Business Culture - Japan

I. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Japan comprises over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.The population of Tokyo is estimated at 8.500.000 habitants. Ethnic Make-up : Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian 182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914) Official language is japanese . Japanese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with over 99% percent of the country's population using it. Amazingly, the language is spoken in scarcely any region outside Japan.Dialects are used in areas, particularly in Kyoto and Osaka, but standard Japanese, based on the speech of Tokyo, has become more popular through the use of television, radio and movies. The climate in Japan is rather humid, especially in the summer. Usually there is a rainy season from mid-June to mid-July, and then it really gets hot. Also typhoons begin their ascent north in the summertime and last through the autumn, so make sure to keep an eye on the weather and typhoon movements as very often there can be flight cancellations. In recent years, typhoons have been hitting land several times a year, whereas in the past, it was a much rarer occurrence. There are many national holidays throughout the year, but the three times in which to watch out for several days of business closure are Golden Week (a week of several holidays) around April 29 - May 6, Obon (time to go home to pay respect to the dead) usually around the 3rd week of August, and New Years celebrations around end of December through the first days of January. Most Japanese are either Buddhist or Shintoist, or both, but actual practice is rather limited to holidays, and it's mostly just for show. Nevertheless, religious interest has been gradually picking up, with Christianity, Islam, Bahai, and other faiths growing.

II. CULTURAL DIMENSION

1.Japanase culture

Japan is the land of peace and harmony that continues to evolve in a positive unification of tradition and modernisation. With its elaborate and colourful history and culture, Japan has formed a distinct model of hierarchy, honou.r and etiquette that is still reflected in many social and business practices today. If your organisation is planning to conduct business with Japan, potential success depends upon an understanding of this culturally influenced protocol. Wa - The most valued principle still alive in Japanese society today is the concept of 'wa', or 'harmony'. The preservation of social harmony dates back to the first constitution in 604 AD and the teamwork needed when living and working on collective farms. In business terms, 'wa' is reflected in the avoidance of self-assertion and individualism and the preservation of good relationships despite differences in opinion. When doing business with the Japanese it is also important to remember the affect of 'wa' on many patterns of Japanese behaviour, in particular their indirect expression of 'no'. Kao - One of the fundamental factors of the Japanese social system is the notion of 'face'. Face is a mark of personal pride and forms the basis of an individual's reputation and social status. Preservation of face comes through avoiding confrontations and direct criticism wherever possible. In Japan, causing someone to loose face can be disastrous for business relationships. Omoiyari - Closely linked to the concepts of 'wa' and 'kao', 'omoiyari' relates to the sense of empathy and loyalty encouraged in Japanese society and practiced in Japanese business culture. In literal terms it means "to imagine another's feelings", therefore building a strong relationship based on trust and mutual feeling is vital for business success in Japan.

Japanese Culture Quiz

In Japanese the number 4 sounds like the word for 'death' and consequently is deemed unlucky.

In Japanese culture, laughter is often used to hide feelings such as nervousness, shock, embarrassment, confusion and disapproval.

It is not rude to slurp or make noise while eating noodles or drinking tea.