Many articles, research papers, and books have been written on the Japanese way of communication. Some authors go a bit overboard by referring to Far Eastern myths of “telepathy in the land of the rising…
Information sharing and reporting is often a cause of friction in Japanese companies. Here is one extreme example that shows just how serious the implications can be. A Japanese company abroad appointed their first non-Japanese…
“Even monkeys sometimes fall from trees”, as goes the Japanese expression. Despite over 30 years of working experience with the country, this expression came to me as I realized that I had made a cardinal…
Very often we are asked how to address Japanese business partners or colleagues correctly. Here are a few tips, which of course apply equally to written correspondence as well as to conversations. As a rule…
In keeping with the holiday season, this time we want to delve into the role of religion in Japan and explain whether and how Christmas is celebrated in Japan. Religion in Japan Christianity is not…
Here is an important piece of information that will help you work with Japanese colleagues here and at HQ. If you have ever seen PowerPoint slides created by Japanese you will have noticed 2 points:…
The coronavirus COVID-19 has shaken up the way we work. We now know more about Zoom or MS Team applications than we did a few months ago and have all been invited to an “online…
During one of my seminars I gave in Japan, I realized the different reactions Japanese and Westerners have towards being told they have made a mistake. I am talking about the very first, almost…
Non-Japanese participants to JCO’s sessions often express their incredulity when their supposedly polite Japanese colleagues are suddenly answering their phone albeit being in the midst of a conversation with them. “They just left me standing…
Have you ever tried to brainstorm with Japanese colleagues? If you did, you might have been disappointed by the lack of participation by your colleagues. You might have thought “I can’t believe they are top…
We often hear that Japan has a culture of shame (vs. guilt in the West) This affects many areas of work and life, as to how you are perceived by your neighbors, your colleagues and…
Let´s start with a short question on the use of emoji. Like many things that surround us, emoji originated in Japan and can be translated as 絵, e = “picture” plus 文字, moji = “letter”.…
(translation from JCO article in Japanese) The Japanese government has launched a new work-style reform in Japan as of April 1st, 2019 which steers the Japanese labour market towards a more globally aligned approach to…
In our blog, we answer some of the questions we regularly receive during our seminars. “I had a teleconference with my Japanese colleagues in Japan. We suggested planning for the project and they all agreed…
Japan is notorious for its strong emphasis on “humans as resources”: due to its lack of natural resources, Japan instead focuses on forming highly educated and skilled citizens. Education is perceived as not only defining…
Local staff often ask us what we tell Japanese participants in our seminars. So here is the translation of a newsletter JCO sent out to expatriates that are working in subsidiaries of our Japanese customers…
We are happy to announce that Japan Consulting Office (JCO) has received the “1st BEST Supplier” and “Highest Appreciated Training Institute” award from Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine for the second time. This prestigious recognition is…
When asking a Japanese employee about his non-Japanese colleagues, they might tell you that “they don’t apologize enough” or that “they make excuses”. Indeed, when something goes wrong, we tend to focus more on explaining…
A few years back while visiting Japan, a former university classmate and I stopped by a convenience store to buy some drinks in order not to arrive empty-handed at the home of Saito-san, a common…
Current Situation and Analysis One of the questions we often receive from our customers is about the “localization” of Japanese companies. While the prospects of global markets remain unclear, with what seems to be a…
All people who work regularly with Japanese colleagues have probably experienced this: their level of spoken English is usually not that great. Furthermore, they seem to have a very particular way of pronouncing things: “elevator”…
Japanese participants in JCO seminars very often give following complaint: “Staff in Europe/the US seldom apologize but are always looking for excuses instead.” Let’s take a closer look at the cultural background of this rather…
Cross-cultural misunderstandings often are based on differing cultural values. These differences can very often be seen in the workplace where they manifest in behavior that does not seem to make sense from the viewpoint of…
In this article, we want to touch on a phenomenon that everybody working with the Japanese has likely experienced and is invariably raised in JCO’s seminars. Namely the fact that in response to your questions,…
Sometimes when Westerners work with Japanese they can be frustrated by the lack of feedback from their Japanese managers. Why is it sometimes difficult to get feedback from Japanese managers? There can be many reasons…
On 21 March 2013, Japan Consulting Office launched a new branch in Budapest, Hungary. The new office will be headed by the former Ambassador of Hungary to Japan, Dr. Zoltan Sudy. With a diplomatic and…
In the English language, a common expression is “the elephant in the room”. This of course refers to a major problem or issue that people are aware of but avoid discussing or acknowledging. In the…
In late 2012, Japan Consulting Office opened a new branch in Singapore, headed by locally-based Japanese expat Sunao Fujii. With more than 15 years of consulting and training experience, Mr. Fujii is familiar with the…
When you work with Japanese, whether colleagues or clients, there is an important cultural aspect that many Westerners overlook in their enthusiasm to “get the job done”. Specifically, this is the importance that the Japanese…
