Japanese Business Culture

Beginners

Everything About Japanese Culture for Businessmen

2020.04.03 www.gloture.co.jp

If a foreign company wants to enter the Japanese market, learning the language is not enough. Even if you speak really well, faux pas slow down your business and harm your credibility. Whether you want to create a website, post on social media or meet professionals, there are a few things you should pay attention to. You can also read about the Japanese business etiquette to know the dos and don’ts when participating in professional meetings. Colors Color meanings change depending on countries and sometimes regions, so it is important to know them in order to avoid delivering the wrong message. Black: both positive and negative, it represents elegance, sexuality…
Work in Japan

Globalization & the Struggle of Japanese Companies

2020.03.27 www.gloture.co.jp

More foreign companies are setting a branch in Japan, but they struggle to adapt to the local culture. The country is geographically isolated and its people give much importance to traditions and Japanese uniqueness (the nihonjinron logic), so it is not easy to understand and follow the untold rules – especially in a business setting. It is even more difficult for Japanese companies, who don’t always know how to deal with another culture. With globalization, however, enterprises will have to overcome those problems and be more opened to the world. Why Japan Experiences Difficulties Japanese companies struggle more at a global level than other multinationals. They lack global human capital since…
Strategy for success

Decoding of the Japanese Business Negotiations

2020.03.09 www.gloture.co.jp

International trade has now become unavoidable, but even though business negotiations are happening every day, all businessmen do not know the right way to negotiate with some nations – especially with Japan. Its culture differs widely from Western countries’, particularly when we know that indirect communication is favored by Japanese. When we don’t understand how the system works, meetings and negotiations seem strange, even illogical. So let’s give a look at why businessmen act as they do to better react.   Feelings & Emotions Yes, when you negotiate, you are in a professional setting – but Japanese people will avoid doing business with you if they think you are disrespectful,…
Work in Japan

How to Make the Perfect Japanese Business Card

2020.03.05 www.gloture.co.jp

As we know, business cards are a must-have when doing business in Japan or with Japanese. The exchange of business cards (meishi koukan 名刺交換) is a tradition and it is essential to know its inner working. Sure, you need to always have some with you, but the first step is and will always be to have printed your cards. So what do you have to include on it, or not include? What are the basics and common sense concerning business cards? Essential Information Your Full Name: on the Japanese side, write your name in katakana. People will be embarrassed if they don’t know how to pronounce it correctly and have to be…
Challenges

Set Up A Branch in Japan: Pros And Cons

2020.02.17 www.gloture.co.jp

Before setting a branch in Japan, you should be aware of the business culture there. Japanese people are notoriously hardworking. This is one of the many explanations why they have such high economic growth and are more advanced than other countries. However, the work culture of a Japanese white-collared worker is known for their long work hours, and there have been cases of employees literally being worked to death (called karōshi). Still, stories like this should not scare you away from pursuing a career in Japan. There are many opportunities for foreigners there and the Japanese government is making an effort to decrease its ridiculous long work hours. Cons Long…