Issue:
January 2025 | Ask an Associate
Gary Bremermann
For associate member Gary Bremermann, the FCCJ offers a place for uninterrupted work and intellectual stimulation. “I love the club,” he said in an interview with the Number 1 Shimbun. He usually sits with his laptop on the sixth floor, home to a well-stocked library of English-language books, foreign magazines, electronic news wires and online databases. He sometimes reserves one of the two private rooms for meetings or private interviews, taking advantage of a popular service that’s also available at weekends.
Bremermann is the owner of PowerUp Solutions K.K., a recruitment and career coaching enterprise he runs almost singlehandedly. “When I am done with work or need a break, I walk downstairs to the bar and order a drink or a meal. I also enjoy inviting clients, candidates and friends to the club,” he said.
Originally from San Diego, Bremermann first visited in Japan in 1985 while traveling around the world and returned to live here in 1999, when he was looking for a fresh start and was open to new ideas. After consulting his Japanese wife, Bremermann decided to get involved in the burgeoning online economy. His first job was overseeing the Media Division of LINC Media, publisher of the English monthly magazine J@pan Inc, which covered the tech industry and dotcom boom in Japan for an English-speaking audience.
“Tech, and particularly Internet businesses, were in a time of rapid growth and transformation and the magazine's job was explaining the ins and out to non-Japanese readers,” Bremermann said. Even after the dotcom bubble burst in 2001 – and many businesses had burned through their capital - Japan’s economy had already undergone a transformation that would continue to open up new opportunities.
Bremermann believes Japan is on the cusp of another new era. “My business is an example of the opportunities available for foreign entrepreneurs,” he said. Among his tips for success is an ability to target niche markets and adapt quickly.
“Finding talented recruits in Japan demands a focus on the intangibles - their capacity to adapt, a natural intelligence and hidden leadership skills.”
Overseas venture capital funds are turning to Japan after encountering difficulties in investing in China, and that represents an opportunity for Bremermann. The recruits he works with are overwhelmingly bilingual Japanese and foreigners, who are placed in mid- to senior management positions. He deals with everyone from recent graduates to experienced executives.
Bremermann is cognizant of the push towards gender balance in the workplace and says internationally educated Japanese female recruits often take up global management positions.
“Japanese companies are also seeking foreign professionals to support their overseas expansion. As a result, the rigid domestic work culture is loosening,” he said, in a reference to firms that are breaking down barriers in sectors such as healthcare, financial services and consumer goods.
Japan remains an attractive employment market for foreigners who are drawn to the country’s reputation for safety and quality, particularly when it comes to eating out and public transport. “In the end, the decision to work in Japan is a lifestyle choice for my clients.”
Suvendrini Kakuchi is Tokyo correspondent for University World News in the UK.
