Free Resources
Last Updated: 13 Apr 2021 Top ten expectations of Japanese customers
Customer service is a highly developed art form in Japan. As foreign firms become increasingly active in the Japanese market, they face many challenges in meeting with Japanese customer...
Last Updated: 15 Dec 2024 Keeping things tidy is everyone’s job in Japan
I find litter and wastefulness quite upsetting and often stress in my training how important the tidiness of the workplace is to Japanese customers. I think my obsession with litter...
Last Updated: 13 Apr 2021 Influencing decision-making in a Japanese organization
For most Americans working in American organizations, decision-making is something that seems relatively straightforward. However, decisions made in Japanese organizations are made differently and the factors deemed to be...
Last Updated: 21 Jun 2020 Your Japanese customer wants a window (or a desk), not a receptionist or voicemail
Japanese customers expect to get through to the tantosha or madoguchi, not a receptionist or voicemail when they call a supplier....
Last Updated: 15 Dec 2024 Providing credentials in Japanese business
Whenever you sense a doubt or worry in a Japanese business person you are meeting for the first time, do not hesitate to introduce your credentials....
Last Updated: 21 Jun 2020 Knowing your customer is doubly important if they’re Japanese – and doubly difficult
The print version of a collection of Pernille Rudlin's articles on working with Japanese customers (internal and external) is now available on Amazon.com...
Last Updated: 28 Apr 2022 Giving feedback across cultures is not just a language issue
Last Updated: 24 Jun 2020 Is it worth the effort to learn Japanese?
Yes, but once a week lessons will lead to frustration! Make sure you know your vocation first. Loving Japan is not enough. Read on to find out why...
Last Updated: 21 Jun 2020 Bow, shake hands or poke someone in the eye?
Most non-Japanese people worry too much about bowing when meeting Japanese counterparts - even though it's true bowing is deeply engrained in the Japanese psyche...