Episode 22

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Published on:

16th Jan 2023

Getting your dream rugby job in Japan with Jess Souchon

Do you want to be part of the up and coming professional rugby scene here in Japan? Jess Souchon, Performance Analyst for the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars shares her story of how she not only became a performance analyst but was offered a position of a lifetime here in Japan. Jess shares how she overcame initial frustration to accept and embrace the cultural challenges of working in Japan and finding that things were different to what she was used to in New Zealand but different can also be good.

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In this episode you’ll hear:

  • How Jess created a career as a sports analyst in New Zealand
  • How she came to be the performance analyst for the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars
  • Arriving in Japan and adjusting to the cultural differences of working in Japan
  • Jess’ advice for people wanting to get into professional rugby in Japan

About Jess

Hailing from the Waikato Jess is currently a Performance Analyst in Japan for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited - Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars rugby team for the last two years. 

Jess loves all kinds of sport and is passionate about helping athletes to perform well out on the court, out on the field and out on the pitch.  In her previous roles, Jess was a head performance analyst for the Counties Manukau Steelers in the Mitre 10 Cup and she was also the Northern Stars netball team head performance analyst as part of the ANZ partnership.

Links

Website: https://dynaboars.mhi.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynaboars/ 


Jandals in Japan is brought to you by Catherine O’Connell Law and PodLaunch with Jayne


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About the Podcast

Jandals in Japan
Bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun
The best show about New Zealanders doing business in Japan, bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun
How do you build a brand in Japan and nurture a loyal customer base?
What do you need to have in your tool belt if you are thinking of coming to Japan to launch a business here?
Japan is often considered to be in the "too hard" basket but we are here to open up the black box of doing business in Japan.
We will share stories from successful Kiwis selling their products and services here in Japan.
They'll tell you their tips for success and pitfalls to avoid.
They'll share their challenges and what they did to overcome them.
They will tell you things you can't find in textbooks or on the internet.
We will also be sharing the latest intel and insights on Japan from our on-the-ground presence
And you'll hear some super business culture and other tips from us sprinkled throughout.
Grab a glass of sake and let's get into it.
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About your hosts

Jayne Nakata

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Jayne Nakata is a Southland girl who arrived in Japan in 2002, planning to stay just two years. 20 years later she is still living in Fukushima Prefecture with her Japanese husband and two children. When the triple disaster hit in 2011, Jayne made the commitment to stay in Fukushima and contribute to rebuilding the area. She is the host of the award winning podcast Transformations with Jayne, which is a favourite with international women living in Japan. She is also the double award winning podcast producer and manager for PodLaunch with Jayne.

Catherine O’Connell

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Born and bred in Christchurch, Catherine O'Connell landed in Japan in 2002, on a one year contract, and 20 years later she's planted her feet firmly in Japan. She built a wealth of business and cultural experience working at the coal face of brand-name Japanese corporates as in house legal counsel. Catherine took a leap of faith down the entrepreneurial route launching her own multi award-winning boutique law firm in Tokyo in 2018, being the first Kiwi and first foreign female to do so. She is Vice Chair of the Australian & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan and helps businesses thrive in the Japan market delivering business insights meshed with legal instincts. Catherine is also host of the award-winning Lawyer on Air Podcast.