Another Japanese Company Tells Employees, 'Speak English'
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Bridgestone, the Tokyo-based, global leader in tire sales, is adopting English as its official language, joining a small group of Japanese companies using language to declare their global ambitions.
The timing of Bridgestone’s announcement might seem at odds with the good news coming from Japan. For the first time in years, Japan’s economy is on the move, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe making progress in ending the country’s long deflationary funk. But for companies such as Bridgestone, the short-term movement doesn’t change the basic belief that moving away from Japan and its rapidly aging population is the only way to grow.