Tom Nevins, a leading expert on Japanese rules of employment and personnel policy and practices, must have the busiest "meishi" in business. Not only does it open up, offering four sides of information, but contains a discount card for the many books he has written. A name card within a name card, so to speak.
He also has a tough carrier bag at the ready in his office in Hanzomon, Tokyo. This too is a promotional tool, one side screaming the title of his latest tome. "We publish our own titles here at TMT," he explains, "so I have to use every available avenue (and flat surface) to get the word out."
TMT (Technics in Management Transfer Inc.) is the name of the company he founded in 1978. It concentrates on four areas of activity: personnel policy consulting, executive search, seminars and training, and what is politely called "outplacement." Set aside corporate-speak and you are dealing with staff reductions in companies facing economic stagnancy or collapse, the unpleasant task of telling people they are "redundant," no longer required.