The "Dos and Don'ts" and "Need to Knows" for a German visiting Japan on Business
Jana Carstens
Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Didactics - English - Discussion and Essays, grade: 1,8 (A-), University of Cooperative Education Mannheim (Education: Economics), course: Business English, language: English, abstract: [...] Etiquette is a minefield and a mistake can cost a businessman a contract. So it is important toknow about the business customs of a country you are doing business with. No one whotravels East with the intention to do business should do so without informing himself aboutthe business structure, practices, customs and habits. It is very common that business peopleare sent from their company to exotic regions like Japan without being taught in cross-culturalbusiness or the country-specific customs and manners. The more exotic one country, the morepreparation is necessary.In most Asian business cultures, harmony is valued above everything else.4 Problems canarise out of the international cooperation and misunderstandings due to language andgestures.5 When it comes to a faux pas, it can have serious consequences: the image of thecompany can be destroyed, the contract will probably not be settled and the cooperation canbe deranged. Not the different manners, but the different mindsets make internationalcooperation difficult: far-eastern distance hits the western backslapping mentality.6 “Buildingrelationships … should emphasize mutual trust, confidence, loyalty and commitment for thelong term, both among individuals and companies.”7 In this paper I will point out interesting facts and figures about Japan, its history, its capital aswell as its working conditions. Furthermore, I highlight strange Japanese customs and habitsand present special differences between Germany and Japan. For a German visiting Japan onbusiness, this information is essential to have. Although Europeans will never understand theculture and tradition of the Japanese, they need to arrange with it in order to do business. Iwill not mention facts about Japan’s economy and the consumers’ behaviour, which are alsoimportant for doing business, because of the limited size of this paper.4 Cf. Scheunemann, C., 4/2003, p. 18.5 Cf. Obmann, C., 10/2003, p. 78.6 Cf. Obmann, C., 10/2003, p. 78.7 ACCJ, 1996, p. 19.
