Saskia Rock Consulting LLC

Using coaching techniques at work Part 2: Dancing in the Moment / Zen

May 07, 2025

One of the CTI coaching techniques I've found to be incredibly effective, especially with Japanese colleagues, is Dancing in the Moment which is a lot like Zen.

Helping new Expats feel at home!

April 08, 2025

'T is the season of newly arrived expats from Japan! One thing I often hear is that the initial introduction and relationship building didn't go very smoothly. 日本から新しく赴任してきた駐在員の方々の季節です！よく耳にするのは、最初の紹介や関係構築がスムーズにいかなかったという話です。

Volunteering to find your tribe: Japanese American Cemetery Cleanup

April 07, 2025

Every since I moved to the US with my husband Makoto, I didn’t really feel like I was part of a community. At least, not in the sense like I fit in with my MBA and work friends and then with my husband’s family who were living all around his ancestral home.

Quirky museums in Japan: You should visit the Yokohama Ramen Museum!

April 09, 2025

As a self-proclaimed ramen nerd, my husband was beyond excited when he discovered the Yokohama Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama. Just a short train ride from Tokyo or Kita-Kamakura, where we were living at the time, he put a lot of effort into convincing me to go—and I’m so glad he did!

Failing to get updates from your Japanese colleagues this week? Of course! It's Golden Week!

April 30, 2025

Golden Week as we know it today began in 1948 when the Japanese government officially designated the holidays that make up the week (I think) in an effort to provide a legitimate 'excuse' for people to take a few successive days off after the busy start of the fiscal year. It became one of those few times a year when most Japanese workers feel they can take some time off without too much guilt.

Golden Week and local US holidays

May 02, 2025

Most of Japan is off this week, did you know? The famous Golden Week as we know it today began in 1948 when the Japanese government officially designated the holidays that make up the week. It's a collection of four national holidays that happen in close succession, usually at the end of April and the beginning of May. 今週は日本の大部分が休みです。もちろん日本人はこの祝日をよく知っています。