So far, I have outlined 6 approaches that
are inevitable in successful business in Japan.
In order to make them work, you need 1
thing; without this, you will never be successful in doing business in Japan
even with the 6 approaches.
That is, do not assume “Japan Way” and the
way done in your country is similar.
This is about business culture, manners and
customs, communication style and so forth. This is more about soft part, or mindset and behavior,
attributing to the country’s long history, culture, religion, education, how
things work in the society etc.
One of the things first mentioned by
non-Japanese about this topic is exchanging business cards in Japan.
This is true while you need to understand
something behind it that leads to many other things you encounter in doing
business in Japan such as how you would need to communicate and get things done
in business professionals in Japan especially in formal settings, and setting
up your office in Japan.
These are because in Japan “the organization
the individual belongs” and his/her title have much significance than the
individual.
Another key thing is that face-to-face
communication is the key in Japan and it is very unlikely you can get along
only with online communication, unlike in large countries such as in the US.
These attribute to the Japan’s long history
and culture. You would simply need to respect and accept it instead of pushing
your way in doing business in Japan if you want to be successful, as in the
saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.
In fact, this was the topic I did one hour
consultation with an American business executive who started his business in
Japan with a local JV over an international phone call last year. He said
communication with the Japan local JV has not been going on well and he tried
to understand why by reading books but thought it better to have the
consultation on Corporate Culture.
Such a thing is quite understandable
because this kind of things are difficult to include in manual, nor can be
understood and put into practice overnight.
Having said that, there are things that are
universal such as basics of business, ethics/morale/compliance, and how you
should treat other people.
After all, this is all about Diversity and
Inclusion.
This is one of the topics I have covered in
my two eBooks I wrote, which was published by StartiaLab, a leading Japanese
eBook publisher in November, 2015.
English version: 7 Things to Know to be Successful in Business in
Japan
Japanese version: 世界を相手に勝つための教科書 – グローバル社会で事業を拡大する7つの方法と8つの事例
