In this episode Charlie talks to Alex Fraioli, the owner of Critical Hit Bar in Nagoya. Starting a business in Japan can be an incredibly tough challenge, and while you don’t need Japanese you do need to have a lot of resilience. Alex shares his entrepreneurial journey with us.
We will talk about:
- Alex’s start in Nova, being here in Japan when they went bankrupt and stopped paying their teachers.
- The myth of Japanese eco-friendliness and high-tech (and the dreaded fax machine, killer of trees).
- Studying Japanese by playing video games (this doesn’t work, but it’s fun).
- Figuring out real estate in Japan as a foreigner, how hard it is to find a space and how unimportant your hanko or even your signature can be!
- A tough start to the business with relationship struggles, and other game bar owners being arrested or threatened with copyright notices.
- Alex’s unconventional advice for starting your own business in Japan.
Here’s a map to Critical Hit Bar in Nagoya.
Alex’s Twitch channel: HoodedPitohui
Alex hanging out in the awesome Critical Hit Bar in Fushimi, Nagoya
Subscribe to the Live Work Play Japan podcast on your favourite podcast player!
How much money could you be earning in Japan?
Whether you're a teacher, freelancer, office worker or entrepreneur, you could be making much more money in Japan. Find out how much:
