Real Gaijin — Japan’s Business, Culture & Life Podcast: A podcast about Japan’s economy, work culture, foreign residents, regional revitalization, and the people shaping the country’s future.
Foreign businesspeople often push the boundaries of conventional business practices in Japan. They have the vision, technical expertise, and drive necessary to think outside the box and achieve their goals. Japan, a conformist and chronically conservative society, often needs this kind of disruptive leader. Periods of foreign influence help propel Japanese society forward. However, such innovations can sometimes cause such a stir that those in power become determined to quash gaiatsu (外圧), or external influence, that threatens the status quo. Today’s guest has a lot in common with Carlos Ghosn, the former head of Nissan. Both are foreign businesspeople who gained prominence as outsiders in Japan’s challenging business environment, only to face serious legal consequences. However, their responses to these consequences differ significantly. Our guest admitted his wrongdoing, submitted to the Japanese legal process, and served his prison sentence despite his strong conviction that he had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had sought legal advice prior to launching his business to support his position. In contrast, Ghosn denied the charges and fled the country to avoid prosecution. These cases highlight the broader narrative that, while they both reflect the risks faced by outsiders navigating Japan’s institutional and cultural boundaries, especially in legal “gray areas,” they also illustrate different approaches to accountability, justice, and personal responsibility. Real Gaijin is privileged to introduce exceptional foreigners who, in one way or another, have made Japan their home or are closely involved with the country. Each story offers insights into how to best interact with the Japanese, and today’s guest is no exception. Who is he? Meet Steven (”Steve”) Gan, an American business professional, author, and credit risk expert. He founded the first debt collection agency run by a foreigner during Japan’s turbulent post-bubble era and has spent decades living and working in Japan. Steve chronicled this experience in his 2016 memoir, Making It & Breaking It in Japan: My True Story of Songs, Sins, and Solitary. The book became an Amazon bestseller in the Foreign Cultures category and is valued by educators and executives seeking a cross-cultural understanding of Japan’s business environment and legal systems. After returning to his hometown of Chicago, Steve founded Stellar Risk Management Services, Inc. in the U.S. His work emphasizes intercultural management and financial ethics, bridging U.S.–Japan business practices. Three stories in one As it is simply not possible to do justice to Steve’s long tenure in Japan in a single hour-long podcast, we have split this true story into three pre-recorded sections. * Initial experience in Japan and working for a traditional Japanese company * Starting the country’s first debt collection agency run by a foreigner, which achieved extraordinary success * Colliding with the harsh justice system and eventually facing legal consequences that led to his imprisonment in Tokyo Episode 1 of 3: Early Days We discussed Steve’s first experience of Japan during the Bubble Era. We heard how he survived and thrived as a newly qualified engineer from abroad in the completely unfamiliar environment of a traditional Japanese company in the early 1980s. Steve then recounted how he returned home to Chicago to earn an accounting degree and join the family business. Eager to return to Japan, years later Steve found a way to go back to Tokyo and take up a position at Nippon Motorola. This time, however, he was treated differently and had to forge new friendships using an unconventional approach. Key take-aways * Success in Japan is determined by adaptability, not just enthusiasm: Steve’s first internship was successful because he followed critical behavioral heuristics: patience, humility, and a willingness to “go with the flow.” In contrast, his later return was initially unsuccessful because he overcorrected—his excessive enthusiasm and assertiveness disrupted group harmony. The core lesson is that cultural calibration matters more than effort or intent. * Making an effort to learn the language is a high-leverage signal that unlocks social and professional access: Even minimal Japanese proficiency (e.g., greetings, phone handling, and basic interactions) significantly improved Steve’s ability to integrate into Japanese society, while his peers who avoided learning the language struggled. Beyond the mechanics of communication, speaking the language signaled respect and lowered barriers, accelerating the formation of trust both inside the company and in broader social settings. * Informal networks, such as izakaya (Japanese pub) and karaoke culture, are critical to relationship-building and business outcomes: Formal workplace channels failed to provide feedback or integration, but informal environments enabled authentic connection. Through repeated, low-pressure social participation, especially karaoke, Steve built relationships, gained acceptance, and generated business opportunities. This suggests that relational capital in Japan is often built outside of formal structures. Link to Session 2 of 3 Link to Session 3 of 3 Silver lining Despite experiencing such a tumultuous journey, which included the meteoric growth of a startup only to be dealt a proverbial “Go to Jail. Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200” card from the Japanese equivalent of the game of Monopoly, there is a silver lining. Steve still loves Japan and was able to “rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” After returning to the United States in 2005, he founded Stellar Risk Management Services in Illinois. Today, the company advises Fortune 500 clients on credit, collections, and financial risk strategies. The company specializes in helping firms expand safely while minimizing exposure to bad debt. Today, Steve publishes a monthly newsletter written in Japanese called The Stellar Journal, which is distributed to roughly 14,000 readers. Timeline Substack does not yet have the functionality to allow you to use a link to jump to a specific section like YouTube’s “chapters.” Please refer to the times listed below to navigate through our hour-long conversation. Thank you for your understanding. Books (by Steve) * 青い目の債権取り立て屋・奮闘記 [https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E9%9D%92%E3%81%84%E7%9B%AE%E3%81%AE%E5%82%B5%E6%A8%A9%E5%8F%96%E3%82%8A%E7%AB%8B%E3%81%A6%E5%B1%8B%E5%A5%AE%E9%97%98%E8%A8%98-%E5%B0%8F%E5%AD%A6%E9%A4%A8%E6%96%87%E5%BA%AB-R-%E3%82%AD-2-1/dp/4094052216] (“Chronicle of the Struggles of a Blue-Eyed Debt Collector”): Published in Japanese. * Making It & Breaking It in Japan: My True Story of Songs, Sins, and Solitary [https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Steven-Gan-ebook/dp/B082Z8HNG7/]: Published in English. Key contacts Website: https://www.stellarrisk.com/ [https://www.stellarrisk.com/] Newsletter: https://www.stellarrisk.com/blog [https://www.stellarrisk.com/blog] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stgan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stgan/] IAESTE Internship: https://iaeste.org/internships [https://iaeste.org/internships] Japan America Society of Chicago: https://jaschicago.org/ [https://jaschicago.org/] Thunderbird School of Global Management: https://thunderbird.asu.edu/ [https://thunderbird.asu.edu/] #JapanBusiness #ForeignEntrepreneurs #StevenGan #CrossCulturalBusiness #JapanLegalSystem #BusinessEthics #CarlosGhosn #DebtCollection #TokyoBarAssociation #TokyoDetentionCenter #ExpatLifeJapan #日本ビジネス)#外国人起業家 #スティーブンギャン #異文化ビジネス #司法制度 #ビジネス倫理 #カルロスゴーン #東京弁護士会 #債権回収 #米国公認会計士 #外資系企業 #アドバンスアンドアソシエイツ株式会社 #延滞売掛金の回収 #与信管理相談士 #キャッシュフロー問題 #日本での外国人生活 #東京拘置所 #RealGaijin #リアル外人 Please note that you can subscribe to Real Gaijin for free. If you are so inclined, you can also purchase an annual subscription for a relatively small fee. However, I understand that even the lowest level of annual subscription allowed by Substack may seem too high for many. If you just want to buy a coffee for Real Gaijin (or maybe a green tea), you can also make a small donation here: https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin [https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin] All levels of support - including just liking a particular article and/or leaving a comment - are very welcome. Thanks again for reading. While Real Gaijin [https://realgaijin.substack.com/] lives in Substack [https://realgaijin.substack.com/], you can also find Real Gaijin on a few other platforms (listed in alphabetical order). https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/ [https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/] https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack [https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack] https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin [https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin] https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_ [https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_] https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin [https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/] Get full access to Real Gaijin at realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe [https://realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]
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