Japan Business Communication Across Cultures Group Presentation By: Tiffany Kim Jasmine Silvas Emmanuel Najera

Brief History of Japan  Japan used to be connected to Asia  300 BC- 300 AD : rice, tools of bronze and iron, and weave cloth  Has had a total 125 Emperors  1853 American demand trading rights  1945 atomic bomb on Hiroshima  2006 Democratic Party of Japan wins

5 Dimensions of Japan  High Context – They assume listener knows  Collectivism – Individual decision making is discouraged  Time oriented – Punctual, need time for business decisions

5 Dimensions Continue…  Power Distance – Respect those of: wealth, position, and age  Communication Skills – has a lot emphasized

Greetings Bow as a sign of respect when greeting.  Ohayoo Gozaimasu = Good morning  Konnichiwa = Good afternoon  Mata ashita = See you tomorrow They do shake hands as well.  Wait for them to reach out first.

Gender Roles  Women, if married, usually quit their job to start a family (one child).  Wives : finances, economic decisions, and give husbands an allowance.  Women who work as teachers, nurses, and other service roles tend to their careers after marriage.  Men are bread-winners.  Japan believes women are incapable of leading businesses.

Gender Roles Continue…  Firms pick men and women  Men more for management  Women more for clerical tasks, include: Typing, Sorting, Photocopying, etc.

Appearance and Dress  The Japanese have a saying, “the nail that sticks out gets hit with the hammer.”  Dress formally  Dark blue and black colors  Women cannot wear heels

Attitude Towards Authority  Knowledge of what you are doing  Sincerity, Compatibility, and Trustworthiness  Building relationships with Patience  Ability to stay calm because the Japanese like to take their time

Body Language  Non-verbal communication  The context in which something is said affects the meaning of the words. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the situation to fully appreciate the response.  Trust non-verbal communication more  Frowning  Avoid eye contact  Do not move around so much

Meals and Dining Etiquette  Take off your shoes  Dress appropriately  Arrive early

Gift Giving  Gift-giving is an important part of Japanese business.  The Japanese culture is a very rich culture and this must be taken into consideration when dealing with the giving of any gift.

Gift variety and types  Be prepared to return a gift if given one and have a variety available.  Ensure gifts are wrapped.  Preferred gifts include foreign or prestigious brand items.

Rituals of Gift giving  The act of giving the gift is more important than the gift itself.  Should be done in privacy, or if to a group all should be present.  Gifts to people of different rank should be different.

Timeliness and Body Language  It is polite to modestly refuse at least once or twice before accepting a gift.  Received gifts should be opened in private.  Gifts should be given with both hands ands given towards the end of the visit.

Japanese Time Structure  The Japanese believe strongly in 'no hidden surprises' and are committed to a very high degree of predictability and consistent reliability.  Punctuality, Being on time is extremely important and considered common sense.  Waiting to be seated

Decision making  In the Japanese culture it takes a Long time to make decisions.  The Japanese tend to Avoid Risks, make decisions on a semi rational and full emotional perspective because they are a Collective society, with common goals.

Conflict Resolution  Low level of conflict  Japanese culture avoids assertion, and lean on empathy.  Less assertive techniques the Japanese prefer to rely on discusion in order to gather information.

U.S. Company adaption  McDonalds (3,165) in Japan  Had to change the menu to customer’s preference  Offers: Teriyaki McBurger, made from pork, with a bag of Seaweed Shaker fries. Croquette Burger or a Bacon Potato Pie. Ebi Filet-O, a fried shrimp patty on a bun  First McDonald’s was in Tokyo

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Works Cited  Dresser, Norine. Multicultural Manners : Essential Rules of Etiquette for the 21st Century. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons,  Kopp, Rochelle. "Decision Making Process in Japan.” Japan Intercultural. Japan Intercultural Consulting, Web. Oct  Sugihara, Yoko and Katsurada, Emiko (2002). Gender Role Development in Japanese Culture: Diminishing Gender Role Differences in Contemporary Society. Sex Roles. 47. p

Works Cited  "Business Culture in Japan." Doing Business in Japan. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct  "Business Culture in Japan." World Business Culture. World Business Culture, Web. 25 Oct  "Japan - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." Japan. N.p., n.d. Web.26 Oct