Yoshie Midorikawa is an inspiring international dispute resolution lawyer and a Co-founding Partner at Miura & Partners who has built a remarkable career on her own terms. From initially refusing to use English to becoming a leading voice in cross-border litigation - using English -, Yoshie shares her unconventional journey with refreshing honesty and humour.

What happens when a lawyer decides success isn't about climbing the ladder, but about creating freedom? Join Catherine as she talks with Mika Fukutomi, who traded her career at top-tier international law firms for entrepreneurship - and built an app to solve one of Japan's biggest business succession challenges: who will maintain the SMEs in Japan with aging leaders and no successors. If you are curious about how legal skills translate into unexpected entrepreneurial ventures then this is the episode for you.

Akemi Suzuki is a corporate M&A partner at the Tokyo office of Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu. Akemi joins us for an honest conversation about career pivots, personal challenges, and finding your own path in the legal profession.

From walking an hour to elementary school in rural Gumma to becoming a respected M&A and data privacy expert in Tokyo, Akemi shares the unexpected turns that shaped her career. 

This episode is perfect for lawyers at any stage who want to hear authentic stories about building a meaningful career while staying true to yourself.

Meet Mina Hoshizawa, a dynamic in-house legal counsel who has built her career on adaptability and genuine connection. Now leading legal and compliance functions at Nihon Servier, she shares candid insights about unlearning perfectionism, embracing vulnerability as a leadership strength, and why being fluid like water has been her career superpower. If you are considering the transition to an in-house position or thinking you might skip the law firm experience and focus on in-house, this is the episode for you.

Ambassador Mylene J. Garcia-Albano is the first female Philippine Ambassador to Japan and has carved a path from corporate law through politics to international diplomacy. Ambassador Garcia-Albano shares how her family's legal legacy, a pivotal pro bono case that led to a murder exoneration, and her philosophy of "doing your best in everything" propelled her through nine years in Congress in the Philippines, to representing 340,000 Filipino citizens living and working in Japan. Ambassador Garcia-Albano explains how legal training provides the perfect foundation for diplomatic success. Listen in to hear the differences between being a corporate lawyer and diplomatic work.

Meet Olga Belosludova, a trailblazing attorney who made history as the first Russian woman to pass the notoriously difficult Japanese bar exam. Born in Siberia, she came to Japan with her family at age two. Olga's journey from a competitive childhood dream to becoming a qualified lawyer in three jurisdictions is nothing short of extraordinary. Her story offers invaluable insights into navigating Japan's legal landscape as a foreign professional, the importance of visibility in service, and practical strategies for building a successful international legal career.

Naoko Tahara is Senior Manager of Legal Japan at Olympus Corporation. As a new recruit to a law firm, she took the chance to study Chinese intensively when some of her cohort said she shouldn’t. Listen to hear what happened next in this fascinating career dive with Naoko. If you are wondering if the challenging opportunity that has landed at your feet is really for you, then this is the episode for you!

Do you really need law firm experience to have a great legal career in Japan? Let’s hear another diverse story, this time from Michiko Hirai, in-house counsel at Amazon Web Services Japan. Discover her untraditional journey from sales in the semiconductor industry to law and how she uses her experience in building business relationships to be a stand out member of her team. 

Emi Takeda is General Counsel for Japan at Accenture. It was a pleasant surprise to hear about Emi’s passion for sake and wine as well as the law, and how she managed to overcome the culture shock of acclimatising to big city life upon arriving at Tokyo University, having come from being a student from Fuji City. If you are wondering what it’s like to lead a team of over 100 lawyers, like Emi does, then enjoy listening as she shares insights into the challenges and rewards of managing large legal teams, embracing leadership roles, and the work-life “juggle” while raising a family.

Ako Shimada is the Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Ushio America Inc. Ako also serves as General Counsel for Ushio Europe BV and is an independent director for Fujitech. She shares her story of embracing her Japanese heritage and transforming her career. The discussion covers her journey from growing up in Japan to pursuing law in the U.S., her experiences in litigation and in-house roles, and her strategic approach to seeking board positions. You will hear a story of someone who is brave in speaking up about what they would like to do. Listen as each piece falls into place!