Hirotaka Takeuchi is a Professor in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, where has recently taught three second-year elective courses: Knowledge-based Strategy, Japan IFC, and Microeconomics of Competitiveness (which he co-taught with University Professor Michael Porter). He received a BA from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, and an MBA and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Takeuchi's first faculty position at Harvard was in the Marketing Unit from 1976 to 1983 as an Assistant Professor and his second as a Visiting Professor teaching the Advanced Management Program in 1995-1996. Starting in 1983, he taught at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo and served as the Founding Dean of its business school, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, from 1998 to 2010. He returned to Harvard Business School in 2010. Prior to his academic career, he worked at McCann-Erickson in Tokyo and San Francisco and at McKinsey & Company in Tokyo.

This year, Hiro Takeuchi will lead the Japan IFC: Tohoku; The World's Test Market for Authentic Entrepreneurship. HAVE YOU EVER TAUGHT AN IFC BEFORE? Yes, Tokyo and Tohoku, Japan in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (five consecutive years). WHAT INTERESTS YOU MOST ABOUT BUSINESS IN JAPAN? Japan has always said, "Japan has no natural resources; the only resource it has is people." What interests me most are people working in Japan, some of whom our MBA students will meet -- e.g., the cleaning crew of Tessei at Tokyo Station, social entrepreneurs in Tohoku, CEOs at Suntory and Fast Retailing who see their mission as "doing good for society and mankind," and celebrities who appeared in the Rio Olympics, including Super Mario, Hello Kitty, Pokemon, as well as a real-live Olympian athlete. WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT TRAVELING WITH MBA STUDENTS? Listening to stories over drinks on what surprised our MBA students the most about Japan -- e.g., no trash cans anywhere, but no trash on the streets;

"silence please" sign inside an elevator; cat cafe, maid cafe, manga cafe at Akihabara, etc. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN’T TRAVEL WITHOUT? Cash....not to pay tip (never needed) but to eat ramen, go to karaoke, hop on a cab.....safety guaranteed! IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOU AS A TRAVELER, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? ANY ADVICE FOR YOUR IFC STUDENTS THIS YEAR? Watch "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" as the Fish Market at Tsukiji has closed down for good. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS A TEAM OF STUDENTS CAN DO TO BUILD RAPPORT WITH THEIR PARTNER COMPANY? Learn to say a few words in Japanese, like "Arigato...thank you," "Konnichiwa....good day," and "Oishii desu....it is delicious. WHAT CAN EACH STUDENT DO INDIVIDUALLY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR PARTNER COMPANY THROUGHOUT THEIR ENGAGEMENT? WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH A PARTNER COMPANY? Speak slow/enunciate clearly and smile/laugh a lot. Want more Access, Content & Connections?

We are glad you are enjoying Advertising Age. To get uninterrupted access and additional benefits, become a member today.Log in or go back to the homepage. IFC tapped CNN's content studio to help plug the premiere of the second season of its mockumentary series "Documentary Now!"jiro dreams of sushi subtitles srt The first episode of the new season, which bows on Wednesday, pays tribute to "The War Room," about Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign.samurai sushi menu paso robles To promote IFC's version, "The Bunker," CNN's content studio, Courageous, created a custom spot featuring James Carville, the lead strategist for the campaign, and Dee Dee Myers, the White House press secretary during the first two years of the Clinton administration.jiro dreams of sushi house rca

In the spot, Mr. Carville and Ms. Myers discuss "The Bunker" as though it is a real film and the characters in it are real political figures. They speak to the immense influence "The Bunker" has had on their lives and the way people perceive political campaigns. The video is replacing full commercial pods during CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" and "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." The branded content is also running on CNN's Snapchat Discover channel in the advertising space, as well as on other social media platforms. "Documentary Now!," created by Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen and staring Mr. Hader and Mr. Armisen, spoofs famous documentaries. The concept is this is a very serious PBS-style documentary show in its 51st season hosted by Helen Mirren. "We approach the marketing saying, 'let's create this fictional reality,'" said Blake Callaway, exec VP-marketing, IFC. So IFC's strategy is to essentially pretend "Documentary Now!" is a real show.

They aren't playing up the jokes or winking playfully at viewers. "We have what we think are smart comedy fans who are in on the joke," Mr. Callaway said. "Playing it a little quieter helps elevate the content." Advertisers are also getting in on the joke and treating "Documentary Now!" in the same vein. Sam Adams will sponsor an "after-show" called "Documentary Now Later," a spoof on the after-shows that have become popular for shows like "The Walking Dead." "Documentary Now Later" will air as a one-minute roundtable discussion immediately after each episode. IFC also created custom spots for Volkswagen that make it appear like the automaker has been a sponsor of the show for decades. For the second episode, "Juan Likes Rice & Chicken," which is based on "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," IFC partnered with the food delivery service Maple, which will serve a rice-and-chicken dish next week. Grubstreet will post a review on Juan's as though it is a real restaurant opening and IFC wrapped a building in downtown New York City to make it look like Juan's restaurant.