With Respect to the Japanese: Going to Work in Japan

by John C. Condon

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.

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 11, 2011

Reviews

[Christopher Benfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is intended primarily for those interested in going to work in Japan as a general guide to cultural differences. The book was originally published in 1984 and updated in 2011, so while there are some things that are a bit dated it is still generally useful.

The book starts off with a great example comparing similar assignments given to Japanese and Western children in kindergarten classrooms, showing how some of the cultural differences are absorbed very early on, which makes them harder for us to see and also harder to understand a different point of view.

The book next covers the social order of things in Japan, including age and gender roles. I wonder if some of the gender differences are changing over time, but I thought this chapter did a nice job of covering some of the interaction among people. The book also covers the importance of context and what things are left unsaid in Japan. For those of us used to a very direct style of communication (and in personal case typically very direct even for an American) it can seem very inefficient and confusing, but there are a lot of hidden messages that help convey a lot of meaning. I found these chapters particularly helpful in understanding some differences I've seen at work when dealing with colleagues from Japan.

The next section dealt with concepts of time, expectations, and feedback, all of which can present problems between Japanese and American workers. Without getting into all of the detail, I will again say that there were things that definitely helped me understand where some of my coworkers are coming from. Some of it is tied into the "master/student" dynamic that seems to be present throughout Japanese culture.

The last section gives some specific recommendations for those going to work in Japan. Like most of the book the particulars are aimed at people from America travelling to Japan, but there are lessons for those of us working with Japanese coworkers who are traveling here (long term or short term) or who are generally based in Japan but we interact with regularly.

Overall, I'd say this was a good read for anyone interested in practical aspects of working with Japanese coworkers. For someone just interested in Japanese culture from the standpoint of curiosity or sociology I suspect there are better resources out there but this wouldn't be a bad place to pick up a thing or two. Definitely a good book that fulfills its purpose well.