Japan

1. Japan Cross-Cultural Communication Briefing Team 6

2. Order of Presentation Japanese cultural history overview Social conventions Business conventions

3. Brief Cultural History

4. Geert-Hofstede Cultural Comparisons

5. Attire and Appearance in Japan 装い

6. Appearance • Dress to impress- high context society • Wear shoes that are easy to remove • “The nail that sticks up get hits with the hammer”

7. Women’s Attire • Women dress conservatively • Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes • When wearing a kimono, wrap it left over right

8. The Family in Japan 家族

9. Modern Japanese Family • Nuclear family similar to the typical family in the United States • Still maintains some traditional aspects from ie

10. Parents’ Roles • Father: spend a great deal of time at work, little energy to spend on children • Mother:responsible for raising children, overseeing their education, and managing family’s finances • little room for career

11. Entertainment in Japan 楽しみ

12. Entertainment • Value family life and take an active part in community affairs • Play on many community sports teams • After-hours children’s sports teams • Karaoke is popular throughout all generations

13. Entertainment by Group • Women: • Shop • Go out for meals • Men: • Play golf • Watch baseball, football, horse racing • Younger generation: • Video/computer games

14. Pachinko • Pachinko is a mixture between slot machines and pinball • The player only controls the speed the small steel balls go into the pachinko machine • Pachinko machines can be found in pachinko parlorsspread over the whole country • Women and men both play pachinko - there are even a few pachinko professionals!

15. Communication in Japan コミュニケーション

16. Restaurant Etiquette • Punctuality is not expected. It is the custom to be "fashionably late." • You should slurp your noodles! • Do not openly display money • Never pour a drink yourself • No tipping

17. The Art of Gift GivingFriendship, Respect and Gratitude • Rooted in tradition, ceremony is important • Type of gift depends on status •  Give your host some warning during the evening that you intend to give them a present •  Give the gift with both hands and accept gifts with hands at the end of the visit

18. Japanese Communication Styles • Body Language • Silence • Eye Contact • Personal Space

19. JapaneseWriting Conventions Direction of text: Traditionally, columns read from top to bottom and ordered from right to left Modern Japanese is horizontal and read left to right Word choice: All words in Japanese can be written in either katakana, hiragana, or rōmaji. Most words also have a kanji form. The choice of which type of writing to use depends on a number of factors, including standard conventions, readability, and stylistic choices.

20. Business Conventions in Japan ビジネス

21. Internet in Japan • E-mail is a popular form of communication • A way for women to more openly express themselves

22. Exchanging Business Cards meishi 操作〔業務〕のVP Scott Kerr 電話202:833-3713 ファックス: 202-833-3714 電子メール: scott.kerr@lambifund.org Lambi Fund of Haiti PO Box 1955 Washington, DC 20036 • Business cards are a tradition passed from China • Definite procedure for exchanging: • Using both hands, give the card to the other person so that they can read it (Japanese side up) • Accept their card and look at it. Treat it as something special - don't write on the card or put the card casually down • Place the card in your suit pocket or a special container VP Of Operations Scott Kerr Phone: 202-833-3713 Fax: 202-833-3714 e-mail: scott.kerr@lambifund.org Lambi Fund of Haiti PO Box 1955 Washington, DC 20036

23. Business Etiquette • Call the Japanese by their proper titles. • Use last names plus "san" • The seller is always lower in status than the buyer • Age equals rank • On the job, the Japanese are very serious • Contracts are not perceived as final agreements • No deals are made during the first meeting • Seating for meetings will be assigned

24. ありがとう!