The Japanese Islands have been occupied for thousands of years. The dynasty of the current emperor is said to have been founded in 660 b.c.

Historically, Japan has resisted outside influences and frequently closed itself to foreigners.

 

The United States forcibly opened Japan to foreign markets in 1853 when Commodore

Perry sailed his war fleet into Tokyo Bay.

 

What westerners consider World War II was only part of a long-running Asiatic war

in which Japan invaded neighboring nations. Korea was annexed in 1910, Manchuria was

annexed in 1931, and China proper was invaded in 1937.

 

Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945, and was occupied until 1952. The United States,

wishing to demilitarize and democratize Japan imposed many reforms after World War II.

These efforts included a decrease in the power of the emperor and decentralization of the government. Subsequently, the Japanese recentralized much of their government. Japan’s bureaucracy of civil servants became just as powerful (if not more) than its elected officials. 

 

Devastated by the war, the Japanese rebuilt their factories and infrastructure. Japan’s

economy boomed in the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, cash-rich Japanese bought

property and businesses all over the world. This boom ended in the 1990s.

Since then, the Japanese economy has largely been in a state of stagnation. Unable to

continue providing traditional lifetime employment, many Japanese workers were laid off.

 

This breaking of the postwar social contract has caused a major change of attitude among many Japanese. Recently, the government led by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has made some painful changes to the economy. While this resulted in economic improvement in 2003, it remains to be seen if this recovery will be sustained.

 

Cultural Note

The term “Japan Inc.” has often been used to describe the totality of Japanese business: the tight government control; the huge, interlocking corporate alliances; the hard-working salary men who began each day by singing the company song and getting lifetime employment in return for their loyalty; the postwar Japanese economic miracle. But “Japan Inc.” was always an exaggeration, and a decade of poor economic performance has just about ended the myth.

 

However, business is still conducted differently in Japan than in North America or the EU. The Japanese still prefer to do business in a network of old friends, facilitated by favors and obligations.

 

Type of Government

Japan is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch. The chief of state is

the emperor; Emperor Akihito was crowned in 1990 after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito. The head of the government is the prime minister.

Power within the government resides mainly in the prime minister, who is the leader

of the majority party of the Diet, or Parliament. The prime minister dissolves the House

of Representatives every two or three years. The prime minister also appoints the Supreme Court and leads the Cabinet.

 

The Diet is made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. Both are elected, with the House of Representatives having more authority. Finally, the Cabinet is responsible to the Diet. In the Cabinet, it is the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) that are the most important. MITI, through involvement in business and industry following the Second World War, helped Japan gain its strength. Today MITI does not have the same authority it once did, both because it is not needed as much as before and because of pressure from other governments (such as the United States). The government does not control industry; government ministries instead serve as intermediaries and as think tanks.

 

Cultural Note

Japanese uses not one but three different forms of writing: kanji, katakana, and hiragana. As a rule, kanji represents blocks of meaning. Katakana is used for foreign names and words. Hiragana expresses the grammatical relationships between words.

As a foreigner, your name and your company’s name will probably be written in katakana characters.

 

Language

Japanese is the official language of Japan. It is a complex and subtle language, spoken nowhere else in the world as a primary tongue. Most sentences in Japanese can be expressed in at least four different levels of politeness. Japanese women almost always use one of the more deferential forms. Communication in Japan is often marked by great subtlety; information is left unspoken yet is perfectly understood.

 

Cultural Note

Literacy is close to 100 percent in Japan, and 95 percent of the population has a high school education. The Japanese educational system includes difficult qualifying exams that students must pass, which puts enormous pressure to study and to get good grades. Once a student has passed the entrance exam for college, however, exams are over. Students accepted to the top colleges are almost guaranteed top jobs.

 

All Japanese students begin classes in English around age twelve. However, the goal for students of English is to pass their exams rather than to learn to verbally communicate in English. Although many Japanese learn to read English, less are able to speak with English-speaking foreigners. 

 

Reflecting the increased influence of China, some Japanese are now studying Mandarin Chinese as their second foreign language.

 

The Japanese View

The Japanese have a unique culture and language. Despite increasing scientific evidence,

many Japanese believe that they are genetically unique as well. (One good way to make

yourself unpopular in Japan is to quote studies that indicate the Japanese are descended

from immigrants from mainland Asia.) Foreign pharmaceuticals are often prohibited in

Japan on the basis that they have not been proven to be safe and effective for the Japanese  people.

 

Wherever the Japanese originated, they are extremely protective of their culture and their society. They discourage large numbers of foreigners from coming to work and live in Japan. Even Korean workers who have lived in Japan for several generations are not accorded full citizenship. Foreigners in Japan are often considered to be the source of crime and public disorder.

 

The prejudice against foreigners can even be directed at native-born Japanese. Often,

Japanese who spend too much time studying abroad are stigmatized for “not being Japanese enough.”

 

One important aspect of Japanese behavior is apology. Not only do individuals apologize

for missteps, but companies do as well (in the person of their highest-ranking officers).

Japan has its own unique belief system, called Shinto. Shinto means “the way of the gods,” yet it is not always categorized by westerners as a religion, in part because Shinto lacks an official religious text or a system of ethics to live by.

 

The Japanese are surprisingly tolerant of religious differences and may even practice both Buddhism and Shinto concurrently. Many people are married in a Shinto ceremony but select a Buddhist funeral.

 

Christianity (less than 5 percent) and other religions (under 20 percent) are also present

in Japan. There is no official religion. The Japanese tend to adapt their religion to modern

life; for example, they will have new businesses blessed.

 

Know Before You Go

The greatest difficulty for foreigners involves finding one’s way about. Most signs are only in Japanese (some tourist attractions and large avenues have multilingual signs). Not all buildings have street numbers. The layout of most cities is chaotic and confusing. Efforts to use public transportation are often made difficult by impatient crowds. Unless they have a guide, first-time visitors to Japan are often overwhelmed.

Japan is one of the most tectonically active nations in the world. The country has suffered many devastating earthquakes.

 

It also has several active volcanoes: Mt. Usu on Hokkaido erupted in April 2000. Visitors to Japan should know that they may be viewed with suspicion in the aftermath of a natural disaster; foreigners have often been blamed for “causing disruption” (i.e., looting) after earthquakes.

 

Japan is also occasionally the victim of destructive typhoons or tsunamis.

North Americans should know that they are, on average, larger (both taller and wider) than the average Japanese.

 

Consequently, they may find Japanese accommodations (everything from shower stalls to train seats) difficult to use. You may also find it difficult to purchase clothes in your size.

 

Japan has occasionally experienced terrorist attacks. The Red Brigade carried out attacks in the 1970s. More recently, in 1995, a religious sect released the deadly nerve gas sarin on the Tokyo subway, causing a dozen deaths and injuring

thousands.

 

Open prejudice against foreigners is occasionally encountered in Japan. You may be told that certain services are “for Japanese only,” especially when you travel outside areas frequented by tourists. Japanese taxi drivers are notoriously erratic and can be a danger to both pedestrians and other drivers. If you are staying in Japan and are considering buying a car, realize that the purchase price is only part of your costs.

In addition to insurance, you must first rent a registered parking space for your car. Old cars are sold very cheaply because they require expensive repairs to pass inspection (this is one reason all the cars in Japan look so well maintained).

 

Cultural O rientation

Cognitive S tyles: H ow Japanese O rganize and P rocess Information

The Japanese generally close all doors to outside influences, although they are open to ideas from within their group. They are subjective and experiential in their thinking, holding fast to traditional values. Strong loyalty to their groups makes the Japanese look to the particular and specific rather than the universal and abstract. While the Japanese pride themselves on anticipating others’ needs, they can also be very compartmentalized.

 

Negotiation S trategies: What Japanese A ccept as E vidence

The Japanese may rely more on their feelings than on facts, because they tend to be more subjective than objective. Since they strive for consensus within their groups, individuals are prepared to change their position for the sake of group harmony.

Foreigners sometimes interpret the Japanese dismissal of facts and decision-byconsensus process as evidence that the Japanese believe that they are superior to others. The opaqueness of their decision-making and their tightly controlled communicative behavior exacerbates this situation with unknowing foreigners.

 

Value S ystems: T he Basis for Behavior

Traditional Japanese value systems have recently eroded due to the failure of the postwar social compact (especially the loss of lifetime employment). These views are especially prevalent among the younger generation.

The following three sections identify the Value Systems in the predominant culture—

their methods of dividing right from wrong, good from evil, and so forth.

 

Locus of Decision-Making

Decisions are made within the group with little or no personal recognition. A person’s

actions reflect on the group, particularly his or her family. Outsiders must be accepted into the group before they can participate in decision-making. The Japanese are only moderately collective.

 

Sources of Anxiety Reduction

The Japanese have very high anxiety about life because of the need to avoid embarrassment. There are constant pressures to conform. A very strong work ethic and strong group relationships give structure and stability to life. Emotional restraints are developed in childhood, and all behaviors are situation-bound. This makes it extremely difficult for a foreigner to understand the culture.

 

Issues of Equality/Inequality

Age is revered. There is a great deal of competitiveness among equals, but also an inherent trust in people. Ethnocentrism is very strong. Male dominance is still strong in public situations. Gender roles in society are clearly differentiated, but a desire for Western-style equality is growing among Japanese youth.

 

Cultural Note

Japanese politics, like most areas of power, has been almost exclusively male for decades. Recently this has begun to change. In February 2000, Fusae Ota became the first Japanese woman to win a gubernatorial election when she became

governor of Osaka. She was a former officer in the powerful Ministry of International Trade and Industry (known as MITI).

 

Business P ractic es

Punctuality, A ppointments, and Local Time

● Be punctual at all times. Tardiness is considered rude.

● The work week is generally forty-eight hours without overtime pay, spread over five and a half working days. Some large firms have instituted a five-day week. While the Japanese work long hours, few executives take their work home with them.

● During holidays, banks and offices close, although some stores remain open.

● During three weeks of the year (New Year’s holidays, December 28 to January 3; Golden Week, April 29 to May 5; and Obon, in mid-August), many people visit the graves of their ancestors. Conducting business and traveling are difficult during these periods.

● When writing the date in English, the Japanese may write the year first, then the month, then the day (e.g., December 3, 2010, would be 10.12.3 or 10/12/3) or they may write the day first, then the month, then the year (e.g., December 3, 2010, would be written 3.12.10).

● Japan is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. +9), or fourteen hours

ahead of Eastern Standard Time (E.S.T. +14).

 

Cultural Note

The Japanese also have a non-Western method of designating the year: they use the year of the current emperor’s reign. 

 

This year is now considered to begin on the first of January in the Gregorian (Western) calendar. The New Year is the most important holiday in Japan. Businesses close for three to five days. Many people send greeting cards to celebrate. Bonekai parties (“year forget parties”) are held to put all of the old year’s worries to rest. People visit shrines, eat specific foods, and even play obscure games, such as hanetsuki, a Japanese form of

badminton.

 

Negotiating

● A Japanese response “I’ll consider it” may actually mean “no.”

● Negatively phrased questions typically get a “yes” if the Japanese speaker agrees. For

example, a question such as “Doesn’t Company A want us?” will be answered “yes” if

the Japanese thinks that Company A indeed does not want you. In English, the answer

would be “No, they do not want you.”

● Incorporate the words “I’m sorry” into your vocabulary when you go to Japan. However,

don’t be ingratiating out of fear of offending; just be polite.

● Hard-sell techniques will fail in Japan. Instead, find the points on which you and your

Japanese counterparts agree, then build upon those. A positive, persuasive presentation

works better with the Japanese than does a high-pressure, confrontational approach.

● Negotiations are begun at the executive level and continued at the middle level (working

level).

● Connections are very helpful in Japan. However, choose your intermediaries carefully,

because the Japanese will feel obliged to be loyal to them. Do not choose someone of

lower rank than the person with whom he or she will be negotiating. Intermediaries

should not be part of either company involved in the deal.

● If you don’t have a connection, a personal call is better than a letter or e-mail.

● Use an intermediary to convey bad news.

● Using a Japanese lawyer rather than a Western one indicates a cooperative spirit.

● The Japanese usually use the initial meetings to get to know you, while at the same time asking to hear about your proposal. Agreements of confidentiality are vague.

● Contracts are not perceived as final agreements. You or they may renegotiate.

● Because age equals rank, show the greatest respect to the oldest members of the Japanese group with who you are in contact.

● You will not be complimented on good work, because the group and not the individual is rewarded. It is a bad idea to single out Japanese workers.

● The Japanese will not explain exactly what is expected of you.

● Most Japanese go through job rotation, in which they change jobs within the same company every few years. In this way, the employees get to know the company and its work force well.

● Suggestion boxes, so often ignored in the United States, are useful in Japan, because Japanese employees stuff them full of suggestions.

● Do not make accusations or refuse anything directly; be indirect.

● At work the Japanese are very serious and do not try to “lighten things up” with humor.

● When working with Japanese who know English, or when using an interpreter, be patient. Speak slowly, pause often, and avoid colloquialisms. Your interpreter may seem to be taking more time with the translation than you did with your statement; this is because she or he is using lengthy forms of respect.

● Do not be surprised if your interpreter translates Japanese into English almost simultaneously but waits until English speakers are finished before translating into Japanese. Unlike English, Japanese is a very predictable language. By the time a Japanese busines sperson is halfway through a sentence, the translator probably knows how the sentence will end.Indeed, it would be very impolite of a Japanese to end a sentence with an unexpected choice of words.

● At times, you may need to pretend you are sure that your Japanese colleague or friend

has understood you, even if you know this is not the case. This is important for maintaining a good relationship.

 

Cultural Note

Asian psychology requires that people observe the proper order of things. When three Japanese hostages were released from Iraq in 2004, they had to pay for their own flights home. Instead of being welcomed back to Japan, they returned to widespread animosity because they had entered Iraq against their government’s recommendation. This was a 

violation of protocol, and they were perceived to have put the government and the Japanese people in a bad position. 

 

Business Entertaining

● Business entertaining usually occurs after business hours, and very rarely in the home.

You will be entertained often, sometimes on short notice. While the first evenings will

probably be spent going from bar to restaurant to “hostess bar” (not a good idea for

businesswomen), you may suggest alternatives later. These may include sumo wrestling

or karaoke (“empty orchestra”) bars, where you sing along with prerecorded music.

● When you are taken out, your host will treat.

● Allow your host to order for you (this will be easier, too, since the menus are in Japanese).

Be enthusiastic while eating, and express your thanks afterward.

● While business entertaining is primarily for building friendships rather than for doing

deals, you may discuss business during the evening.

● If you are invited to a Japanese home, keep in mind that this is a great honor: show your  appreciation.

● For social occasions, it is appropriate to be fashionably late.

● When entering a Japanese home, take off your shoes at the door. You will wear one pair of slippers from the door to the living room, where you will remove them. You will put  them on again to make your way to the bathroom, where you will exchange them for

“toilet slippers.” Do not forget to change back again.

● In a home, you will sit cross-legged, or with your legs to the side, around a low table with the family. You may be offered a backrest.

● Meals are long, but the evening usually ends at about 11:00 p.m.

● Never point your chopsticks at another person. When you are not using them, you should line them up on the chopstick rest.

● Use both hands to hold a bowl or a cup that you wish to be refilled.

● Eventually, you will wish to invite your hosts out. Be insistent, even if they claim that a

foreigner should not pay for anything.

 

Protocol

Greetings

● The Japanese are very aware of Western habits and will often greet you with a handshake. Their handshakes will often be gentle; this gives no indication of their assertiveness of character.

● The handshake may last longer than customary in northern Europe or North America.

● The bow is their traditional greeting.

● If someone bows to greet you, observe carefully. If you are greeting an equal, bow to the same depth as you have been bowed to, because the depth of the bow indicates the status of the relationship between you.

● As you bow, quickly lower your eyes. Keep your palms flat against your thighs.

 

Cultural Note

Business cards are extremely important for establishing credentials. Have them prepared in advance and checked by a Japanese business representative. It is best to have one side printed in your native language, with extra information

such as membership in professional associations included; the reverse side should be in Japanese. If your status changes, have new cards printed immediately.

Cards are presented after the bow or handshake. Present your card with the Japanese side facing your colleague, in such a manner that it can be read immediately.

Read the card presented to you, memorizing all the information. Ask for help in pronunciation and in comprehension of the title; if you understand without help, make a relevant comment. Handle cards very carefully. Do not put them in your pocket or in your wallet if you plan to put it in your back pocket. Never write on a person’s business card (especially not in his or her presence).

 

Titles/Forms of A ddress

● In person, use last names plus San, meaning “Mr.” or “Ms.” Do not immediately assume

that the Japanese will call you by your first name.

● In correspondence, it is more respectful to add –dono or –sama to the last name.

 

Gestures

● Japan is a high-context culture; even the smallest gesture carries great meaning. Therefore, avoid expansive arm and hand movements, unusual facial expressions, or dramatic gestures of any kind.

● The American “okay” sign (thumb and forefinger curled in an O) means “money” to the

Japanese.

● Some Western gestures convey nothing to the Japanese. These include a shrug of the

shoulders or a wink between friends.

● Pointing is considered impolite. Instead, wave your hand, palm up, toward the object

being indicated, as the Japanese do.

● Beckoning “come here” is done with the palm down.

● Moving the open hand, with the palm facing left, in a fanning motion in front of the face

indicates a negative response.

● Sniffing, snorting, and spitting in public are acceptable, but nose blowing is not. When

you must blow your nose, use a disposable tissue and then throw it out.

● To get through a crowd, the Japanese may push others. There is also a gesture meaning, “excuse me,” which involves repeating a bow and a karate chop in the air.

● The Japanese do not approve of male-female touching in public.

● Men do not engage in backslapping or other forms of touching.

● In conversation, the Japanese remain farther apart than do North Americans.

● Prolonged direct eye contact is not the norm.

● A smile can mean pleasure, but it can also be a means of self-control, as when it is used to hide disapproval or anger.

● Keep a smile, even when you are upset.

● Laughter can mean embarrassment, confusion, or shock, rather than mirth.

● Silence is considered useful.

 

Cultural Note

Should you have occasion to visit a Japanese person who is ill, never bring him or her white flowers. The color white is associated with death. Also, avoid giving a potted plant, which suggests that the sick person will soon be planted in the ground.

 

Gifts

● Gift giving is very common in Japan. Business gifts absolutely must be given at midyear (July 15) and at year-end (January 1). They are often given at first business meetings .

● Make sure your gift was not made in China.

● For the Japanese, the ceremony of gift giving is more important than the objects

exchanged. Do not be surprised by either modest or extravagant gifts.

● Take your cue from the Japanese with whom you are working. Allow them to present

gifts first, and make your gift of the same quality as theirs.

● The Japanese do not usually open gifts directly upon receipt. If they do, they will be

restrained in their appreciation. This does not mean that they do not like your present.

Again, follow their lead.

● Good gifts are imported Scotch, cognac, or frozen steaks; electronic gadgets and toys for children of associates; or items made by well-known manufacturers. Elite, foreign namebrands are always best.

● Always wrap your gifts in Japan or have them wrapped by hotel or store services. It is

best to buy the paper there, so as not to choose a paper that is considered tasteful in your home country but unattractive in Japan (for example, black and white paper is unacceptable). Rice paper is ideal.

● If you are invited to a Japanese home, bring flowers, cakes, or candy.

● Avoid giving gifts with even numbers of components, such as an even number of flowers in a bouquet. Four is an especially inauspicious number; never give four of anything.

 

Dress

● Men should wear conservative suits. Avoid casual dress in any business meeting.

● Because shoes are removed frequently, many people wear shoes that slip on.

● Women should dress conservatively, keeping jewelry, perfume, and makeup to a minimum. Pants are becoming more common. High heels are to be avoided if you risk towering over your Japanese counterparts.

● Summer is usually very hot in Japan, so bring lightweight cotton clothing. Be sure to

have plenty of changes of attire, because the Japanese are very concerned with neatness.

● If you wear a kimono, wrap it left over right! Only corpses wear them wrapped right

over left.