“In the modern world, people think they must go to the city to find a job. But the land is full of work — meaningful work — if only we learn to see it.” – Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer, philosopher, and pioneer of what he called Shizen Nōhō  (自然農法) or “Natural Farming,” a radical approach that rejected modern agricultural practices like plowing, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

Originally from New York, Lawrence Kieffer moved to Japan in 1995 and joined a Japanese recruiting firm. In 1999, he shifted gears to join an internet venture focused on web-based recruiting. In 2002, he launched his own executive recruiting firm. He is currently the COO of Fidel Consulting, Japan's leading IT staffing firm. Larry also works as an adjunct professor at Temple University, where he teaches a Professional Development Strategies course to help undergraduates prepare for their careers.

Larry has two children, a son and a daughter. He has spent much of his career in the recruiting world contemplating how to offer career advice to young people from the perspective of a father providing counsel to his children. This led to the creation of The Headhunter Dad newsletter over 15 years ago.

In this short clip, Larry responds to a question posted in the chat during the live video session about job opportunities for foreigners outside of Japan’s major metropolitan areas. Job opportunities do exist. However, Japanese language proficiency tends to be even more critical in the countryside.

For more insights from Larry, please listen to the entire hour-long podcast.