Over the past year, Real Gaijin has introduced a diverse group of foreigners who either live in Japan or have significant ties to the country. To spice things up, we have also interviewed a few Japanese nationals who are engaged with Japan’s foreigner community.

As our viewers have learned, there is no single formula for finding success in one’s adopted country, but all of our guests have one thing in common: they have learned to create their own success. Many have overcome significant personal setbacks, emerging much stronger. Often, the catalyst is a move to Japan.

To conclude the first season of the Real Gaijin AMA podcast series, we were pleased to introduce an “old-timer” who has made the most of his adopted homeland since first arriving in Japan during the heyday of its Bubble economy in the late 1980s. After a varied career, our guest took Hernán Cortés’ advice to “burn the ships” to heart. Cortés was the Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that conquered the Aztec Empire. To motivate his crew and prevent them from considering returning home, Cortés burned the ships that had brought them to the New World. Similarly, our guest made a bold move in 1998 when he moved to Japan full-time and never looked back.

Who is he?

Meet Jeremy Sanderson.

Jeremy is a self-described “poster child for landing on one’s feet.” After arriving in Japan almost penniless and with no prior business experience or qualifications, he went on to create a fantastically happy life that has sustained his family rather well over the years.Jeremy is, of course, incredibly modest. A graduate of SOAS University of London, he is a British entrepreneur who has called Japan home for almost three decades. Jeremy specializes in venture-company market entry consulting and interim management. He has successfully introduced, incorporated, and managed a broad range of companies in Japan, including those in the fields of aids to navigation and safety systems for offshore wind farms, industrial LED lighting import and retail, automotive products import and retail, eyewear import and retail, executive search and human resource services, recruitment process outsourcing management, and serviced office and coworking facility setup and management. Jeremy lives and works in Tokyo, conducting most of his business in Japanese.

Fun facts

Prior to moving to Japan, Jeremy had an eleven-year career in the London Metropolitan Police Force, but he was not your typical “copper” by a long shot! At one point, he was even the guardian of Princess Diana and danced with the late Queen Mother during the famous Ghillies Ball, the annual private dance and dinner hosted by the British monarch at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, which is a formal thank-you event for the estate staff, ghillies (gamekeepers), and local workers who support the royal family during their time at Balmoral.Despite his affinity for Cortés’ famous directive, Jeremy is also an avid sailor. Not only is he the captain of his own vessel Cold Gin, which he keeps in Japan, but he has also crewed on an extended voyage in the North Sea and other waters.

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Key takeaways

As Jeremy alluded throughout the interview, opportunities seemed to fall serendipitously into his lap, which he took full advantage. Some highlights include the following:

* Make Your Own Luck: As Jeremy described, he “fell into” a series of positions throughout his long career as a result of fortuitous circumstances. While there must have been an element of luck involved, Jeremy is a lifelong learner who never settles for doing a half-fast job. Once he sets his sights on something, he throws himself into studying as much as he can about the subject. This approach, as well as his demonstrable networking skills, has helped him make his own luck.

* Overcoming Adversity: Like many entrepreneurs, Jeremy was inspired to start his own business after being fired. He had a falling out with a previous business partner and realized the relationship was no longer viable. Thanks to his extensive personal network, however, it wasn’t long before an investor approached him to become a partner in a new venture. On a deeper level, though, Jeremy was able to overcome adversity because he had consciously decided to make a life in Japan, no matter what it took. He described this as deciding early on whether he would be “living here” or “camping here” (on a more transient basis).

“Many foreign residents in Japan are hedging. They’ve got one foot here and one foot in their own country, thinking, ‘If things go belly-up, I can always go home.’” - Jeremy Sanderson

Jeremy explained that, like Cortés, he “burned his boats” almost upon arrival and certainly after the first year in Japan. Jeremy’s wife, a Japanese national, also strongly supports this philosophy. Years ago, her wise counsel (and undoubtedly still today) reinforced Jeremy’s determination to commit fully to a life anchored in Japan.

* The Higher the Barrier to Entry, the Higher the Reward: Jeremy, building upon his years of experience, advises foreigners who want to make it in Japan to avoid jobs with low barriers to entry, such as teaching English, which many Westerners do. Jeremy was so serious about this idea that he was prepared to sleep in a park before resorting to teaching English.

Timeline

Substack does not yet have the functionality to allow you to use a link to jump to a specific section like YouTube’s “chapters.” Please refer to the times listed below to navigate through our hour-long conversation. Thank you for your understanding.

Key contacts

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-sanderson-62b86734a/

* Sabik Offshore (wind farms): https://sabik-offshore.com/

* TYRI Lights: https://tyrilights.com/

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