is rebuilding mourning itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Cremation was only the beginning.
This piece looks at inheritance, digital memorials, and how Japan is rebuilding mourning itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
After the Last Goodbye【Workday Tokyo#022】
Inheritance, Digital Memorials, and the Redesign of Mourning in Japan
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Follow-up to Who Owns the Last Goodbye?
Cremation was only the beginning.
This piece looks at inheritance, digital memorials, and how Japan is rebuilding mourning itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Cremation was only the beginning.
This piece looks at inheritance, digital memorials, and how Japan is rebuilding mourning itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why Japan stays calm during earthquakes.
Because crisis response is trained — in schools, language, and time itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Because crisis response is trained — in schools, language, and time itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
A Society Built on Crisis Protocols【Wisdom Tokyo#009】
What Earthquake-Prone Japan Has Learned — and What It Can Still Teach the World
open.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Why Japan stays calm during earthquakes.
Because crisis response is trained — in schools, language, and time itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Because crisis response is trained — in schools, language, and time itself.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Japanese school lunch is not just a meal.
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Place That Smells the Best at School【Weekend Tokyo #022】
When we walk into a small, local restaurant in Asakusa with our family, the staff often ask us the same question.
open.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 4:57 AM
Japanese school lunch is not just a meal.
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s a lesson, a safety net, and a form of social infrastructure—hidden in plain sight.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Books don’t travel alone in Japan.
Bookstores still decide what survives—through curation, not algorithms.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Bookstores still decide what survives—through curation, not algorithms.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Danchi Are Not Just Meant to Be Demolished【Weekend Tokyo#021】
What Takashimadaira Tells Us About Aging Cities
open.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Books don’t travel alone in Japan.
Bookstores still decide what survives—through curation, not algorithms.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Bookstores still decide what survives—through curation, not algorithms.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
It’s part of Tokyo, but never felt like the center.
Takashimadaira is now being redeveloped—and rethought—as Japan’s cities grow older.
Danchi Are Not Just Meant to Be Demolished【Weekend Tokyo#021】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Takashimadaira is now being redeveloped—and rethought—as Japan’s cities grow older.
Danchi Are Not Just Meant to Be Demolished【Weekend Tokyo#021】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Danchi Are Not Just Meant to Be Demolished【Weekend Tokyo#021】
What Takashimadaira Tells Us About Aging Cities
open.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:44 AM
It’s part of Tokyo, but never felt like the center.
Takashimadaira is now being redeveloped—and rethought—as Japan’s cities grow older.
Danchi Are Not Just Meant to Be Demolished【Weekend Tokyo#021】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Takashimadaira is now being redeveloped—and rethought—as Japan’s cities grow older.
Danchi Are Not Just Meant to Be Demolished【Weekend Tokyo#021】
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
While humanoid robots are preparing to work,
plush toys in Japan are being carefully washed and repaired.
A story about care, work, and what we choose not to automate.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
plush toys in Japan are being carefully washed and repaired.
A story about care, work, and what we choose not to automate.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
In the Year Humanoid Robots Started Working, Plush Toys Were Being Washed【Workday Tokyo #020】
A Quiet Scene at a Shrine
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:12 PM
While humanoid robots are preparing to work,
plush toys in Japan are being carefully washed and repaired.
A story about care, work, and what we choose not to automate.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
plush toys in Japan are being carefully washed and repaired.
A story about care, work, and what we choose not to automate.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Whose work will growth change in Japan?
AI is at the center of the new growth strategy—but at what cost?
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
AI is at the center of the new growth strategy—but at what cost?
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Where Is Japan Trying to Recover “Growth”?【Wisdom Tokyo#008】
Three Strategic Priorities Revealed by the Japan Growth Strategy Council
open.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Whose work will growth change in Japan?
AI is at the center of the new growth strategy—but at what cost?
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
AI is at the center of the new growth strategy—but at what cost?
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Where do children play now?
In urban Japan, parks are shrinking, sports are getting expensive, and after-school time is changing.
This piece begins with a small weekend moment with my son—and looks at how cities quietly shape childhood today.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
In urban Japan, parks are shrinking, sports are getting expensive, and after-school time is changing.
This piece begins with a small weekend moment with my son—and looks at how cities quietly shape childhood today.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Where Do Children Play Now?【Weekend Tokyo #020】
Growing Up With Less Space to Move in Urban Japan
open.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Where do children play now?
In urban Japan, parks are shrinking, sports are getting expensive, and after-school time is changing.
This piece begins with a small weekend moment with my son—and looks at how cities quietly shape childhood today.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
In urban Japan, parks are shrinking, sports are getting expensive, and after-school time is changing.
This piece begins with a small weekend moment with my son—and looks at how cities quietly shape childhood today.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why does Japan start the New Year in silence, while others celebrate with fireworks?
This isn’t just a cultural quirk.
It reflects a deeper SBNR mindset—respect over belief, alignment over spectacle—and it shapes how people in Japan work and collaborate globally.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
This isn’t just a cultural quirk.
It reflects a deeper SBNR mindset—respect over belief, alignment over spectacle—and it shapes how people in Japan work and collaborate globally.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why Is Japan’s New Year So Quiet?【Workday Tokyo#019】
A SBNR Perspective from a Country That Doesn’t Set Off Fireworks
open.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Why does Japan start the New Year in silence, while others celebrate with fireworks?
This isn’t just a cultural quirk.
It reflects a deeper SBNR mindset—respect over belief, alignment over spectacle—and it shapes how people in Japan work and collaborate globally.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
This isn’t just a cultural quirk.
It reflects a deeper SBNR mindset—respect over belief, alignment over spectacle—and it shapes how people in Japan work and collaborate globally.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Can company culture outlast its founder?
CyberAgent’s leadership transition offers a rare look at how a Japanese tech company hands power from a founder to a generation raised inside the organization.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
CyberAgent’s leadership transition offers a rare look at how a Japanese tech company hands power from a founder to a generation raised inside the organization.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
CyberAgent’s Leadership Transition【Workday Tokyo#018】
From a Founder-Led Company to a Graduate-Bred Organization
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Can company culture outlast its founder?
CyberAgent’s leadership transition offers a rare look at how a Japanese tech company hands power from a founder to a generation raised inside the organization.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
CyberAgent’s leadership transition offers a rare look at how a Japanese tech company hands power from a founder to a generation raised inside the organization.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Do you know one of the most famous TV programs in Japan today?
M-1 Grand Prix is more than comedy.
It reveals how high-context culture, media, and business intersect in modern Japan.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
M-1 Grand Prix is more than comedy.
It reveals how high-context culture, media, and business intersect in modern Japan.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why Is Japanese Comedy So Complex?【Wisdom Tokyo#007】
M-1, Yoshimoto, and OWARAI as a High-Context Culture
open.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Do you know one of the most famous TV programs in Japan today?
M-1 Grand Prix is more than comedy.
It reveals how high-context culture, media, and business intersect in modern Japan.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
M-1 Grand Prix is more than comedy.
It reveals how high-context culture, media, and business intersect in modern Japan.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Why do Japanese kids still sing Gundam songs today?
Robot anime in Japan isn’t nostalgia.
It’s a 60-year-long thought experiment about humans, machines, and responsibility—still playing out across generations.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Robot anime in Japan isn’t nostalgia.
It’s a 60-year-long thought experiment about humans, machines, and responsibility—still playing out across generations.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Robots, Anime, and the Japanese Imagination【Weekend Tokyo#018】
Why do Japanese children still sing robot songs from half a century ago?
open.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Why do Japanese kids still sing Gundam songs today?
Robot anime in Japan isn’t nostalgia.
It’s a 60-year-long thought experiment about humans, machines, and responsibility—still playing out across generations.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Robot anime in Japan isn’t nostalgia.
It’s a 60-year-long thought experiment about humans, machines, and responsibility—still playing out across generations.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
When does action create legitimacy—and when does legitimacy override action?
From Asakusa’s revival to a street being cleared today.
A Workday Tokyo essay on leadership, accountability, and changing phases.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
From Asakusa’s revival to a street being cleared today.
A Workday Tokyo essay on leadership, accountability, and changing phases.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
Who Builds Asakusa, and Who Dismantles It【Workday Tokyo#017】
Leadership on the Ground and Decisions Made by Institutions
open.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:10 AM
When does action create legitimacy—and when does legitimacy override action?
From Asakusa’s revival to a street being cleared today.
A Workday Tokyo essay on leadership, accountability, and changing phases.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...
From Asakusa’s revival to a street being cleared today.
A Workday Tokyo essay on leadership, accountability, and changing phases.
open.substack.com/pub/letterfr...