Malcolm W.

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT MALCOLM W.

I’ve been fascinated by working between Japan and the UK since I first set foot in Fukuoka twelve years ago. I love the idea of traversing the gaps in culture and language to identify and create opportunities. I do that in my current role by employing my knowledge of Japan, its language, and its culture, to provide clients with the trip of a lifetime over their visit. I first talk with clients to find out what the problems they need my help in solving are, what they’re all about as individuals, and what they prioritise and value on a holiday. I then match this information with my knowledge and experiences to create a trip that is truly tailor-made to the client, and one that I hope will stay with them long after arriving back home.I manage a complex post-sales process that can be conducted in both languages and that involves handling large quantities of complex data efficiently- something my previous role gave me plenty of experience in. I enjoyed navigating and explaining cultural distance over my nearly ten years in education, albeit in rather different context and for a very different task. I lived and worked in a small town in rural Japan, teaching English at a junior high school and contributing to internationally-focused projects at the town council. I learnt to speak, read and write Japanese, progressed my teaching, and had an incredible experience immersed in such a different culture. Keen to continue to develop myself, I then moved to a role at very highly-achieving UK school, teaching Japanese, before deciding that I wanted to use my skills in a more commercial setting. I’m proud of constructing itineraries that deliver clients’ must-haves in novel ways that avoid the tourists that Japan now attracts. It’s been incredibly satisfying liaising with Japanese stakeholders to make products better fit with client hopes. In doing so I am motivated by both providing excellent service to the client, and developing the relationship with the stakeholder. I think continuing to work at a language (or banging one’s head against a tastefully designed, beautifully lacquered Japanese wall, depending on the linguistic complexity!) necessitates a healthy measure of interest in self-development. Courses and fixed-term contracts in areas that interest me, and volunteering in my local community are all things I’ve done in this direction in 2020.I’d love to connect with people who feel that my interests and abilities fit with their projects- please don’t hesitate to get in contact. I look forward to talking to you!