With Respect to the Japanese

Going to Work in Japan

John C. Condon

• Publisher: Intercultural Press
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9780984247127
• eBook ISBN:
  9780984247110
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: International Business
• Index: Business

While Japan has been on center stage of the world economy for decades, interactions between the Japanese and Westerners continue to be on the rise. Daily communication in both business and social settings is commonplace, and connections through the Internet and mobile media make what felt distant only a few years ago seem familiar. Our cultures and social norms remain vastly different, however, and professionals working in Japan are likely to confront new challenges every day. For example, what are the three biggest challenges for Westerners who go to work in Japan? How can you tell when "yes" might mean "no"? When you are the guest in a taxi, who should sit where? In the fully updated second edition of With Respect to the Japanese, readers discover not only answers to basic etiquette questions, but also how to communicate successfully with the Japanese and, in the process, earn mutual respect. John C. Condon and Tomoko Masumoto use real-life examples (from kindergarten classrooms to the boardroom) to explain the contrast between these two distinct cultures. In this essential guide to Japanese culture, you will learn how vital societal characteristics affect communication, decision making, management styles and many other aspects of work and everyday relationships.

INDEX

A

age, 6, 9–23

dōki and, 13

intercultural encounters and, 11

listening and, 48

seniority and, 12–13, 64

senpai-kōhai and, 10, 11–13

zodiacal calendar and, 93–94

agreement, 46–47

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten (Fulghum), 1

anime, 105

appearance, 37–40

apprenticeships, 84

The Art of Crossing Cultures (Storti), 112

arubaito (part-time workers), 108

assumptions, 18–19

as context, 27–29

in social relationships, 32

authority, 2

awase (adjusting) negotiation style, 33–35

B

ba (place), 55–56

Bateson, Gregory, 104

A Beginner’s Guide to the Deep Cultural Experience (Shaules), 112

Bennett, Janet, 29

blogs, 105–106

bōnen-kai (end of the year) parties, 90, 109

bonuses, 63

bookstores, 112

bowing, 9–11

buchō, 108

buffers, go-betweens as, 5, 42–43

Bunka no hi (Culture Day), 97

business cards (meishi), 32

C

calisthenics, group, 44

candor, 30–33, 40–42

cell phones, 27

chain of command, 15–16. See also social order

The Challenge of Facework (Ting-Toomey), 54

chōrei (morning orientation), 107

Clark, Clifford, 77

cleanliness, 37–40

clothing, 37–40

cold calls, 33

communalism, 3–5

negotiating styles and, 33–35

communication, 37–54

about self vs. others, 48–49

after hours, 20

beginnings and endings and, 43–45

beginnings and endings in, 43–45

chain of command in, 15–16

context in, 25–35

direct vs. indirect, 40–42

explicit and implicit, 77

first impressions and, 37–40

go-betweens in, 42–43

modesty and politeness in, 49–51

negotiating styles and, 33–35

office arrangements and, 60–61

physical context of, 55–56

saving face and, 51–54

saying “no” and, 46–47

silence in, 47–48

social order and, 10, ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• One All I Really Need to Know, They Learned in Kindergarten
• Two The Social Order
• Three More than Meets the Eye: All About Context
• Four Everyday Communication
• Five In Place
• Six About Time
• Seven Waiting for Feedback
• Eight On-the-Job Learning
• Nine In Sync with the Rhythms of the Year
• Ten Going to Work in Japan: Seven Suggestions
• Appendix: Some Useful Terms to know when going to Work in Japan
• Additional Resources
• Index