Third Space Tokyo (TST) is an English language co-creation company
serving mission-driven organizations based in Japan.
*In the context of Japan, English is a tool.*
Founders, directors, and CEOs of mission-driven organizations care about language to the extent that it is a tool that can help them to achieve a goal. This is even more true when a language is not primary and using it takes extra effort. In the case of Japan, “because it's a global language” is not a good enough reason to spend resources on translation and English education. We help leaders to define their audience and to pinpoint the most efficient and effective way to incorporate English into a communications strategy.
We have also found that knowing some English, but not enough to feel bilingual or bicultural, preserves the “emotional distance” effect that happens when we think and speak a foreign language. If you have ever felt “more logical” when using a foreign language, then you have experienced this effect. We offer one-hour sessions that give leaders the opportunity to talk through their vision and challenges in English. We have been told that “everything feels clearer” after these sessions, and the sessions help even if the decisions and actions that follow will be carried out in Japanese.