By Rochelle Kopp (From PHP)

When working with Japanese, there are many situations where persuasion is important. However, there are certain things that Japanese tend to respond to and other things that they tend not to respond to. Today’s column will look at both of these, with the aim of helping you prepare to better persuade Japanese.

When working with Japanese, there are many situations where persuasion is important. However, there are certain things that Japanese tend to respond to and other things that they tend not to respond to. Today’s column will look at both of these, with the aim of helping you prepare to better persuade Japanese.

Group solidarity.
When making your case to Japanese, be sure to emphasize that your view is shared by the others in your team or company. In other words, stress that your group has reached a consensus, and what you are presenting to the Japanese is that consensus. This appeals to the group orientation of Japanese and their respect for teamwork. Japanese feel that “many heads are better than one” and like to see that you have had many heads involved.
What not to do: Many Americans tend to emphasize their own personal opinion, in their role as experts. This will be less persuasive to Japanese than a group approach, and also could be a direct turn-off if the individualistic emphasis is too strong, Japanese tend to discount someone they view as being a “lone wolf.” Also, if your opinion differs from others in your work group or the company, this will eventually come out and you could lose respect for not having done nemawashi (consensus-building).

Repetition.
Repetition is a way to both create the illusion of group solidarity, and also to help build it. Japanese tend to be more persuaded by something if they sense that there is a critical mass of opinion supporting it, or that things are inevitably moving in that direction. For this reason, just hearing about something one time may not be sufficient to make them feel persuaded. Thus, you can often be more effective if you bring up the same topic or theme on more than one occasion. Also, if it’s not just you bringing up this topic, but rather
What not to do: not to do: Be careful not to overdo it. If you mention the topic in every communication and seem unable to discuss anything else, you could cause people to tune you out.

Thorough research and analysis.
Japanese love data. When making a decision, they tend to want to get as much information as possible. The more research and analysis you do, and thus the more data that you can present, the more likely that you will be successful in persuading Japanese. And be sure to present the nitty-gritty detail, not just a high-level summary.
What not to do: Spending time on extra-fancy presentations is usually not worthwhile. Put your effort on marshalling the data rather than being flashy. I have seen many instances where Japanese are turned off by an overly slick approach. Also, many Japanese are suspicious of how glib and polished many Americans are when giving presentations, and start to fear they are going to get the wool pulled over their eyes if they get caught up in a lot of hype.

Corroboration from respected sources.
Name-dropping is the name of the game here. For example, when you say that something is a commonly accepted trend in your field, can you quote a prominent expert talking about it, or a well-known trade or general publication that has mentioned it? Americans tend to look at themselves as being specialists in their area, and believe that their word should be sufficient. However, with Japanese the truth is that they often tend to discount the opinions of people on the inside, and are more easily persuaded when information comes from a recognized name. Use of a well-known name is particularly helpful when the person/people you are dealing with need to go to higher levels in the company. Those people at higher levels are likely to know of the famous names and publications in your field but may not know very much about you.
What not to do: Many Americans say things along the lines of “I’m the expert so you should take my word for it.” No matter how much your Japanese colleagues like and respect you, you’ll be more successful if you show how your views are shared by others, particularly respected people.

Talk about customer satisfaction.
In Japan, pleasing the customer is the number one priority. So talk…

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The E-more battery protection sheet helps to activate the operation of mobile phone batteries thanks to a specially blended ceramic that can make use of radiated weak energy. The sheet effectively maintains the battery’s original performance longer by controlling the battery’s performance degradation through repeated recharging and discharging, and by facilitating a recovery of recharging capacity in the case of degraded batteries.

The E-more battery protection sheet is a seal-type sheet that can be re-pasted as required. It can be easily attached simply by pasting it onto the mobile phone battery housing or onto the housing cover. It can be cut to match the required size and can be attached to virtually any mobile phone model the world over.

For information on the E-more battery protection sheet please refer to the ECOUS INC. website or send an inquiry.

Rain boots are the rage not just on rainy days but even when the sun is shining. They are now a hot fashion item and are selling well among young women in Japan. The trend trickled down from celebrities who wore their rain boots in front of the cameras, and more and more manufacturers even in Japan are developing their own designer rain shoes, bringing much variety to a market previously unheard of.

Panasonic introduces VIERA which goes beyond the borders of conventional flat screen television. A totally new design and visual experience with uniquely realistic and life like picture quality.

For more information on features please refer to the Panasonic Viera site.

Leading a healthy lifestyle has always been important in Japan, but recently it has reached a new level and become fashionable. Though old news to some, health and beauty products with collagen are advertised and pop up everywhere, targeting women who are yearning for perfect skin. Fad diets have always been around, but now there are more and more fad exercises. The most recent highly publicized and popular import fad exercise is Billy’s Boot Camp. As for sports, the rage right now is running, and although not everyone is catching on, many running related products are gaining interest among those who never before thought of it as a sport. Women are the main target for these new exercises and sports as they are the main consumers. Interestingly enough, in a country where vegetarianism and veganism never really caught on and is still struggling for exposure, the macrobiotic lifestyle has recently received a lot of press. Mineral water has as well, even among a population whom once saw no reason to pay for water when it was always available for “free.”

Japanese firms are once again on a global buying spree. Headlines are reminiscent of the late 1980s–the last time Japanese companies did a lot of overseas acquisitions. In a variety of industries, Japanese have seemingly suddenly decided that they want to expand internationally. In some cases, it’s a desire to use some of the cash that has been accumulating due to recently improved corporate profits. Also, many Japanese firms are realizing that they need to gain more bulk if they are going to be competitive on a global basis. After watching from the sidelines as Western firms engaged in an extended bout of merger mania over the past couple of decades, Japanese companies feel that they need to play the same game in order to avoid being dwarfed. A desire to get further involved in markets that are growing faster than Japan’s is also a motivation. And of course there’s always the glamour of international M&A. Even if what you’re purchasing isn’t Rockefeller Center, hey it’s still fun to buy something overseas.

As a result of this new merger wave, Americans and Europeans in a wide range of industries are suddenly discovering that their company has just been sold to a Japanese buyer. They wonder “What’s going to happen?” “Should we be panicking?” and “How do we prepare?”

In this article, I will discuss some of the things that you can expect if your company is purchased by a Japanese firm, and some things that you can do to prepare yourself and your organization for making a successful transition.

Nothing Drastic Right Away
Westerners are conditioned to expect that an acquirer will come in and start making drastic changes very quickly. However, Japanese firms tend to have a different modus operandi. When a Japanese company acquires a foreign firm, it is unlikely to want to rock the boat right away. Seldom will there be a sudden layoff or change in management. Japanese firms tend to prefer to keep the current management intact, for various reasons including that they usually don’t have enough bilingual management talent internally to send to take over. So they need the current management and staff to stay on.

Westerners also tend to expect an acquirer to come in with a clear and detailed plan of what they are going to do with the acquired company. What the strategy will be, how post-merger integration will be handled, etc. However, the reality is that Japanese firms will seldom come in and quickly unveil a detailed strategic document of the type that Westerners might be looking for. Typically, the Japanese plan will be to spend some time getting to know and understand the operations of the acquired firm before fleshing out their plans. Until that happens, any strategic pronouncements that do come from senior Japanese management will tend to be quite vague.

What You Can Expect
One thing that you can expect after being acquired by a Japanese firm is a lot of questions! Japanese are famous for being detail-oriented, and you will be sure to get a dose of that rather quickly. Because Japanese like to study things thoroughly before making any decision, they will want to get as much information as possible about how your company ticks before they reach any conclusions about potential changes. Expect to play host to flotillas of visitors from the head office asking to see detailed documents. And probably several younger Japanese will…

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Up until now it was rare for the travel industry in Japan to aggressively target visitors from abroad. However, there has been a recent rise in interest not only within the travel industry but from beyond to provide opportunities for visitors to experience a more in-depth view of Japan.

An example of tours that provide this deeper view of Japan is one that delves into the world of sumo. Participants watch the wrestlers practice in the morning, try a little sumo, and eat chankonabe, a special hotpot that sumo wrestlers often eat.

At a more local level there is a sushi restaurant that allows visitors to make sushi. After the lesson participants have a greater appreciation for the art since they can taste the difference in professionally made sushi. Another example is aimed at those who wish to experience Old Tokyo for cheap by staying at guest houses with themed rooms that are decorated with a hint of Edo. For a modern alternative, capsule hotels and comic cafes are also gaining popularity as a place to stay replacing your average hotel.

Japan Close-Up is an English language monthly magazine committed to bringing the latest in Japanese business news. Find articles on the latest marketing trends and products plus in-depth insight on working in Japan.

This magazine is essential for those interested in finding a niche market in Japan for their products and services, as well as those interested in working in Japan.

For information on Japan Close-Up please refer to the Japan Close-Up website.

The low birthrate will inevitably reduce the size of the children’s market. On first glance that would seem to be a perfectly natural conclusion, but the reality is that the children’s market is showing unexpected activity. Three new “wallets” are pumping money into a number of child-centered markets. (read more)

(article by PHP)

The Kamu series of high-class bedclothes features totally new designs that have never appeared before.
These bedclothes were born out of a tie-up with Carre MOJI, an interior calligraphy gallery that adds modern, stylish DNA to the traditional Japanese culture of calligraphy.

For information on Maizuru Trade Co., Ltd. please refer to the Maizuru Trade Co., Ltd. website or send an inquiry.