BRIDGING THE GAP - Ron McFarland - Lance E. Lee Podcast - Episode #307

Ron McFarland has dedicated his entire adult life to Japan, commencing as an English teacher in Tochigi prefecture. While pursuing graduate studies in international business at Sophia University, he adeptly balanced the demands of student life with teaching responsibilities. Ron reminisces fondly about that period when he resided in a Japanese apartment and frequented the public bath or sentoh. There was a unique sense of community and serenity, wherein Tokyo felt more like a collection of a thousand villages centered around communal sentohs. Subsequently, Ron assumed the role of a trainer for the sales team at Isuzu Motors, a position that saw him traverse the globe in pursuing his professional endeavors.
0:00 Intro
0:33 Family ties, my mother & Judaism
4:22 Father was good with numbers, based in Ohta-ku, Tokyo
7:16 San Jose State University: business management degree, international business and sales development
10:49 Learning Japanese, management job at F. W. Woolworth, big brother role to women
14:44 English teaching job in Utsunomiya, Sophia University graduate program
18:42 The “sentoh” experience, sense of tranquility, language class at university
24:30 Education can be free, hired at Isuzu, marriage, and staying in Japan
27:57 Weaknesses and strengths of the U.S., Japan’s strengths, training the sales force around the world
34:02 21 years at Isuzu, overseas sales for Unika
36:39 Writing articles and speaking engagements, challenges as a “healthcare professional.”
39:27 Advice to Ron in high school - your family is not necessarily your biological family; you can find supporters where you least expect