Date of publication: Nov 05, 2018

Eiko Wada

President: Gaen Corp.

Date of birth: Feb. 11, 1967

Hometown: Shanghai

Number of years in Japan (cumulative): 31 (as of November 2018)

Q1: What was your first encounter with Japan?

I became interested in Japan when I was in high school by watching a Japanese drama starring Momoe Yamaguchi and the news related to Japan on TV, and when China started to adopt a market-opening reform policy, I decided to come to Japan to carve my own path and make my “Japan Dream” come true. It was in 1988.

Q2: Please state your motto in life and why you have chosen it.

One, do my best. Two, put myself in other people’s shoes.
These things are what I was told by my father when I was a child. I have always tried to put myself in other people’s shoes since I came to Japan. Consequently, people understood and helped me. I have also done my best to convey my sincere feelings and to achieve the impossible in order to make my guests happy.

Q3 : Over your career, what achievement are you the proudest of?

As a staff agency, I have taught Japanese culture and manners to students from overseas and have sent them to hotels as internships, then part-timers and finally, regular workers. I think that this is the outcome of my effort to teach my experience in Japan for over 30 years.
As a travel agency, I have always satisfied both guests and hotels by explaining the custom and manners of this country.

Q4 : What are your goals during your time in Japan, your current position or in life?

I have two goals in my current position and in my life. First, I want to contribute to solving the serious shortage of workers. I will provide support to foreign students so that they can work immediately in the hotel industry. Second, I want to create a “Welcome to Japan” team with leading companies in various industries, and deliver the highest quality of services to VIPs from all over the world.

Q5 : What wisdom, advice or tips can you give to people living and working in Japan?

I think it is quite comfortable to live in Japan. However, if you want to live and work here without causing any problems, you should learn Japanese customs and manners first. Since Japan is a high-context country, you have to develop the habit of reading between the lines of what people say. I hope you will always take other people’s feelings into consideration when you express your opinion in Japan, a country that has the advantage of teamwork.

Last updated: Nov 05, 2018