Catherine’s Monthly Wrap Up - July 2025
July: Running on Low Power Mode 🔋
July came in hot - literally. With record-breaking temperatures and daily heatstroke alerts across Japan, we are all operating in low power mode. 🥵
After the full-tilt adventures of June (Osaka heat, Tokyo hustle), I spent much of July focusing on recovery, cooling down, and a bit of quiet reinvention. If you're heading to Japan over the next few weeks, bring:
👒 A wide-brim hat
☂️ A sun umbrella
⚡Electrolyte drinks (trust me, Japan has them in every convenience store)
Also… I may have gone 98% #DryJuly (more on that below). Let’s take a look at what July delivered! ⬇️
🎬 A Need for Speed in Iwaki
Quick trip. Air-conditioned cinema. Fast cars. Perfect combo.
I caught the F1 Movie in Iwaki, and loved it. Brad Pitt doing his own stunts, cockpit scenes filmed on an iPhone (yes, really), and a cameo from real-life Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson? I was hooked.
Having stood on the grid with the GR Toyota Racing Team at Fuji Speedway, this felt personal. And for those wondering why it’s just landing in Japan now - doing the subtitling in Japanese takes time. 🇯🇵🎞️
Also, shout out to Dad, who used to say I drove like Stirling Moss. I’ll take that compliment. 🏎️💨
🌱 The Quest Plant Has Landed
Massive thanks to Kirsten O’Connor for delivering the most perfect plant to brighten up my new office. It’s officially part of the team now, sitting proudly on my desk and softening the edges of my workspace (and maybe me, too). 💚
Check out Kirsten’s fantastic educational biz for kids in Tokyo: QUEST TOKYO KK
🎤 CriticalEye: When the Mic’s on Me
Oops… I did it again. 🎙️ This month I got to sit in the hot seat for a quickfire “speed dating” podcast segment for CriticalEye, all about why CFOs matter more than ever.
We covered everything from:
Mentoring the next-gen CFOs
How to move from data to narrative
What future-proofing looks like at board level
Episode drops in August - stay tuned as I will share in the next blog.
☕➡️🍵 From Coffee Queen to Green Tea Convert?
If you know me, you know coffee is practically my brand. But July brought a little health hiccup (hello, sore throat and fever), and with it… a mini wellness rebellion.
💡 Enter: Green Tea. Just one premium black coffee a day now (still loyal), and the rest? 🍵✨ A shoutout to Jayne Nakata for nudging me back to my Japanese roots!
So what are the benefits? Glad you asked:
🧠 Brain boost
🔥 Fat-burning (yes please)
💧 Gentle hydration, perfect for this heat
🥂 Ideal partner for my 98% #DryJuly (reserving 2% for sparkling moments!)
It has felt like a quiet reset. Sometimes the smallest shifts bring the biggest lift.
What are you sipping on these days?
🎧 Podcast Power: Lawyer on Air & Jandals in Japan
July brought some truly mic-drop moments.
🔹 Lawyer on Air - Season 10, Ep 4: Olga Belosludova
A Siberian-born trailblazer, Olga became the first Russian woman to pass Japan’s bar exam. She's now qualified in THREE jurisdictions — and still climbing.
In this episode:
💎 How she beat the brutal 4% pass rate
💎 Her dual-goal secret to avoiding burnout
💎 Why internal translation wins in legal settings
🎧 Listen here
🔹 Lawyer on Air - Season 10, Ep 5: Ambassador Mylene Garcia-Albano
From courtroom to Congress to the world’s largest Philippine Embassy — the first female Philippine Ambassador to Japan shares how law, politics, and diplomacy all connect.
In this episode:
🌏 Pro bono work that shaped a career
🌏 How legal skills power diplomacy
🌏 Her myth-busting take on women in leadership
🎧 Listen here
🔹 Jandals in Japan - Episode 67: Charles Wilson
Tatua Japan’s CEO shares how dairy + proteinization = success in Japan’s wellness market.
🥛 From New Zealand cows to Japanese consumers, this one’s a fascinating look at global strategy.
🎧 Listen here
Two podcasts. Three powerful stories. And so much more to come.
📘 Book Plug: The One I Wish I’d Had
As the host of a podcast for lawyers building careers in Japan, I often think:
“What do I wish I’d known at the start?”
This month, I read The Circle by Steven Moe - and I can confidently say: this is the book I wish had landed in my hands back then.
Why? Because it’s about:
💫 Finding purpose
💫 Building community
💫 Giving forward through mentorship
I especially loved the chapters on Community and Mentorship — they reflect everything I now believe a legal career should include.
I got to talk with a bright young intern this week, mid-way through her undergrad, and I thought — maybe I can be someone’s Steven Moe. Maybe you can, too.
📘 Download The Circle for free: Here’s the link
📘 Follow on LinkedIn: The Circle: Careers with Impact
🇦🇺🇳🇿🇯🇵 Passing the Baton at ANZCCJ
After:
🟢 10 years as Vice Chair
🟢 12 years on the Executive Council
…it’s time for a fresh chapter and new leadership to take the field.
It’s been an incredible honour to serve ANZCCJ - an organisation that reflects the start of the heart of my Kiwi-Aussie-Japan story in Japan. From policy work and ministerial visits to co-launching the beloved Kiwi Aussie Mixer, I’ve been proud to help build bridges and strengthen community ties across borders.
While I’m stepping back from leadership duties, I’m still glass of wine in hand, proudly cheering from the sidelines as a Bronze Sponsor and long-time member. The Chamber remains close to my heart, and I’m excited to support the next generation of leaders in their mahi.
🏉 Here’s to new energy, continued connection, and plenty more trans-Tasman ANZAC magic!
See you next month! 👋
Catherine