Coffee, Tea? I'D Rather be me
An American woman details her struggles to conform to Japanese corporate life and how once she learned to embrace the system she was able to change it from the inside
- Published: 18/12/2011 at 04:01 AM
- Newspaper section: Brunch
American Laura Kriska entered Japan a timid and nervous outsider bowled over by culture shock and overwhelmed by the conservative culture of her employer, Honda Motor Company in Tokyo. Starting off as a trainee, she went on to become a valued employee, even changing the company's conservative corporate culture.
The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan, originally published in 1998 and recently rereleased with a new foreword by the author, is her story. The book is a testament to the fact that it is possible to thrive in even the most alien of cultures.
Kriska was born in Columbus, Ohio, and took Japanese and international studies at universities in the US and Japan before landing her job at Honda.
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About the author
- Writer: Xiangyang Tang
- Position: Writer
