Books and videotapes on Japanese business culture

Nation's Business, Sept, 1992

A Japanese businessman concludes his initial meeting at an American company by presenting the owner and senior staff members with beautifully wrapped presents, including an expensive lacquered bowl. With this generous gesture, is the Japanese signaling his desire to pursue a deal? Or is he simply thanking the Americans for their time and hospitality?

There is no universally correct answer to that question. Your ability to interpret this and many other practices that you will encounter in exploring sales opportunities in Japan will depend on the time and effort you devote to learning about Japan's distinctive business culture.

An easy, affordable, and effective way to learn about the country's business culture is to read one or more of the myriad books and periodicals on the subject.

If you're pressed for time before hosting your first Japanese visitors or taking your first trip to Japan, read Diana Rowland's Japanese Business Etiquette (Warner Books, 1985). Rowland is an authority on Japanese etiquette. Her easy-to-read book covers the basics, including negotiations, communication, the social side of business, corporate culture, and after-business hours.

For more on Japanese etiquette, try Boye De Mente's Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business (NTC Business Books, 1987).

You might also learn some polite Japanese phrases by studying Barron's Talking Business in Japanese (Barron's Educational Series, 1988).

For an overview of how Japanese business works, start with T.W. Kang's Galshi: The Foreign Company in Japan (Basic Books, 1990). Kang, a Korean raised in Japan and educated at Harvard Business School, stresses the importance of quality, cost, delivery, and service in winning and keeping Japanese customers.

From a Western perspective, the "system can seem strange and even irrational," observes Carl Kester, author of Japanese Takeovers (Harvard Business School Press, 1990), but it is based on the logic of economics. Kester devotes much of his worthwhile book to explaining the relationships between the Japanese company and its lenders, employees, customers, and suppliers.

Building a successful relationship with Japanese customers requires negotiations. Robert March, an international negotiations consultant, draws on 15 years of Japanese experience in The Japanese Negotiator (Kodansha, 1988). He presents case studies of effective and ineffective negotiation to help those who are not Japanese learn about Japanese strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. March's book is complex and detailed; it is not an easy read, but a worthwhile one.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, which is composed of American executives who do business there, publishes a veritable library of books on prospering in the Japanese market. The flagship publication, Trade and Investment in Japan: The Current Environment, presents the view of U.S. business people on opportunities and challenges presented by Japan. Other titles include Exporting to Japan, Living in Japan, and Finding a Home in Tokyo.

Many of these books probably can be obtained through your local bookstore. If not, call the Kinokuniya Book Store in New York at (212) 765-1461 or in San Francisco at (415) 567-7625.

Books published by the American Chamber in Japan are available through the International Division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at (202) 463-5460.

If your business is likely to take you to Japan, you'll do well to first view an excellent videotape titled West Meets East: In Japan."

This 37-minute video shows you how to "properly" handle potential social minefields in Japan, including bowing, exchanging business cards, and eating and entertaining. The video depicts the efforts of a typical Western businessman to become a courteous "gaijin," as the Japanese call foreigners, with the narrator complimenting him for appropriate actions and correcting his mistakes. A three-day rental costs $95. The purchase price is $295. Call the West Meets East Partnership, (213) 223-3212.