The relocation professionals: sometimes trusting the experts is the best bet for stressed out expats trying to navigate a new culture - Relocation In Japan

Japan, Inc., Nov, 2002 by John Roberts

The logistics of moving to Japan can be a stressful challenge that distracts relocating expatriates from the positive cultural and professional experience. Luckily, there is a diverse array of relocation specialists in Japan that aim to ease the transition. J@pan Inc readers contemplating a move to Japan may wonder if their situation fits the services of such companies. Therefore, we will explain the roles of our featured relocation specialists and describe some things they do to lessen the culture shock a Japan expatriate might experience. From a broader economic perspective, we will examine what effect Japan's recession and the struggling US economy have had on the relocation service industry.

ReloJapan offers comprehensive services focused entirely on providing assistance to firms relocating employees to Japan, including everything from orientations to tenancy and expense management as well as disaster recovery services. The company focuses on customer service excellence, close attention to the specific needs of clients, and technology that provides what it calls "a new level in Japan relocation support services." ReloJapan works with partner relocation companies throughout the world as well as directly with companies in Japan and abroad. Their customers are primarily from the US, however there are also a great number from the UK and Australia, and they also assist transferees relocating from other European nations and South American countries.

"Related specifically to 'culture shock' treatment, ReloJapan offers cross-cultural orientation sessions," says Shanna Keller of ReloJapan. "We support everything from the housing decision and preparation to researching specific needs a client may have." The company is dedicated to continuously developing its experienced staff so it can answer questions one may not even know to ask, thereby ensuring a successful Japan experience.

Due to the economic climate, ReloJapan has found that the number of expatriates coming to Japan is certainly lower than the number leaving. "While extravagant packages may not be as commonplace as in recent years, most companies realize that providing relocation packages is a vital part of a successful relocation and continue to make this essential investment," says Ms. Keller.

Asian Tigers Premier Worldwide Movers specializes in the international transportation of household goods and personal effects. Services include: packing in the home, local transportation, shipping overseas by both air and sea and final delivery to the new destination of the client. It is also able to place comprehensive insurance coverage on the items being shipped in the event something unforeseen occurs.

"For customers moving into Japan, Asian Tigers provides them with a complimentary welcome package that contains many useful reference tools to assist them in adjusting to their new life in Japan. Many employers actually do a fairly good job of this as well, but our objective is to ensure that everyone moving into Japan has some good basic head-start information about transportation, schools, shopping, etc.," says Nick Masee of Asian Tigers Premier Worldwide Movers.

Regarding the effects of Japan's recession and recent corporate trimming of expatriate benefits, Mr. Masee admits that some companies are taking a serious look at the benefits they extend to their foreign staff as the economy continues to struggle. "When times are tough, logically everyone finds ways to tighten their belt, whether they are an individual of a company," he says. "Living overseas has its challenges--being away from family, friends, your normal routine--so in exchange most employers have to offer incentives to make the time overseas more appealing. Take away too much of that and people then begin to question what the value is for them in what they are sacrificing."

Crown Relocations is a move management company with over 37 years of experience and a diverse array of helpful services. The company assists with temporary accommodations, home search, school search, preview trips, orientations/settling-in services, immigration/visa requirements and cross cultural training. Crown Relocations also offers management services such as tenancy expense management and assignment cost management.

The company does some unique things to lessen the culture shock a Japan expatriate might experience. It assists them by showing them how they can get plugged into an everyday routine as quickly as possible, explains Louis Pimentel, General Manager of Crown Relocations. "Once they have settled into this familiar and secure routine, they can alse begin to explore the cultural and social aspects of Japan that are different from their own country, and the culture shock becomes a learning experience."

In response to the notion that there have been fewer extravagant expatriate relocation packages being given to foreigners coming to Japan, Mr. Pimentel says, "Keep in mind that one of the biggest costs of an expatriate assignment is housing--and the price in housing has come down in Tokyo at the same time that corporations have been trying to control the costs of their global assignments. We do see that a lot of companies are more strictly enforcing their existing allowance policies, whereas in the past many exceptions were made--leading to some fairly extravagant relocation costs."