Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-07-01
Which One Are You? The Three Great Leaders of Japan One of Japan's most famous sayings compares its three great unifiers using a cuckoo (hototogisu): If the cuckoo won't sing... Oda Nobunaga: "...
2026-07-01
Kikuo Ibe: The Engineer Who Refused to Let a Watch Break When people think of revolutionary inventions, they often imagine creating something entirely new. Kikuo Ibe took a different approach. He sim...
2026-06-30
Do Not Look for a Way to Win After the War Has StartedSun Tzu wrote in The Art of War: “The victorious army first wins and then goes to battle. The defeated army first goes to battle and then seeks...
2026-06-30
Before Japan became famous for its whisky, one man traveled halfway around the world to learn how to make it. Masataka Taketsuru (1894–1979), often called the Father of Japanese Whisky, was born in...
2026-06-30
A Timeless Japanese Lesson on Leadership One of Japan's most famous leadership quotes is attributed to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto: "Show them how to do it. Explain it to them. Let them try it thems...
2026-06-30
Probatio Diabolica (The Devil's Proof) There is a concept known as Probatio Diabolica, a Latin phrase often translated as "the Devil's Proof." It refers to the difficulty—or sometimes the impossi...
2026-06-30
People Remember the First and the Last People rarely remember who came in the middle. They remember who was first and who was last. Being first means having the courage to take the initial step. It...
2026-06-30
Flowers or Dumplings? The Practical Wisdom of JapanOne of Japan's best-known proverbs is: 花より団子 (Hana yori Dango)"Dumplings over flowers." At first glance, it sounds like it's about food, but it ...
2026-06-29
Not Every Good Quote Is Japanese Wisdom I recently came across an image labeled "Japanese Wisdom" that said: If it's not yours, don't take it.If it's not right, don't do it.If it's not true, don't ...
2026-06-29
Many Think Japan's Samurai Era Was Anti-Gay and Anti-Lesbian. History Tells a More Complicated Story. Many people assume that samurai-era Japan was hostile toward gay and lesbian people simply becaus...