JAPAN BUSINESS CULTURE REPORT

This report is designed to support and complement existing cultural

information available through the UKTI posts in Japan (see www.rln-
east.com/culture). It adds value in that it provides evidence and information
from discussions and interviews with those ‘out there in the field’ with regard
to Japanese business culture. Its primary purpose is to help better prepare
UK businesses for approaching the Japanese market for the first time.

The information contained in this report is

based on a number of sources, including the
three UKTI Japan culture workshops in Sep
2006 and Feb & Oct 2007 in Histon, discussions
with both English and Japanese businesses and
business support agencies in Japan, information
from UKTI culture sheets and pod cast, UKTI
Japan’s ‘Information for Business Visitors’, and
a visit by project staff to Japan in September
2007.

The report focuses solely on Japanese language and business culture, and
has been written in an informal style to reflect the comments made by those
we met. To provide a range of views and establish consistency, we have
cross-referenced comments from a number of sources as identified above.
Much of the report focusses on the business culture of Tokyo and Osaka. As a
first port of call we would recommend the UKTI posts in the cities of Tokyo
and Osaka.

Although the report focusses on answers to specific

questions posed by clients, it is important to emphasise
the similarities between Japanese and British business
culture, as the report may otherwise seem somewhat
intimidating! These similarities include a general
penchant for fairness and politeness, a focus on
relationship-building, a desire for longer-term
partnership, and an overall tolerance towards the British
and willingness to help the overcome cultural
differences. Careful planning, attention to detail,
unprecedented efficiency, and involvement of colleagues
at all levels within an organisation are Japanese traits
which are attractive to the UK contact.

Specific thanks got to David Abbott & Kazuko Kon of UKTI Japan, Masayuki
Kusumoto of Matsushita (Panasonic), Keiichi Yamazaki of the BMC, Kazuko
Kamado of the OCCI, Ian de Stains of BCCJ, and Hiroko Shimizu of JETRO.
The report addresses 6 main questions. These questions are those raised by
UKTI clients we have talked to:

1. What are the initial impressions companies have of Japan when they
first visit?

2. How do you know whether a meeting is going well, and what

negotiating styles are used? Sometimes I am not getting straight
answers to my questions. Am I making myself understood clearly?

3. I have not heard from my potential contact for some time. Does that
mean I have been unsuccessful?

4. How would Japanese clients react to me as a female supplier?

5. What about the language?

6. What about the intricacies or formalities of greeting and social graces?

1. What are the initial impressions companies have of Japan when they first
visit?

At a UKTI Japanese business culture workshop held in Histon in

Cambridgeshire on both 8 September 2006 and 2 February 2007 clients were
asked for their first impressions of visiting and doing business in Japan.
Initial reactions included these following comments.

There is a very precise and thorough business

culture, couple with an emphasis on quality in
everything they saw. Tremendous care is
taken with all aspects of doing business, and
there is cleanliness and order wherever they
went. There is a highly respectful and
traditional culture, and excellent & healthy
food. There was also common consensus that
it appeared difficult to gauge reactions in
meetings & negotiations.

An opening statement, and theme throughout the workshop, was that

Japanese business culture is embedded in the traditions of Japanese history,
and these traditions manifest themselves in various forms during your
business relationship. Family history as well as national history is considered
important.
The foreign languages most used appear to be (in order) English, Chinese
and Korean, and this is reflected in public signposting and company
documentation that we saw. The British are generally respected in Japan.

2. How do you know whether a meeting is going well, and what negotiating
styles are used? Sometimes I am not getting straight answers to my
questions. Am I making myself understood clearly?

On many occasions some of the decisions which you would

expect to be made during a meeting would in fact have
already been discussed and made in advance, and the
meeting may be more of a formality. It therefore makes
good business sense to do as much preparatory work in
advance and ensure regular correspondence with potential
meeting partners prior to the negotiation or presentation so
that you can gauge initial reactions. It would also be good if
your contact in Japan could exchange some preliminary
dialogue to elicit likely reactions to what you have to
propose. This is a well-known process called "nemawashi" or "going round
the roots." Japanese like to place emphasis on harmony. You may therefore
not receive direct answers to direct questions.

It is also useful to have a Japanese colleague or contact with you, as (s)he

will usually be able to follow the subtleties of the meeting and gauge visual
reactions better than a UK guest. (S)he could also prompt you as to where
you are going wrong and where there are particular strengths you could
emphasise. In many cases you will need to be prepared to factor in the time
and cost of a follow-up meeting.

A good sign is when you are invited to a

second meeting, which is common practice
where they have liked what they have
heard. Do not be put off by this, rather treat
it as a measure of success. If you are not
invited for a second meeting and do not
receive immediate positive feedback, then
this is sometimes a sign that you offer
needs more thought and discussion. A first
meeting may be simply to build an initial
understanding of each other without dealing directly with the business in
hand. An interpreter may also be able to pick up on subtleties of
communication.

Your host or client will often not be willing to state personal opinions in front
of colleagues, particularly senior colleagues, so beware of asking questions
which are too direct and may cause embarrassment. The presence of your
Japanese agent or local contact will boost your credibility and enable your
Japanese hosts or potential clients to be more at ease. The presence of this
‘insider’ will also help with language issues.

Equally, a client may want to obtain a

consensus from colleagues on what you are
proposing, and this consensus may require
separate internal discussions which take time.
Although on the whole senior or older staff in
a Japanese company have a greater decision-
making role, on occasion a more junior
member of staff may have more ‘power’ due
to their specialist knowledge or experience,
and you will need to allow time for these
internal relationships to work their course.

Other useful tips are (1) to send your Japanese contact a summary of any
notes of your presentation in advance as well as a summary of the team’s
competencies so that (s)he may have a chance to read through them and
discuss internally (b) add Japanese annotation and (c) use the evening drinks
session to reinforce any ideas or proposals!

The Japanese believe that everyone who is involved

needs to be at meetings so these tend to be quite
large. The most senior person may say little or
nothing, leaving the presentation and discussion to a
junior member. To learn who is most the senior, watch
who is served tea first! Seniority of seating is normal
with the most senior furthest from the door. The
Japanese are comfortable with periods of silence for
reflection, If they fall silent, resist the urge to burst
into speech. The Japanese also appreciate restraint in
gesture, in dress and in tone of voice.

The Japanese seem to be comfortable with paradox, and if you accept that
sometimes logic does not always follow to a finite conclusion you will find it
easier to do business in Japan.

3. I have not heard from my potential Japanese client for some time. Does
that mean I have been unsuccessful?

There is a clear hierarchical system in Japan, so do not be surprised if your

proposal needs to work its way through several layers of management and
internal consultation. This could at times take up to a month, and lengthy
periods of decision-making are again common in business practice. Once a
decision has bee made, however, expect the implementation to be thorough
and precise.
Relationships are very important in Japanese business, and do not
underestimate the importance of the social activities taking place after work
(eating, drinking, general socialising). It may take a long time for you to
build good relations, and this cannot be done remotely from the UK. The
Japanese like to know what you as a person are like before they do business
with you. It is during these activities that your Japanese client may be
‘testing’ you to get a feel for what type of person you are and whether (s)he
feels (s)he can do business with you. Take the time to invest in these
relationships, which may take months (if not longer) to come to fruition.

Japan is a network society, bound by rules and

standards of behaviour. Conformity is expected
and a Japanese proverb explains that ‘a nail
which sticks up must be hammered down.’ ‘He
is a team player’ is a highly paid compliment.
Japan is a collective society hence Japanese
people tend to do things together, this is
especially the case in decision making, which is
a time-consuming collective process called
‘nemawashi’. This process can be challenging to
foreigners but when the Japanese are ready, things can move very fast.

Personal dignity, or face, is very important to the Japanese, so they work

hard to save face, to give other’s face and to avoid others losing face. It is
therefore an indirect culture and you always need to read between the lines.
A Japanese business person may not wish to offend by giving a negative
response to your proposal, therefore be prepared for such as response to be
clouded in general terms or delaying tactics.

The Japanese are generally hungry for

information which they then need to absorb
and consider, therefore feedback may not
come immediately. Equally, Japanese
colleagues may need to discuss the issues
under consideration to verify that they have
mutually understood what is on offer. If you
are asked the same question more than
once, this may be because your Japanese
contacts need to be sure that they have
understood all the information you are presenting so that they can report to
superiors.

The Japanese like to get to know business partners over a period of time.
Expect many meetings in which no business is discussed but in which your
prospective partners get the feel of you. When the Japanese make
agreements, it is for long term. Human interaction on a regular basis is
important for building relationships and can help overcome or avoid
miscommunication.
With some products (such as household electronics) globalization is having
an effect on colour schemes, for instance, where previously popular colours
(red in China, gold in the Middle East) are being replaced by standard black
or grey units.

4. How would Japanese clients react to me as a female supplier?

They will treat you differently than they would a female Japanese business
contact as they know you are from overseas. There are also several Japanese
companies where senior staff are female, and the Japanese are having to
adjust to this trend. We would still recommend, however, that you make sure
your job title in Japanese adequately communicates your seniority. Many
Japanese SMEs are still dominated by male senior staff.

In some Japanese companies where a Japanese

female member of staff may be more senior
than her male colleagues, English is sometimes
used to avoid the use of ‘female’ Japanese
language to male junior colleagues, as this
‘female’ language is usually reserved as
deferential to Japanese men. It is best to wear
skirts which fall below rather than above knee
level, if this is the chosen attire. Many business
women also wear trouser suits these days

5. What about the language?

At first sight written Japanese is complex and daunting, as it can consist of

three different alphabets all mixed together. Hiragana is phonetic and is
used as the ‘traditional’ Japanese alphabet, and in crude terms appears to be
a series of upright ‘shoelace’ characters (eg: であるにとどまっている). There
are 48 hiragana characters. Katakana is used to phonetically transliterate
‘imported’ words, and in crude terms appears to be a series of short straight
and bendy lines (eg: ヒルトンホテル) . There are 46 katakana characters in
total, and we are led to believe that you can learn them in a couple of
afternoons. Kanji are Chinese characters which are pictorial (eg: 東京,
meaning “Tokyo” and “大阪 “ meaning “Osaka”).

Some examples: in the sentence “私は残念である” (meaning “I am sorry”) the

first character is kanji, the second hiragana, the third and fourth kanji, the
fifth, sixth and seventh hiragana. In the sentence
“私はヒルトンホテルにとどまっている。” (meaning “I am staying at the Hilton
Hotel”) the first character is kanji, the second hiragana, then there is a row
of 7 katakana characters to translate Hilton Hotel, then a series of hiragana
characters to present the verb and postpositional phrase (the grammar of
place).

We found the revised Romanized 3rd edition of the book “Japanese for Busy
People Book 1” by the Association for Japanese Language Teaching (ISBN:
13-978-4-7700-3008-5) extremely clear and well thought-out, with exercises
to reinforce the main points of grammar and new vocabulary carefully
presented and organised at a logical steady pace.

The Hiragana Alphabet:

The Katakana
Alphabet:

If you have time, study the katakana alphabet. This will ensure that you are
not completely alienated by the language on arrival. Once you can read
words, you will be surprised at how many can be deciphered. It will also help
you find your way using maps (beware of English maps, they will not help
you read Japanese street signs!).

It is important to translate literature and other promotional material

(including key website information) into Japanese. Although many
distributors deal with foreign suppliers, it is useful to have a Japanese
interpreter on hand. The positive impression you will make by learning to
speak a few basic Japanese phrases cannot be overestimated. A guide to how
to best use an interpreter can be found on the UKTI international
communications website page http://www.rln-east.com/resources/how-to-
guides.asp.

Useful phrases and more advanced telephone dialogues can be found on

http://www.rln-east.com/materials/receptionist_phrases.asp which is a basic
language lesson focussing on telephone Japanese. Financial support for
Japanese language training in the East of England is available via the LCIT
(Language & Culture for International Trade) programme, which provides a
sliding scale of match funding (50% over 24hrs for 5 staff or more down to
50% for 10hrs for 2 staff). For more details see www.rln-east.com/funding
and www.rln-east.com/lcit.

In terms of the Japanese learning English,

they learn the Roman alphabet at elementary
school but may have difficulty with
pronunciation although they are very good at
reading and writing. In recent years the JET
(Japan English Teacher) programme, has
brought English speakers into schools and
universities as Language Assistants which has
to a small extent helped alleviate this
problem, although there is debate as to how
effective this has been. On the whole, the Japanese education system does
not lend itself to learning spoken English. Windows has hiragana embedded
in its software, and this is usually accessed during typing by the Alt-Del keys.

UKTI’s publication “Information for Business Visitors” contains the following

useful information: The Embassy maintains a list of interpreters who are
willing to work for visiting British business people. Their charges are less
than half normal commercial rates.

The interpreters are perfectly competent to

deal with general business conversations.
But they are not normally specialised or
professionally qualified interpreters. Anyone
expecting to have a very technical or difficult
discussion, especially one involving
specialised terminology, should consider
employing a properly qualified interpreter
from one of the agencies which provides
these services. The Embassy can supply a
list of such agencies if required. The main hotels in Tokyo can also arrange
interpreters at fairly short notice, although their costs, too, are normally
higher than those charged by the interpreters on the Embassy list.

The interpreters on the Embassy list normally need to be booked some time
in advance, but occasionally they are available also at short notice (although
this may mean that we are unable to get your first choice of interpreter).
The Embassy is always glad to introduce business people in need of
interpreters to one of those on the list. But the Embassy is not an agency
and cannot therefore be responsible in any way, either on matters of
payment or conditions under which the interpreters work, or for the standard
of services which are provided by interpreters.

An interpreter's availability to do overtime

cannot be guaranteed, unless arranged in
advance. If interpreters are invited to
lunches, dinners or parties, it should be made
absolutely clear whether the invitation is
being extended for social reasons or whether
they are being asked to work overtime. In
this way misunderstandings can be avoided.
The interpreters should always be paid in
cash and they will also normally expect full
payment for cancellations unless made well in advance.

Type Tokyo Outside

of Description Tokyo
work Full day Half day Full day
A General ie non-technical Yen Yen Yen 34,000
seminars, presentations, press 32,000 20,000
conferences, speeches
(consecutive interpretation
only); Technical company
visits and trade fairs
B Non-technical company visits Yen Yen Yen 29,000
and trade fairs 27,000 16,000
C Bilingual receptionist work Yen N/A Yen 15,000
(no interpretation) 15,000

Tokyo is defined as the Tokyo Metropolitan

area consisting of Tokyo's 23 wards (or “ku”
in Japanese). Outside Tokyo includes all
municipalities (cities, towns and villages, or
“shi”, “cho” and “son” in Japanese) in the
outer areas of Tokyo, in addition to the
other prefectures. Trips to Outside Tokyo
areas will be charged at a full day rate (ie
no half day rate).

A full day means between 3½ and 7 working

hours plus a one-hour lunch break. A half day is up to 3½ hours. If a half
day runs over 3½ hours, the full day rate will automatically become payable.
Trips outside of Tokyo will be charged at a full day rate (ie no half day rate).
For overtime in excess of 7 hours, Yen 4,000 will be charged per hour or part
hour for A & B types of work, and Y2,000 for C type of work. Before 8 am
and after 6 pm an extra Yen 1,000 per hour or part hour will be charged in
addition to the usual daily rate and/or hourly overtime rate for A & B types of
work, and Y500 for C type of work.

All rates are calculated from the time of meeting up with the interpreter until
the client and interpreter part company ie including travelling time. The
interpreter should also be paid for any time spent in a preliminary briefing
meeting. Higher rates may be payable in certain circumstances, depending
on the nature of the work and the availability of interpreters. Travel expenses
are met by the client in addition to the basic fee.
For cancellations, a full fee is charged in the
case of cancellation on the day of assignment or
the previous day for whatever reason unless the
interpreter herself cancels. In the case of
cancellation with less than a week's notice, it is
30% of the normal fee.

It is most important to provide informative

materials about the client's background and about the subject matter of the
assignment, eg company brochures, product catalogues, as far in advance as
possible (the more technical the subject, the more detailed the information
required). At the minimum you should at least provide a briefing or have a
discussion with the interpreter regarding the purpose of your visit before
holding any meetings.

6. What about the intricacies or formalities of greeting and social graces?

An initial sub question of this was ‘do I use first

names or surnames when talking to my client,
and how do I react when they start using their
first name?’ Many Japanese names have
meanings (eg: Akemi means ‘beautiful’, Akira
means ‘intelligence’, Keiko means ‘respectful
child’, Takashi means ‘eminence’, Takeshi
means ‘brave’). The first name follows the
surname, and most Japanese family names consist of two characters. The
Japanese commonly address each other by family name, usually attaching an
appropriate title such as ‘san’ (eg: Sato-san).

If a client starts using their first name in e-mails, you may follow suit, but
remember to include the title. The names of Japanese contacts are written in
‘kanji’ (Chinese characters) and the names of foreigners in ‘katakana’ (a
system used for writing words borrowed from other languages). A useful
website for transliterating English names into Japanese is
http://www.takase.com/Names/NameInJapaneseA.htm. It is good practice to
have your Japanese name on the reverse of your business card, and it will
help your client with the pronunciation of your name. Equally important is
your job title, as emphasis is placed on these.

In response to the question ‘do I bow or shake hands?’ we can advise that
bowing is the usual custom between Japanese, although handshakes are
starting to be used even between Japanese and almost always with Western
visitors. There are 3 angles at which to bow depending on the seniority of the
person you are addressing, ranging from a simply nod of the head (junior
staff) to a full 90◦ bow (senior staff). It may well be that your Japanese client
bows after you have bowed, and you will not need to bow further. It is useful
to know the basic greetings and farewells for these occasions. It is also
customary to present business cards with both hands whilst bowing.

Clients also asked about which gifts they should take

and when & how they should present them. It is not a
Japanese custom to open gifts when presented with
them. The more power the contact has, the more
expensive or unique the gift should be. Given the
Japanese affinity with national history and identity, gifts
which are typically English or with Royal connections
would be appropriate. Be prepared in case the Japanese
client does not have a gift prepared and they will need
to hunt around for one at short notice – best to take
advice from your agent or local contact before your
meeting begins.

The presentation of the business card is an

important ritual, which you should learn. You
should offer your card with both hands and
receive your counterparts’ card with both
hands, keeping the card at approximately chest
level. It is acceptable to place a card on the
table in front of you and this can be quite
useful should you forget the name or title of the
card bearer. You can respectfully place it in
your wallet or at the back of your cardholding case. Under no circumstances
should you write on, damage or hand back a card as this is considered rude.
Try to have your business card printed in English and Japanese.

This is your chance to get to know the Japanese and build a relationship with
them. When offices close at about 7 pm, colleagues often go out to eat or
drink together. Don’t miss an opportunity to join them. Things normally stop
around 9pm as people often have a one or two hour commute home. Always
offer to reciprocate hospitality at the same level as you received it. Office
gifts can be exchanged but don’t open them. They won’t open yours in your
presence.
Top Tips for Doing Business in Japan:

The following is an extract from UKTI’s publication “Information for Business

Visitors”. It contains ten top tips on doing business in Japan.

Despite what some books say about the uniqueness of

Japan, there is nothing mystical about doing business in
this country. Business is business here as elsewhere,
and increasingly cosmopolitan. So you need not worry
unduly about the niceties of Japanese etiquette. But a
few general points are worth remembering:

1. Take things slowly. English comprehension is usually

not as good as it appears. Many Japanese are too polite
to let you know when they do not fully understand.
Keep what you say simple and straightforward. The
same is true if an interpreter is used. Speak in short bursts which can be
easily translated. Don’t ask rhetorical questions. Don’t use sporting
metaphors. Only make very simple jokes, if you have to. And don’t try to do
business in Japanese unless you are very confident indeed. For follow-up
meetings at least, you should provide your own interpreter, as a matter of
basic courtesy.

2. Never be late. Punctuality is crucial ! Tokyo is a crowded city which can

be difficult to get around. Leave plenty of time to allow for traffic hold-ups.
Keep to the timetable for your meetings. Don’t try to change or cancel
appointments at the last minute unless you have absolutely no alternative.
Don’t overrun the designated period unless your interlocutor clearly wants to
extend it.

3. Take business cards with you and have

plenty available. They should be printed in
Japanese on the reverse and be standard size
(90 x 55mm). Business cards in other sizes do
not fit the card boxes which sit on practically
every Japanese desk and so are likely to be
discarded.

4. Construct a short but warm introductory

statement for each meeting. This should not be a sales pitch. It should
explain why you are here, how long you will be here, the sort of people you
are seeing and any particular previous contact you have had with Japan. You
could refer briefly to the long-standing warm ties between the UK and Japan.
If appropriate/possible, show interest in your host’s background, education,
family, hobbies etc. Give information about your own if asked. This is part
of the sharing of contacts which helps to build up a relationship. No need to
go over the top. But it does no harm to indulge in some well-placed flattery.

5. Then, after you and your interlocutor have made your respective
introductory statements, make your sales pitch. Decide what are the five or
six crucial points you want to get across. Do not be worried if you feel you
wish to refer to a previously prepared note. Your interlocutor may well do
this.

6. Do not be afraid of silences. Sit tight and

wait for something to happen. It is a common
Western flaw in the Far East to feel that silences
have to be filled. In negotiations, for instance,
this normally means that the Westerner ends up
conceding something.

7. If, on the other hand, you are on the

receiving end of a barrage of detailed and
apparently pointless questions, try to bear with them and answer them. This
is both a sign of interest in your business and a means of testing a potential
partner.

8. Personal posture is important. Sit firmly in chairs at meetings even if

they are armchairs. Do not slump, don’t cross your legs and maintain a fairly
formal style. Don’t blow your nose noisily. Don’t drink tea offered to you
before your host has invited you to do so. Shake hands at the beginning and
at the end of meetings.

9. If you are taking gifts, make sure that they

are well wrapped, if possible professionally.
Tatty wrapping paper is a British disease; as
are tatty, cheap gifts. They indicate a
discourtesy to the recipient. Do not give the
gift until the end of the meeting. Do not be
fazed if you have given a gift and not received
one. You will have scored a point. Don’t open
the gift immediately upon receiving it: if it is
not very good, you will embarrass your host.
If you open it, your host will also have to open yours and that could
embarrass you.

10. Accept offers of hospitality with the same grace with which they are
made. Entertainment outside the office is another way in which Japanese
hosts test a potential business relationship before committing themselves
fully. Try to enter into the spirit of things. On taking the first drink at meals,
toast your host by raising by glass to him/her and to those around you
before you drink. Don’t drink until it is time for these toasts to take place.
And if you are called on to sing - have a go ! If your Japanese hosts are able
to enjoy themselves singing with you, they will probably enjoy doing
business with you.

Above all, be patient. Do not expect quick returns. They may come. But for
many Japanese companies, the emphasis is more on developing the sort of
trust and mutual confidence that will lead to a strong, enduring relationship
than on getting down to business instantly. This is why Japan is a market
requiring a strategic approach rather than an opportunistic one. It is also
why the potential for long-term achievement is so great.

On a practical ‘food note’ we found it useful to take a small notepad and copy
down the names of food in the restaurant windows which we wanted to eat.
Menus are a useful way of practising katakana, and major railway stations
offer a variety of good value eating houses.

UKTI and Other Support:

There are a number of business support

organisations in Japan who are well
positioned to assist the UK company doing
business in Japan (see
www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk then go to
export-countries-Japan). We recommend the
UKTI offices in Osaka and Tokyo as a first
port of call. JETRO, the Japan External Trade
Organization (www.jetro.go.jp) have office
space which is made available free of charge
for up to 50 working days for companies setting up office or other facilities in
Japan, and also provide free access to local advisors and consultants in a
number of fields (a list of these is provided whilst you are over there, and
you put your name down next to the appropriate advisor).

The British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (www.uknow.or.jp) have a set of

useful ‘dos and donts’ on their website. They confirm that industry clusters in
Japan include biotechnology and life sciences around Kyoto & Osaka,
automotive and aerospace in Nagoya and Kawasaki (near Tokyo), creative &
media in Kyoto and Tokyo. The British Market Council in Tokyo also support
events and initiatives which support UK trade and investment with Japan.

The Export Communications Review (ECR) is a heavily subsidised UKTI

scheme which aims to assess your company’s international communications
capability and generates and action plan. It covers areas such as
communications planning, translation of literature, website localization,
language and culture skills, and use of interpreters. Further details, including
a sample ECR and link to the online application form, can be found on
www.rln-east.com/ecr.
We also recommend that you undertake the (again subsidised) Online Market
Introduction Service (OMIS) through which UKTI colleagues at the British
Embassy in Tokyo or Consulate in Osaka can undertake informed market
research and establish appropriate personal introductions to potential
contacts in the market. As such, it is often the first port of call for selling into
Japan.

Further Reading:

Further useful academic reading can be found in Jon Alston’s and Isao Takei’s
book “Japanese Business Culture & Practices” (ISBN: 0-595-35547-1) which,
although slightly out of date (it is written around the time of the last
recession) contains a thorough review of Japanese business culture. The
book as an American slant.

Of particular interest are chapters 3.15 ‘Meetings Japanese Style’ which

discusses the various types of meeting you may encounter, and chapter 4
which discusses negotiating tactics. The latter and includes sections on the
Japanese mindset, socialising, knowing priorities, the use of silence, slow
decision-making, preparations, invisible negotiators, gift giving, who speaks
first, interruptions, asking questions, attention to detail, dislike of certainty,
the negotiating team, and tactics & procedures.

David Owen
International Communications Manager
UKTI East of England

Ashley Almond
Senior International Trade Advisor
UKTI Suffolk

5 October 2007