This paper presents an analysis of English language (EL) education from the perspectives of Japanese and non-Japanese professionals in Singapore, based on their experiences of "doing business" in Singapore. As established career business people, the perspectives of Japanese participants offer a retrospective evaluation of their experiences of EL education in Japan over a range of years. The findings resonate with reforms attempted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT, 2002). The study also reveals a discrepancy between skills these Japanese professionals learned in the EL education system in Japan and actual EL skills required for their work in an international business environment.