The languages I speak

Since I moved to London in 2010, I have been learning English very hard. Under the Japanese educational system, I studied English for more than 8 years at school, but I hardly had a chance to speak English, so I hesitated to talk when I first came to London. Like many Japanese students, I was too shy to talk English, because I was so afraid of failure, and I think it is sort of psychological self defence. As a human being, I wanted to look good and be thought to be good. However, if that becomes my first priority, I believe I cannot make progress. Thus, I decided to dive into the British society.

In 2010, there were some organisations which supported migrants to integrate into society. Speaking a local language is essential to make a living, so English courses were provided in the organisation. The organisation was called Migrants Resource Centre, which later consolidated to another organisation, and later closed their operation. Now in 2021, Brexit is complete, and, in my sense, the British society is not as friendly for migrants as it used to be, so when I first came to London, I was lucky in a sort of serendipity.

Now I use English for my practice as a lawyer, but learning a language never stops. In addition, it makes me aware of using Japanese as well. The Japanese language is my first language, but explaining something for others to understand easily is not the same as speaking in our daily lives.

Empathy for others is also important for communication. Language is a tool of communication, and we are social creatures, so it is worth noting to learn new languages.

司法書士堀明子 – HORIakiko –
司法書士 / ビジネスコンサルタント / ライフ・コーチ
Shiho-shoshi Lawyer / Business consultant / Life coach
Email:　horiakiko@lawhelp4u.com
Tel: +81-(0)3-3249-1536 https://lawhelp4u.com/blog/

My career and business experiences

Hello. It is Akiko HORI, Shihoshoshi lawyer in Japan. Today, I would like to talk about my career and business experiences.

I started my career at the Industrial Bank of Japan after my college graduation, and was in charge of reception and secretarial work. I wrote “my career”, but in reality, it was not as such, and I did only general office administration, but I enjoyed working there, because the bank was one of the leading banks in Japan. I saw many company executives and smart people, but I felt inferior at the same time, and decided to study something. I took the Secretarial Skills Test, 1st Grade, but I still felt it was not enough.

Since then, I was thinking what kind of qualification I should have, and I realised there are so many disputes in society, and I want to avoid those troubles. In addition, in order to know how society is structured when agreements and rights enter into the practical need to acquire knowledge and to avoid problems in advance, I studied for the Shihoshoshi Lawyer qualification exam, and passed the exam in 2006 and after 1 year’s work experience at a law firm, opened own law office in 2008.

While managing my own office, I focus on building business networks, performing daily legal work and registration work. However, as an individual, I cannot cover everything, so I need help some time, and I want to offer support. My work is a referral basis, and there are other people in society. Humans are social creatures.

Things might be hard especially for non-Japanese people in Japan, because in general, in Japan, co-operation with society is most important, and individual ideas and individual happiness tend to be ignored. However, when one door closes, a new door opens. I am here to help if needed.

I will update every Monday.
For more information
Japanese business consultant
Shihoshoshi Lawyer
(Judicial Scrivener)

Akiko HORI

How can we help?

Happy New Year 2018

Happy New Year 2018!

Very best wishes to all on New Year day. I hope today will bring you all joy and happiness.

We need to keep some part of our strength in reserve, to rely on if things get really difficult. Let’s try to keep our mind and body active, which is the best way to keep physically and mentally fit longer.

I have so many things to thank everyone I met for, things I experienced.

In 2018, I am still Shihoshoshi Lawyer and I want to help people to set up a legal entity or buy a property in Japan.

Akiko HORI

For more information
Shihoshoshi Lawyer Akiko HORI

Legal Advice for Business in Japan

How to Buy a property in Japan

A Happy New Year in 2017

A fresh New Year has just started.

I always think every day has a fresh start to it so that I don’t very much care about the New Year but I like the Japanese proverb “Decisions made on New Year’s Day are the key to a successful year.”

What I think about on New Year’s Day is the past.
I wonder what my life would have been if I hadn’t become a lawyer.

Many people applaud me because I am smart but I only graduated from Junior College (only a two year course) and when I entered the Junior College, I had only taken the interview, not a test paper.
When I was a high school student, I hated calculation and I only studied maths calculations, not written maths questions and passed just a little higher than the borderline.
Even when I become old enough, I failed the Financial Planner examination and I am still not good at multiplication.

All the time I was studying law, I strongly believed in myself, that I was good and I could make every effort to progress, and I inspired myself.

My confident idea is that:
Anybody can be discouraged.
Everybody has drawbacks.
Anybody can feel unhappy.
Nobody has any big differences from others.

When I use the words above, some people say I have anything and I look down ordinary people.
I feel a little sad when I hear something like that but I cannot blame them.
It is arrogant if I expect others to take account my thoughts.
All I can do is to look after myself and decide for myself.

It is more than enough if I am confident about my life and I do my best when making my decisions.

For more information
Shihoshoshi Lawyer Akiko HORI

Legal Advice for Business in Japan

How to Buy a property in Japan

My idea about Education

I myself started studying English when I was adult. Studying has been enjoyable but it was tough to master. First of all, accent is different. I work hard to improve it but it seems impossible as my mother tongue already fully developed.

When I see my child, he is very flexible and deft. He was born in London and he went to a local nursery. He was taking English shower almost all the time. Even though he came back Japan,  I sent him to an English nursery.

However unfortunately nobody around me understand why I do like that. Some criticise my child gets confused learning 2 languages at the same time and others say he must follow Japanese rule.

I believe children’s potential intelligence and when he gets older, English becomes much more common language and using English is essential.

I want to give him every opportunity that I can give and if he throws it as he gets older, that would be his choice.

As a working mother, I strongly hope that a lot of children have an equal opportunity to learn. Not only English but other stuff.

Work-life-balance in Japan

Hello. I am Akiko Hori, a Shihoshoshi lawyer in Japan.
Thank you for reading this.

Already one month has passed since I came back to Japan.
Now I am going to greet my old clients and colleagues.
They are all helpful and said they are happy to work with me again.

We never know what may happen in future and even though they said they will, some might not work with me.

You may feel that what I say is negative, but I am really very positive.

I always believe that clients choose me because of my personality.
If I stay positive and can attract people, that will bring me a good luck.
Even though I like to work with someone, he might not want to work with me, but never mind.
Something new will come in the future.
I will still get in touch with a person like this though, as he might change his mind in future.

Anyway, now I have to do my legal work, do my housework and look after my kid, who is 20 months old.
I found a nursery for him and he goes there from 10am to 2pm every day.
He is very playful and doesn’t sleep much.
He sometimes gives me a hard time but he is still my lovely baby.

Despite my affection to him, I need my own time, too.
I told my husband that he must look after our boy at weekends because I want to have some rest then, as he is busy and has no time for child care on weekdays.
I work hard during the weekdays and want my husband to work hard during the weekends.
So my husband took my baby to a playgroup last Saturday.
There he was said to be amazing, just because he took our son to a playgroup.
Is only taking a baby to somewhere amazing!?!?
Such a traditional country…

Traditionally, raising kids is women’s work and earning money is men’s work in Japan.
Nowadays things are getting changed, and a couple may both work, but still people think that in traditional way.

I hope I can break that rule and that people will become freer to choose work, stay at home, earn money or take longer holidays.

There is one digression, in Japan,it is not appreciated if you take holidays.
People normally take only a week of holidays annually.
If someone took a holiday for a month or two, he might loose his job.

I know a lot of people who have a holiday only once in 3 or 5 years.
Please value the quality of life…

Now we have to think about the balance betwween personal life and work.

Hello from Akiko Hori

Hi, there!

I am Akiko Hori, a Shihoshosi lawyer, now living in Tokyo, Japan.

I was living in London for 3 and half years, but I am now in Tokyo.

I don’t want to lose my English and want to tell people what a Shihoshosi lawyer is and how I work.

I would also like to write something about Japan, such as its strange culture, unique custom and so on.

It will be all from my own point of view, so the contexts of this blog are from my personal ideas.

I hope the people who see this blog will enjoy it and understand what Japan is.

Regards,