Letter from Boston Conceptual American Import By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
アメリカの概念、日本に続々流入 先月、雅子さんが教授の研究旅行に同行して日本を訪れたとき、驚いたことがいくつかありました。特に驚いたのは、オフィス機器を使ってサービスを提供する会社が日本に進出していることでした。この会社の成功の秘けつは何なのでしょうか。最近目にした記事を基に、雅子さんが解説してくれます。

One of the things that surprised me most about my trip to Japan in February was the number of Starbucks coffee shops sprouting up in the Tokyo area. It's true that there are at least five places within a 10-minute walking distance from my office in Boston where I can get Starbucks coffee. But since it's only been a few years since Starbucks has become a major player in the area, I didn't expect it to catch on in Japan so quickly. On the other hand, McDonald's and 7-Eleven have already succeeded in Japan, so perhaps it's not too surprising this stylish, inexpensive coffee shop would flourish as well.

I was perhaps a bit more surprised to hear an American friend in Japan tell me that she had been working on her resume at Kinko's. Kinko's is a chain store that claims to be an office away from the office. I've used the fax machines and copy machines at Kinko's a few times in the past couple of years, but it never occurred to me that it was a cutting-edge international store until quite recently.

It was only a few months ago that I read a glowing report about Kinko's success in a major national magazine. The article said that one of the reasons it's been doing so well is because it has been tapping into the huge market of small business owners.

Entrepreneurship does not seem to be a very common mentality in Japan, and this is why I was surprised that Kinko's had entered the Japanese market. I think many Americans dream of starting a one-person company and then turning it into a multimillion dollar international corporation.

However, it's hard to actually attract and retain clients without laser-printed resumes, laminated business cards, shiny color brochures and Web pages with plenty of fancy graphics. It's also impossible to have a truly professional office without a fax number and an Internet connection.

Kinko's provides all of these services at a reasonable rate, so starting entrepreneurs don't have to spend a small fortune to buy a computer, fax machine, copy machine, color printer, photo scanner and various software programs. In addition, many of the stores are open 24 hours a day, so it's possible to deal with emergency business needs at all times. Indeed, I used to find it useful for faxing things to Japan at midnight.

I'm not surprised that others would find this kind of facility useful as well, but that alone does not explain the chain's popularity. The article that I read said that the stores provide a kind of peer interaction that people who work at home crave.

There's something invigorating about working in a bustling room filled with other working people, even if there is no direct interaction among the people. Although I'm a full-time student, I understand this feeling, since I know how hard it is to do homework in my own comfy bedroom.

In fact I am writing this article at a Kinko's in New York City (ironically, there is a Starbucks right across the street). Even though it is a Sunday night, there are several people in the computer room with me. At $12 (¥1,440) an hour, the computers are not cheap enough for people to want to use them without purpose. Other people here are using the copy machines or sending faxes. There are UPS and FedEx drop-off boxes within the Kinko's office, and there's even a small store that sells fancy stationery and office products.

Because the business atmosphere is not quite the same in Japan as it is in the States, I'm not sure whether Kinko's will spread as rapidly in Japan as Starbucks has. Laser printed resumes don't seem to be as important in a country in which hand-written applications still are the rule, and where people don't change jobs as often.

Also, the Internet still seems to be more of a toy than a necessity for most Japanese people. In the States, even people at ivory tower universities, from undergraduates to crusty old professors, cannot function without the Internet. Homework is often given via e-mail, and solutions are often posted on the Web.

When I was an undergraduate, class discussions were often held on the Internet, and e-mail was often the only way to get in contact with professors, club members and potential employers. I can only imagine that this flow of information is even more important for entrepreneurs.

Although Kinko's, the store, has entered Japan, it remains to be seen whether the Kinko's concept will take root as well.

Shukan ST: April 2, 1999

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