#7: Talking Human Sex Trafficking with Shihoko Fujiwara
The difference between Japanese and Western culture extends way beyond language. Japanese values, landscapes and cuisine are what make it an amazing place to visit. But Japan has a dark problem which its policies and people have failed to tackle- human sexual exploitation. I’m joined by Shihoko Fujiwara, the founder and former Director of Lighthouse, a non-profit organisation focussed on helping the victims of human sex trafficking in Japan. We talk about how she became an activist in human sex trafficking, her perspectives on the two different cultures having lived in Japan and the US, and what is being done to stop exploitation of vulnerable people in Japan.
Follow Shihoko on LinkedIn.
The comms take-aways
We miss face to face. When you’re working in stressful and emotionally charged situations, it’s important to be face to face with the people you’re dealing with to accurately gauge and convey your thoughts and feelings.
Get to the point. A big difference between English and Japanese is the way you structure a sentence. Although it may be respectful and beneficial to tell someone why you’re asking for a favour, sometimes it can come off too flowery or even passive aggressive! So make sure you know how your audience like to be addressed.
Things from the episode
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