Catherine’s Monthly Wrap Up - August 2025
August: Low Power Mode continued 🔋
It was a hot August night… actually, a whole chain of them! Tokyo sizzled its way into the record books, and suddenly a “mild” 33°C day felt like sweater weather. Who knew 35–37°C on repeat could make us grateful for anything under 34?
And while the heat had me running on low power mode, life still sparked with adventures worth sharing. Here’s the August highlight reel:
🌻🎸“From Sunflowers to Second-Hand Treasures
Who says treasure hunts are just for kids? This month I discovered the joyful rabbit hole that is Hard Off! With two friends in tow, we zigzagged through countryside stores like bargain-hungry pirates.
First stop: a wall of guitars. Then came the haul: LPs, a retro enamel lampshade for my home office, champagne flutes that practically clinked themselves, beveled crystal shot glasses,a blue x white pot, and (curveball!) a book about Japan’s first female judge.
Between shopping sprees, we stumbled into a sea of sunflowers; glowing fields of gold. I even took some home, and let me tell you: sunflowers freshly cut from the field outlast florist bouquets by days. Sunshine science at work!
🥂🇳🇿 95 Lamb Chops later … Wakanui NZ Restaurant: A Decade Under Tokyo Tower
This month I also had the joy of celebrating a milestone close to my Kiwi heart - the 10-year anniversary of Wakanui NZ Restaurant at its current home opposite Tokyo Tower.
Makoto Kinjo, the restaurant’s manager, hosted a fabulous evening filled with perfectly grilled lamb chops (of course!), New Zealand wines, and plenty of laughter. I always thought of myself as a loyal Wakanui “frequent flyer,” but that crown goes to a superfan who has dined there 95 times. Ninety-five! 🏆
No wine-and-food voucher prizes for me this time, but honestly, sharing the night with friends, great food, and that glowing Tokyo Tower backdrop was the real prize.
🎙️ CriticalEye: Mic On Me
Usually I’m the one asking questions, but this month I hopped into the hot seat for CriticalEye’s quickfire podcast. Think “speed dating,” but with CFOs. My big takeaways?
✨ Numbers → Narrative
✨ Engage, don’t broadcast
✨ Beyond the P&L = risk + opportunity + value
✨ Outside-in lens: bring market signals
✨ Train like an athlete
I turned the full conversation into a practical playbook for CFOs (linked below). Spoiler: mentoring magic is involved, and yes, you can DM me if “CFO board engagement” is on your radar.
📖 Myth-Busting in the Boardroom: Nikkei X Woman Spotlight
As a subscriber to Nikkei X Woman, I came across an article this month that I had to share. It’s in Japanese, but packed with lived wisdom, so here’s the upshot in English — with my own reflections layered in.
The feature tells the story of a Japanese woman who secured her first board seat at age 38 — shattering the stereotype that board roles only begin to crack open in your 40s or 50s. 🚀
Her journey is a powerful case study in:
Proactivity – putting yourself forward, even when the odds feel slim
Persistence – staying the course, even when doors don’t open right away
Reframing challenges as opportunities – a mindset shift that changes everything
For aspiring board members in Japan, this story busts the myth of “waiting your turn.” The boardroom is not just about seniority, it’s about readiness, visibility, and courage to step up sooner than tradition might suggest.
🔗Link to the Nikkei X Woman article is in the comments on LinkedIn
✍️ Red Pen Wisdom with Case Kenny
Instagram’s red-pen philosopher himself, Case Kenny, zoomed into my August. Two hours of sharp, mindful insights later, all captured in red pen, of course, I walked away with refreshed optimism.
His mantra is = Keep mindfulness simple, hopeful, and relatable. From bestselling journals to his books That’s Bold of You and The Opposite of Settling, Case has built a legacy of nudging people past self-doubt into self-trust.
See in this blog a couple of his latest red pen mastery and proof we were on line together
🍷 Otsukaresama, Ambassador Hamish Cooper
The Kiwi crew in Tokyo (some of the 4,000 strong community in total!) gathered at Hotel Indigo Shibuya Tokyo, to farewell NZ Ambassador Hamish Cooper as he heads off to London as High Commissioner. It was casual, heartfelt, and thanks to Hamish’s private stash of Craggy Range wine and Moa IPA, which was so distinctly Kiwi. Here’s to six years of service to support New Zealand’s interests in Japan and the memories of steering through Covid together. All the best to Ambassador for being High Commissioner.
🔒 Defense Day with Fujitsu
Board work comes with a few “hush hush” moments, but let’s just say, Defense Solution Day is a yearly highlight. What I can share is the pride I feel seeing Fujitsu’s contribution to innovation and national security. Goosebumps, every time.
☕ Out & About
Even in Tokyo’s melting-point summer, I braved the heat to catch up with Rika Beppu — board director, Women in Law Japan leader, and past Lawyer on Air guest. Bonus: I finally snapped her official mug-shot with her podcast mug!
Speaking of podcasts…
🎧 Podcast Power
Two podcasts. Three powerhouse stories. Endless inspiration.
Lawyer on Air – Ep 5: Olga Belosludova
💎 First Russian woman to pass Japan’s bar exam
💎 Triple-qualified lawyer (yes, three jurisdictions!)
💎 Her dual-goal secret to avoiding burnout
🎧 Listen here
Lawyer on Air – Ep 6: Ambassador Mylene Garcia-Albano
🌏 From courtrooms to Congress to diplomacy
🌏 How law fuels leadership
🌏 Her myth-busting take on women in power
🎧 Listen here
Jandals in Japan – Ep 67: Charles Wilson
🥛 From NZ cows to Japan’s wellness shelves
🥛 Tatua Japan’s CEO on dairy, protienization & strategy
🎧 Listen here
🍰 A Graduation Toast over Afternoon Tea at Two Rooms
To round out August, I marked a personal milestone with dear friends, my graduation from the Toyota Board, celebrated in the most delightful way: an afternoon tea at Two Rooms in Kita Aoyama.
Their brand-new seasonal tea set was pure sunshine on a plate, inspired by sea breezes and summer fruits. Picture this:
✨ 8 kinds of jewel-like seasonal sweets
✨ 5 kinds of savory bites (gone in seconds!)
✨ Homemade scones with clotted cream & seasonal confiture
✨ Unlimited pours of premium Newby teas ☕
✨ …and yes, the champagne upgrade button was most definitely pressed 🥂
It was a quiet yet meaningful celebration, not just marking the close of one chapter, but also toasting new collaborations, connections, and the next adventures ahead, and the gorgeous gift of an autumnal wreath was so beautifully symbolic for this new season starting!
And to close…
🪴 Kiwi Roots in Tokyo Soil
Confession: I used to swear by real plants only. Then I stumbled on a faux fern with baby koru fronds (rare in Japan!) and it now anchors my little NZ corner, right next to my neon “Kia ora” sign, bronze kiwi bird, and firm logo.
Eight years since founding my law firm in Tokyo. Five months in my new office. Every detail whispers of home while grounding me right here in Japan.
👋 And that’s August. A month of low power mode, yet still buzzing with sunflowers, stories, red pens, Tokyo Tower toasts, and champagne-topped afternoon teas accompanied by an autumnal wreath. Proof that even on low power, the right company and a little sparkle can fully recharge the spirit. ✨
See you in September … refreshed and ready for what’s next. 👋
See you next month! 👋
Catherine