opportunity. Just ask Iwao Keiichi. Forced by illness to close his restaurant management and food manufacturing firm, Iwao began life anew in 1993 when he established Tokyo's first job placement firm, Way Station. The Japanese economy had just crashed. and Iwao expected that many people would soon lose their jobs. He was right. Last year his turnover was $4.1 million. and he expects a four-fold increase this year. Job placement services are new to a nation which is used to lifetime employment. In these jittery times. Iwao. 54, is helping Japanese who haven't a clue how to look for work His firm retrains job-seekers and refers them to prospective employers. Big firms also pay Iwao for advice on how to deal with layoffs and restructuring. "My services" he says offer a soft landing for all parties. At Way Station, every client facing the chop is assigned a"job-hunt" counselor Counselors spend about three months studying a candidate's work skills and matching them to job prospects. Client also learn how to write resumes. use PCs and face interviews. Last year, 450 job-seekers went through Iwao's training centers in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. He expects 1.200 this year. Since competition for jobs is tough, he advised clients to change their way of thinking and look beyound Japan's major corporations to small firms. Iwao has succeeded in part because he is much like his clients- a middle aged man facing a mid-career setback who took a gamble and won.