The People

Where to start, so many were involved with people coming from all over the world to create the icon that was Juliana's Tokyo. England, America, Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and of course Japan. Some were only involved in the early planning, others only during the construction and equipment installation. Each and everyone of them contributed to its success.

Juliana's People

There was a cast of thousands who one way or another helped make the Club a success. Some worked for the club directly while others were posted there from the various corporate partners and who just poured their energy and individuality into the Club. On top of this were the many friends and associates we met along the way who assisted, taught and showed us the right way to do things.

Last but not least there were the many people who as customers gave us their loyalty and took us into their hearts. Their energy and dreams inspired us to go on to ever better things and see just how far we could take the concept.

A foreigner in Japan

For most of us foreigners, "gaijins" arriving in Japan was an experience we will never forget, especially since most of us didn't speak the language.

Imagine for a moment that you are once a small child unable to read or write. For a non Japanese speaker in Japan that is you the minute you disembark at Narita airport. You can no longer tell if you should push or pull a door, if somewhere is open or shut and as for working out where to catch a train or a bus, follow the signs that look like a train or bus and see where they lead.

So clutching your japanese business card with the address of the Club on it, you catch a cab from the airport. Wrong, the fare has just cost you your months allowance. Even worse, you opened the cab door to talk to the driver before getting in so now he is mumbling away in complaint as in Japan taxis have automatic doors controlled by the driver and you wrenching it open probably damaged it.

For all foreign staff visiting Japan we ended up providing a briefing pack. What to do, where to go, what not to do and often with the instructions in Japanese, at least that way most people turned up at the Club.

Most of our people in Japan for any length of time began picking up the language. This was polite, but also necessary for your survival, even a little understanding helped you get about and make friends.

I know for myself in the beginning I spent a lot of time talking to small children, they understood my faltering Japanese and they were confident enough to speak their English back to me, whereas most adults were often too shy to speak English especially if they couldn't understand what I was saying in the first place.

Speaking a foreign language is one thing but writing it is another. Japan has three basic languages, with one just for all foreign (non Japanese) words. Normally the first Kanji learnt were the symbols for the names of subway stops although I knew of some people who simply got on the Red train at stop A with instructions to get off at the 5th stop and change to the Green train and then get off at the 6th stop, etc. Sometimes it worked and sometimes you just ended up exploring places you never knew existed.

In the end you simply immerse yourself in the country, culture and language. The more you learn, the more enjoyment you get. All in all Julianas and Japan changed myself and many others forever.

For details of the creative team, click here

For info on people directly involved with the Club click here

For details of the corporate players, click here