In this edition of Byline ICS, we sat down with Associate Professor Patricia Robinson (Tish). Robinson’s interest focus on how managers can apply conflict transformation and coaching skills to lead diverse teams. Robinson’s interest in conflict resolution stems from two decades’ worth of corporate training and consulting in companies such as Berlitz, Denso, Dentsu, Goldman Sachs, JTB (Japan Travel Bureau), Mitsui Trading, Mizuho Financial Group, Nikkei Shimbun, SMBC Mitsui Sumitomo Bank, Yamaha Music, and Yamaha Motors, among others.

In this edition of Byline ICS, Coco, a 2-year student in Hitotsubashi ICS's MBA Program, talks about her experience of being an "ICSer" (ICS student), busy MBA student and mother - all while living in a different continent for over a year - as well as her time in US on exchange at one of the country's most prestigious business schools, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business with her family.

Our MBA graduate, Olivier LE LANN from the Class of 2009 and Founder of Electric Visionary Aircrafts, shared the reason why he chose the ICS MBA program and how he shaped credo for his company.

In this Byline ICS piece, we interviewed Viola, a current MBA student, who shared her job hunting journey in Japan.

While some university degrees put you on a particular career path, the post-graduation trajectories of MBA grads are pretty varied. People who go for their MBA degrees are usually mid-career professionals who have some working experience and are looking to broaden their career opportunities. Frequently, MBA students aspire to management functions or a career change. Many paths will open up to you after obtaining your MBA degree, with specific advantages for those who want to further their career in Japan or a business with Japan-related relations.

If you are considering a  career in Japan, you may be thinking about ways to break into the Japanese job market. One thing to note is that Japan is continuously looking at alternatives to keep its economy going with a shrinking working force, so there might be some attractive opportunities for global MBA graduates.

For this edition of the faculty interview, Charlie (Class of 2020) has interviewed Professor Satoshi (Toshi) Akutsu. Akutsu received his B.A. and M.A. from Hitotsubashi University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Prior to joining Hitotsubashi University as an assistant professor, he was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Management, Innovation, and Organization at the Haas School. Upon returning to Hitotsubashi, his alma mater, he was one of the starting members of Hitotsubashi ICS, where he has been involved not only in teaching but also research and the school administration. During the 2007-2008 academic year, he took a sabbatical at UC Berkeley where he was affiliated with both the Haas School and the Department of Psychology. He was also a member of the Culture and Cognition Laboratory and affiliated with IPSR at UC Berkeley. We sat with Akutsu to dive deeper into his roles as an educator, researcher, and administrator.

In this Byline ICS piece, Pun MBA Class of 2020, whom we previously interviewed regarding her Japanese Language studies, shares her experience of doing a short-term homestay with a family in Tokyo. Read in this blog post why she decided to live with a host family and the rewards this experience has brought.  

(Updated: September 2024)

We know applying might seem like a challenging process even before you start. However, with a little bit of planning and commitment, you can finish your application in 7 days! Here are some tips and recommendations from our team at Hitotsubashi ICS on how to tackle the MBA application in ONE week: