Browse through the hundreds of articles by our team members on a wide variety of topics related to Japanese business and culture. Find articles on specific topics of interest using the search box in the sidebar.
Many of the Japanese expatriates at my clients’ subsidiaries in the U.S. don’t have a clear idea of what their role is. Given vague titles like “Coordinator” or “Liaison”,...
The old practice of lifetime employment has started to fray at the edges…Yet, even while making greater use of flexible staffing, Japanese companies tend to maintain a “core” staff who...
In the U.S., professors typically do not have contact with companies in the recruiting process. In Japan your professor determines not only your grades but also holds the key...
In Japan, the lunch break is Noon to 1:00pm. All work stops and everyone goes to lunch at the same time…Americans work at their desks through lunch or get their...
Our tips on how to nemawashi (build consensus) with Japan headquarters when you can't be there....
Learning a new language is only the beginning—then we have to figure out what people mean by the words they say in that other culture, and it isn’t always easy....
Being harsh towards one’s subordinates is often encouraged in Japanese culture, and a blind eye is turned toward yelling and other harsh treatment. For many Japanese, a tough boss...
Non-Japanese employees of Japanese firms frequently mention the penchant that many Japanese managers have for public criticism. Whereas Americans would prefer to receive negative feedback in private, Japanese seem...
Methods used to manage engineers in Japan often do not meet the expectations of non-Japanese engineers. This results in disruptive high turnover rates, and difficulty transferring technology....
For Japanese companies operating outside Japan, this means that the Japanese expatriates assigned to overseas locations are knowledgeable about different cultures and take those cultures into account in their business...