Yokonarabi – Keeping up with the corporate Joneses
…There was no business strategy reason, or other explanation. Just doing it because all our competitors were, and we didn't want to be the only one not doing it.”...
Japanese business keywords
A3 reports – secret to Japanese productivity
Once one has become familiar with reading and writing A3 reports, they can certainly increase efficiency…any employee can pick up a report from anywhere else in the company and immediately...
Homegoroshi – Japanese don’t always like positive feedback
Japanese tend to not want praise for things that they think are not perfect and still need work…Given this negative meaning of compliments, it makes sense that Japanese might feel...
Non-verbal communication in Japanese business
Western communication style relies heavily on words. In contrast, Japanese communication relies less on verbal manipulation, and more heavily on non-verbals. Japanese are able to rely more on...
Jinji Ido – The Japanese organizational “refresh” button
The HR department is given a degree of power that is beyond what is typical in most western companies, creating a special kind of rhythm to life in a Japanese...
Omoiyari — key to success with Japanese customers
Japanese customers tend to not ask for what they want, they believe that they shouldn't have to explain...
Americans paint a picture with words…Japanese tell the story with pictures
Many Americans discover that using more graphics is effective when working with Japanese. Do Americans find this approach more convincing? Or do they accept the need to use...
Saihatsu boshi – “Those who forget the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them”
Japanese are often mystified as to why many Americans seem to not be interested in learning from past problems to prevent future ones…quite a contrast from the way many Japanese...
Mi ni tsukeru –Easier done than said in Japan
When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task; eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort…...
Madoguchi – Your Japanese “go to” person
In Japanese firms, for any project there is always a designated person that people are asked to deal with, and that person is referred to as the madoguchi, which literally...