Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

The models' room that was the president's office...

What do you think the cause of Nova's bankruptcy was?

METI raided Nova on February 14. They didn't say why, but according to an internal investigation report, inspectors were collecting evidence about bad instructors and problems with being unable to reserve lessons. Anyway, they were done in a few hours and I didn't think it would lead to a serious punishment.

Does anyone know if the instructor thing is for real? This is the first time I've heard of it.

Well nice story. The NOVA that I knew had the staff work, work and work. They had sales targets to make and the managers had meetings all the time. A real waste of time and money sometimes when a fax or memo could have done the job as well as a follow up call or visit from a senior manager.

Perhaps things were different in the 90's when "times where "good" but during the last couple of years leading to NOVA's downfall is nothing like what you wrote, no trips for titled instructors and the raises and all that. The staff worked hard, even in the small schools.

Also many people in the company didn't know who saruhashi was till this year. You know why? The faxes and lack of leadership. The dark clouds have been cleared but not in the way he envision them.

"METI raided Nova on February 14. They didn't say why, but according to an internal investigation report, inspectors were collecting evidence about bad instructors..."

Isn't that typical? Sahashi turns around after sucking the life out of the company and blames the teachers for the company's downfall. The reason for METI's raid on Nova's HQ was clearly stated and it had nothing to do with bad instructor at all. The facts are very clear.

Sahashi is such an idiot. He will never learn.

Perhaps a judge telling him that he is a liar and a three year stint in prison will help Sahashi refresh his memory?

A few questions:

Why go into hiding if he was innocent?
Why give this 'interview' (that's published almost two weeks later) to an unheard of paper?
Why blame METI? They were doing what they are there to do.
Why did all photos of Saruhashi include numerous young, attractive, female staff (not necessarily top sales managers)?
Why say "a similar (multimedia) system sells for $1 million"?
If you are the one responsible, why have you utterly neglected your company and it's employees (before you were removed)?

What an arrogant, insolent, defiant #*^%! He has his head so far up his anus it's ridiculous. I hope he gets what's coming to him. Yet something tells me - somehow - he will escape punishment and wriggle his way out of this.

How can this scumbag continue to lie when faced with the obvious truth. He tries to blatantly deflect responsiblility - ` but according to an internal investigation , inspectors were trying to collect evidence about bad instructors`. We all know the METI`s punishments were due to Saruhashi trying to break contract law - there were over 600 complaints about this. This liar is digging himself deeper in a hole - preferably his grave.

It doesnt matter if its true or not, this is expected in Japan...when in doubt, BLAME THE FOREIGNER! Its so easy, he is communicating to the Japanese not us, where is his apology for putting people on the streets and driving the company into the ground? He is just trying to sweet talk the average salaryman and OL with all this business jibber jabba...Nihonjin will forgive Saruhashi, eventually, but they will never forgive us....

PS, I dont like you formerHT, you are a strange fellow

WE NEED TO PUBLISH AN ARTICLE, IN JAPANESE, AS A REBUTTAL TO ALL THESE RIDICULOUS COMMENTS HE IS MAKING!!! We cant let him get away with this shit!!!

LETS DO IT

I think he is referring to those clowns in tokyo who got busted dealing coke and subsequently ratted on each other in late january. it was really messy; the yaks and nigerians were involved.

My stay in japan was short; only 2 years; so please forgive me for making an uneducated opinion. I love Japan, but during my stay, I notice an inherent racism among japanese; no, "racism" is too strong, perhaps a xenophobe mentality. An implicit boundary between Japanese and foreigners exists; foreigners, despite their efforts, will never be assimilated to Japanese culture. There are Japanese people who are exceptions to
the rule. If my claim is outrageous, I apologize.

If my preceding claim is valid, is this the reason Saruhashi has not been prosecuted by the japanese government. Saruhashi has violated many labor laws, but the wheels of justice turn slowly in japan. So far, the government is not prosecuting Sahashi for mistreating his foreign instructors who are the majority of his employees; Sahashi also maltreats the japanese staff - I sympathize with the staff for the hardship they endure. So if japan refuses foreigners from assimilating in their culture, and Sahashi is guilty of mistreating foreign aliens - would Japan punish one of its own (Sahashi) for mistreating foreigners - the same foreigners that Japan refuses to assimilate in their culture? I would like to see Sahashi punished for his wrongdoings against the Japanese staff and instructors, but I am trying to be realistic. I don't think Japan would penalize its own progeny for ill-treating a group of people that the country would not accept; this is perhaps the reason the government is slow in prosecuting Sahashi.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't have scholarly evidence to support my claim; hence, it is an uneducated opinion. So if i am mistaken, please correct me. I am open to corrections and tactful criticism

1) Regarding the METI raid on Feb 14th Saruhashi stated: "They didn't say why, but according to an internal investigation report, inspectors were collecting evidence about bad instructors and problems with being unable to reserve lessons. Anyway, they were done in a few hours and I didn't think it would lead to a serious punishment.

Saruhashi absolutely knew what was about to happen....The Asahi article here:http://www.asahi.com/special/070614/TKY200706220200.html
(if I am reading it correctly) stated that LDP member Nakayama (who is described as a close associated of Saruhashi's in other reports) went to visit an METI ministry official a few days *in advance* of the raid. The METI was already well aware of the problems at Nova in 2006 and had "flagged for administrative guidance in 2002" (see http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706160085.html). Also... there has never been any report that the raids had anything to do with "bad instructors"... nothing in the news reports or the METI report... zero... that statement is playing on the underlying racism in Japan... shame on him.

2) Saruhashi: "New student signings started to pick up in May, but took a turn for the worse when we were punished by METI in June. I sold off some real estate and securities, but the first delay in paying salaries occurred in July."

- There is already evidence that payments on rent of at least some branches were halted in June. A copy of a letter Nova sent to a landlord was posted in August that puts the first non-payment of rent as mentioned in the letter in June...

3) Saruhashi: "When it looked like salaries for July 25 couldn't be paid, I needed to procure ¥500 million. So, I lent 22 million shares to a consulting company. It was thoughtless now that I think about it, but I agreed to lend 11 million shares in return for ¥495 million. However, the 11 million shares in the contract were returned on August 10 by converting the money I borrowed into a ¥750 million corporate bond on August 6. I requested that the remaining 11 million shares to be returned, but have only received 8 million. This was fraud. I thought about filing a criminal complaint if I didn't receive all of the shares by the end of October."

- That's a lie, A Jasdaq report filed by Nova had stated that the 11mil shares that UBS had aquired were the same as those acquired by BNP... but the UBS shares were returned shortly after (about 5 days later) and UBS commented that the returned shares "were not ours). The UBS shares weren't returned on Aug 10th...it was reported to the Jasdaq on the 10th but the date is Sept 5th IIRC. BNP sold it's shares on the Aug 6th... Saruhashi had sold 11mil shares to BNP through Roots.

3) Saruhashi: "As for the arrest of (big fish) Nishida (Haruo) in connection with this deal (warrants), there have been various rumors, but I've never heard of him."

- well, he's heard of you... and said he was brokering the warrant sales on saruhashi's behalf

4)Saruhashi: "The trustees have said that Ginganet sold videophone systems to Nova at several times the list price, but there was never any intention to reap profits. Moreover, a similar system sold in the United States retails for more than ¥1 million."

-maybe he's trying to compare the crappy ginganet box with the VSX 8400 Video Conferencing System - retails in the US for about $10K... comparing ginganet to the VSX 8400 is like comparing a paper airplane to the space shuttle...

on another point... he forgot to mention how he befitted from the dividends Nova paid on the shares he held.... and only on his shares... over the years... He sucked the company dry and everyone knows it but it seems the Japanese don't want to admit it.

well done.... now if only you could speak japanese, and appear before the newspapers. the trustees only touched part of the story... we need more!

You are such an ass-clown.

Ass-clown comment was directed at former"my head is still in Japan as it is soundly lodged up Sahashi's arse"HT.

I like the way he implies nova was shot down for low quality instructors. They were better teachers than he was a boss!

The AMERICAN government won't do anything about the plight of THEIR OWN PEOPLE/MINORITIES unless there is serious need to do so - like diplomatic pressure from the major ASIAN/HISPANIC/AFRICAN countries that have citizens There. Such as CHINA, MEXICO, SOUTH AMERICA, SENEGAL etc. It's a simple fact.

AMERICA is a culture of ignorance, no, rather a culture of ignoring. What they don't like they ignore. Next time you go to L.A. you will find hundreds of homeless people (maybe thousands) living OFF THE STREETS or the like. It's sad but it's true. LCR why? Because they are different. MOST are insane sure, but A FEW are geniuses. The only thing they have in common is that they are different. And what does the government do? Nothing. Why? Because there is no pressure to do so, as long as the people can SHOP AT WALMART the all is good.

I USED AMERICA, BUT IT GOES FOR ANY OTHER COUNTRY.

Below is a reference to the issue of instructor quality, from a synopsis of a METI press conference held on June 15:

【ＮＯＶＡ】
　
Ｑ：　まず、ＮＯＶＡについての大臣のご所見をぜひ承りたいのと、消費者保護の観点から、何か法制面で見直すべきことが今の時点であるのかどうか、これについてまずお願いします。
　
Ａ：　ＮＯＶＡに関しましては、近年急激な店舗展開がありまして、それに伴いまして苦情件数がこの二、三年で２倍以上に急増しています。これは急展開に伴う質の良い外国人講師の確保が難しかった点と関連しているのではないかと思います。これに伴うトラブルが随分発生をしているわけです。いつでも受講できますといううたい文句でありながら、実はそうではなかったり、受講できないことを理由に退会をする際に、ＮＯＶＡ側の事由であるにもかかわらず、自己都合として処理をしたり、あるいは関係付属品の引き取りを拒否したり等々ありましたので、これは法に照らして適切に対処したと承知をしています。他の案件、事案と比較して、同列対処です。それ以上でも以下でもありません。これは法律に則って対処しているわけです。ただ、これを対象にというわけではないのですが、特商法自身はクレジット契約との関係が悪用されているという点がありますが、そちらの方の法改正は対消費者保護で考えていかなければならないと思っています。

http://www.meti.go.jp/speeches/data_ed/ed070615j.html

These remarks point to the rapid expansion of Nova in recent years as the root cause of the company's problems. This, in turn, led to "difficulty in securing quality instructors" (質の良い外国人講師の確保が難しかった) needed to work in all of these new schools. In this context, although the term "quality instructors" is used, it seems obvious that the real issue was quantity. It doesn't say here that the quality of instructors was poor (as Saruhashi implied), but rather that it was difficult to get enough of them.

As a personal observation (having worked for Nova for more than four years), I would say that if quality really was an issue, it was because instructors were feeling increasingly demeaned by the attitude of the management. Training, which was never Nova's strong point, was reduced to a pathetic parody of what it should have been, had the company even the slightest concern for customer satisfaction. Special courses, such as Toeic, for instance, warranted no more than 40 minutes of "training", often from an AT whose own acquaintance with the material was negligible at best.

The kids program similarly suffered at the hands of poor management, as AAMs insisted that everyone had to do kids classes, aptitude be damned. During a brief tenure as AT, I asked our AAM if anyone ever failed the kids "training", to which she replied, "No, everyone has to do it (teach kids)." In other words, the "personnel quality control" section at Nova was infinitely more interested in control than quality. And it showed, as kids classes became an exercise in poisoning the minds of a generation of Japanese children with the notion that foreigners are clueless, powerless losers who are there to be abused for their amusement.

I vaguely recall, from my early days at Nova, actually thinking well of some of the titled instructors I worked with. Most had something to offer their greener colleagues, and their input was generally appreciated. However, a noticeable trend to squeeze out able people in favour of anybody who would accept new policies without question led to a steady deterioration in quality at the lower- and middle-management levels. Now, finally, we can see quite clearly that this managerial rot emanated from the top, with a president who blames everyone but himself for the company's ruin.

Excellent observations, lorilmag.

Expect an angrily gleeful gallery of ex-Nova in the courtroom when this shit of a human goes to trial. And he will.

He really thinks he's a god - absolutely insane, but not in a way that is forgiven with treatment under Japaese law.

We will make you pay, Saruhashi, you shit!

Those comments are definitely true. I think most instructors didn't know what to expect. When i came we were all surprised by the inadequacy of the training. Some people said that they'd had a choice as to whether they wanted to teach kids or not in the recruiting stage only to find that it wasn't optional once they got here. In 2 1/2 yrs I never saw a teacher have a good first kids lesson, but i heard expletives on several occasions afterwards.

i totally agree that there is racism towards foreigners. and i agree that the training sucked...i'm totally not expecting to ever see that money. nova basically stole from its employees, they took our rent money but did not pay rent? so WHERE did my money go!?! guh.

Its true that people thinking they can carve out a "normal" life for themselves in Japan are ignorant/dillusional. It's also true that Japan has a real problem integrating foreigners into its society - but that is absolutely NO DIFFERENT than being a minority in nearly every country in the world. Deal with it. You can walk the walk, you can talk the talk, but you're not from around there and that never goes away.

That said, as many people have proven in the past, if you can learn to drop your elitist attitudes and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments, you can have a wonderful life in Japan, or just about anywhere for that matter. Only concerned with attaining power, professional status, or wealth? Prepare to be disappointed.

I'm sorry to say that the training at all Language Schools regarding teaching children is about the same. I worked for Nova for 3 years, fortunately leaving before the company went bankrupt, and was employed by another Japanese Language School in Sept 07 (which will remain anonymous).

The point is, I underwent their on-the-job training and it was even less sufficient than Nova's OJT programme. Define adequate training anyway? I completed the PGCE in England and while it was a yearly course, most of what I learnt was theoretical. The practical experience of learning to deal with children could only be learnt through being stuck in the working environment and learning to deal with problems as they arose.

While it would be nice to give language instructors the opportunity to say that they don't wish to and so don't have to teach children, the fact of the matter is that that would lead to larger classes and probably insufficient numbers of 'Kids' instructors.

For all or you "wanna come to Japan to teach English" types... think twice. The ship is sinking, bubble burst, sun is setting... take your pick.

FACT- Stagnant salaries for language teachers in all sectors (or worse yet, dropping in many cases).

FACT- Cost of living going up (gas, food, even your beer).

FACT- Oversupply of foreigners who speak English (the REAL minimum standard you need to work here). Those with better education have slightly better jobs in universities, but THOSE jobs are beginning to be farmed out as well and conditions worsening. Many of the lucky ones who went out on their own and made their own schools are even feeling a pinch these days.

FACT- Visa regulations tightening up, fingerprinting foreigners made a come back, police extremely xenophobic (DO NOT GET INTO THE SLIGHTEST TROUBLE - even night time bicycle ride or an unpaid parking ticket could net you 90+ days in the slammer - see www.debito.org for horror stories)

FACT- Online learning, English soon to be in public elementary curriculum will also eat away at the need for the "foreign" English teacher. Some may say that there will be more ALT jobs, maybe, but...

FACT- ALT jobs are becoming worse than NOVA!!! I came to Japan after earning an Bachelor of Ed. and was an ALT in the early 90's making 360,000/month, benefits, good holidays, directly through the B.O.E. - FLASH FORWARD TO TODAY - That same B.O.E. outsources to three companies (The macDonalds franchises known as: Interact, Altia, and Shane) and teachers (with very little training or experience I might add) get paid average 250,000 with no benefits. If you say "wait a minute, I work at XXXX and it's better than that!" - don't kid yourself.

FACT- they make two-three-four times what they pay ALTs - for all their talk, they really only care about money. I know because I worked for management of an ALT provider for some time. I know the contracts intimately, they say they are all for supporting teachers but if they really were they would be trying to change the system (not in their best money grubbing interest). BI mean...what the heck is a private company doing supplying teachers to the public education system anyway??? Don't you think this is odd?? Shouldn't the B.o.E. have certain standards and hire directly?? I shudder to think of what my children will learn when they enter public school!

FACT- The ALT contract is immoral and probably illegal (see http://www.generalunion.org/News/68?lang=en) - I can't see the situation getting any better. In fact a source at this same B.O.E. I worked at has said that they are considering "11 month contracts" for ALTs so as to avoid trouble with the unions should it come. Already Osaka B.O.E. has hired it's NET for a 4 month contract only (http://www.ofsetunion.org/) , this is certainly an attempt to side step any laws and regulations regarding the hiring of staff.

No, don't come to Japan to find work as an English teacher. Come for the culture or experience if you are interested. There is plenty of work in other sectors (provided you speak Japanese). Many artisans from abroad are finding a home here as well. But there is certainly better places in the world to be teaching English.

Way to improve the discourse about a company that left thousands of teachers and staff. You are the weakest link.