July: Winter Between Two Summers

August and Obon are typically the summer holiday season in Japan. This year, though, I took my summer break a little early… and headed into the middle of a New Zealand winter.

Leaving Narita on a sweltering 37°C humid day and arriving in Auckland to a crisp 7°C was quite a shock to the system. But nothing beats a New Zealand winter's day after a frost: the clear blue skies, fresh air and sunshine are hard to rival.

So July became a month of winter sandwiched between two summers. Coming back to Tokyo's heat and humidity has been the hardest part! Apparently the secret to readjusting is to spend at least 30 minutes outdoors each day so your body acclimatises naturally, rather than hiding under the air conditioning. I'm giving that theory a go. If you have any other tips for surviving a Japanese summer, I'd love to hear them.

Here's what happened during July:

Global Women celebrate my reappointment to Fujitsu Board.jpg

🌏 Global Women celebrated my board reappointment

It was an honour to be reappointed to the Audit & Supervisory Board of Fujitsu for another four-year term. I wasn't expecting anyone to notice, so I was genuinely touched when Global Women in New Zealand shared a message celebrating the appointment.

It was a timely reminder to me of how important it is to celebrate other people's achievements, whether it's a board appointment, a new role, a published article or book, or simply something they have steadily worked incredibly hard to accomplish. Often the people least likely to promote themselves are the ones who most appreciate someone else taking a moment to recognise their efforts.

🎤 Speaking in Hiroshima: Japan through the wisdom of Japanese proverbs

One of the highlights of July was delivering a keynote in Hiroshima to members of NZ LAW and Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.

The presentation reflected on more than twenty years of living and working in Japan, told through the lens of Japanese proverbs. It was inspired by a book I bought nearly thirty years ago when I first started learning Japanese: “Even Monkeys Fall from Trees and Other Japanese Proverbs” never imagining it would one day become the framework for a keynote.

Together we explored themes of trust, humility, belonging, belief and patience, before finishing with three questions. I challenged the audience to consider their own commitment to building lasting relationships with Japan.

My thanks to my fellow speaker, Takashi Tada, for his thoughtful perspective on the New Zealand–Japan relationship, and to NZ LAW and CA ANZ for the invitation. I was especially grateful to everyone who chose curiosity about Japan over watching the live All Blacks test match: a decision I certainly didn't take for granted.

🏛️ Thinking about the future of governance in New Zealand

While I was in New Zealand, I had the opportunity to attend a thoughtful event jointly hosted by Manatū Wāhine – the Ministry for Women and the Institute of Directors New Zealand, exploring what more inclusive, high-performing governance should look like for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The discussion brought together perspectives from government, business and experienced directors, including the Minister for Women, Hon Nicola Grigg MP, Sir Brian Roche KNZM, and an excellent panel moderated by Traci Houpapa MNZM JP CFInstD.

For me, one of the most valuable aspects was listening to the current thinking on New Zealand's governance landscape and reflecting on how it compares with the governance ecosystem here in Japan. Having the opportunity to observe both countries from the inside continues to be one of the great privileges of my board career.

💼 Reflecting on personal brand and what's next

Another enjoyable event in July was Leveling Up: Career Insights from Global Leaders, hosted by Bloomberg in partnership with Women in Finance and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan's Women in Business Forum.It was lovely to catch up with friends, including one from ANZ Bank, and I was especially proud to watch another friend from Bloomberg skilfully moderate a panel of accomplished Japanese business leaders.What stayed with me afterwards, though, wasn't any single piece of advice. It was the opportunity to pause and think about something we rarely make time for, which is our OWNvision, goals and personal brand.It is easy to assume we have already figured those things out, particularly once we have established our careers. Others may even think they know exactly who we are professionally, looking in from the outside. But if I know one thing, it is that careers are not static. We evolve. We take on new roles, discover new interests and sometimes reinvent ourselves entirely. Perhaps our personal brand should evolve too.The evening was a timely reminder for me, that our careers aren't about protecting the person we have been - they're about intentionally shaping the person we're becoming.

🏍️ A small bucket-list moment

After all these years, I finally ticked off a bucket-list item: sitting on a Harley-Davidson.The opportunity came during the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan's Stars & Stripes celebration marking 250 years since the birth of the United States. No, the bike didn't actually move, but that hardly matters!If you've seen the photos on social media, you will notice there are two versions: the carefully composed pose of me on the bike ... and the rather more accurate depiction of what it actually felt like. Sometimes the second photo tells the better story.

🏎 Jandals in Japan Podcast

One of the highlights of July was speaking with our youngest-ever guest, 20-year-old New Zealand racing driver Liam Sceats. Liam has already competed in Japan twice and shared what it's like to race in one of the world's most competitive motorsport environments, the lessons he's learned as a young professional athlete, and why he'll be back in Japan in 2027. It was a fascinating conversation about ambition, resilience and pursuing opportunities beyond your home country.

🎧 Listen to Liam's episode here: LINK

🎙️ Lawyer on Air Podcast

Season 12 continued with two more conversations featuring lawyers whose careers have crossed borders, industries and disciplines.

First, I spoke with Dajeong Lee, a Korean lawyer, partner and visiting research fellow at Waseda University. Her story explores career reinvention, balancing motherhood with a demanding legal career, and why she now thinks about success less as a sprint and more as a marathon.

🎧 Listen to Dajeong's episode here: LINK

We also released my conversation with Chie Hashimoto, Senior Legal Manager at Richemont Japan. Chie's career is a wonderful example of how saying "yes" to opportunities, embracing interests beyond the law, and following a non-linear path can lead to exceptional leadership.

🎧 Listen to Chie's episode here: LINK

One of the greatest joys of hosting Lawyer on Air over the past six years has been discovering that no two legal careers are ever the same. We often hear someone described simply as "a lawyer" and assume their journey looks much like everyone else's. Yet every guest reminds me that a legal career is really a mosaic—shaped by different experiences, choices, setbacks, passions and opportunities. It has been a privilege to help tell those stories and, in doing so, perhaps encourage others to shape careers that are uniquely their own.

🐄 The Zodiac Family is nearly complete

Back in my February blog I confessed I had become rather hooked on collecting the beautiful teal-blue Japanese zodiac figurines. At the time I still had five elusive members of the family to find.

The treasure hunt continued in July, and I am delighted to report the herd is now almost complete! The particularly elusive cow finally joined the collection, along with the monkey and dragon, which had also proved surprisingly difficult to track down.

So does that mean the collecting is over? Not a chance. I have now moved on to collecting the best examples of each animal, so whenever I stumble across a particularly lovely specimen, it will probably be finding a new home with me. Some collections are simply too much fun to stop.

🇳🇿 Highlights from a winter trip home

As I mentioned at the top of this blog, my annual "summer holiday" took methis year, to the middle of a New Zealand winter! The main reason for the trip was to celebrate my mum's birthday, but as always, I managed to pack plenty into the visit.

A few highlights included:

Starting with governance. The morning after I landed (running on very little sleep!) I joined the Institute of Directors Christchurch Chapter coffee morning. It was wonderful catching up with directors and governance colleagues, and I even found myself encouraging someone to consider launching a fractional CFO practice. I wonder whether she has taken the plunge.
Excellent flat whites. A trip home isn't complete without good coffee. My favourite was at Prefab in Wellington, made even more memorable by unexpectedly spotting one half of Flight of the Conchords enjoying his own coffee at a nearby table. Another memorable catch-up was with Taiki, our Cross-Cultural Communications Intern at Jandals in Japan, over coffee at Mojo at Wellington Airport.
Outstanding food. I was lucky enough to secure a booking at Ortega Fish Shack in Wellington, now proudly holding a Michelin star. With its understated entrance, you would never guess what awaits inside. The food and wine were exceptional. Christchurch delivered another culinary highlight with dinner at MANA, where outstanding food, sublime cocktails and beautiful artwork made it an easy addition to my "must return" list.
A walk down memory lane. I wandered past the flat where I lived while studying law in Christchurch. Naturally, I stopped for a selfie. Looking back, those student years remain some of the happiest and most formative of my life.
A memorable hotel. I stayed at The Observatory Hotel in Christchurch's Arts Centre, and absolutely loved it. My bright yellow room, the eclectic guest lounge and the character of the building made it one of those places I would happily return to. Every room has its own colour and personality.
Winter at its best. One moment that will stay with me was driving from Sumner into Christchurch along the coast and seeing the Southern Alps dusted with fresh snow. Fortunately I was in the passenger seat, free to simply admire the view and quietly store it away as another treasured New Zealand memory.

To wrap up …

Like many New Zealanders, (and our friends across the Tasman too), I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Sam Neill in July. It surprised me just how much it affected me; I shed more than a few tears.

I have been reflecting on why. Perhaps it was because, despite being one of New Zealand's best-known actors, he never seemed to lose the qualities that made him feel unmistakably Kiwi. Whether he was sharing life on his vineyard in Central Otago, introducing us to his farm animals (especially his beloved white duck), or simply telling stories in his wonderfully understated way, he radiated warmth, humour and decency. During the COVID lockdowns, those little videos brought joy to people all over the world. He somehow felt like someone you knew, even if you'd never met him. It's a remarkable thing when a person can have that kind of impact.

To commemorate his life, I bought a bottle of his Two Paddocks Pinot Noir, and we opened it during Mum's birthday celebration in New Zealand. It felt fitting to raise a glass to both of them - to Mum celebrating another wonderful year, and to Sir Sam, whose life reminded us that success and humility can happily coexist. Somehow, I think he and Mum would have got on famously over a glass of Pinot and a good yarn.

See you next month!

— Catherine 🌿