Business culture in Japan is much too different from the rest of the world. The following tips from Tomomi Moriwake's consultancy can help you negotiate with japanese people.

La cultura negociadora de Japón es completamente diferente a la del resto del mundo. Los siguientes consejos de la consultora Tomomi Moriwake pueden serte útiles si haces negocios con japoneses.

TOPIC

REASONS

Young men should not be sent to conduct business negotiations.

• Seniority is important in lifetime employment system.

AGE OF EXECUTIVES

• Japanese top executives are much older than American ones.

• It is an insult to the Japanese to do business with young people.

Have about 200 bilingual cards printed.

• Every business encounter starts with exchange of a business card.

THE BUSINESS CARD

• For the Japanese the business card is the person himself, so you must receive it with reverence, study it carefully and put it away in your wallet with the utmost care.

Make sure it is all right to bring your wife when socialising.

• The Japanese business world is almost exclusively masculine.

SOCIALISING

• Men don't bring their wives when socialising.

Don't talk too much and don't expect "yes" or "no" answers.

• Japanese culture is esentially non-verbal.

BUSINESS MEETINGS & NEGOTIATIONS

• It takes time to arrive at a decision in this consensus-oriented system.

SOME FACTS ABOUT JAPAN

• Japan will have the most aged population of all industrial countries by 2010.

• The rest of the world owes Japan over $500 billion.

• Japanese companies employ 68% of the world's robots.

• In 2002, Japan held one third of the US automobile market.

• Eight of the world's ten biggest banks are Japanese.

• By the year 2010, 25% of British factories will be run by Japanese bosses.

• Between 1990 and 2000, the number of European companies bought by Japanese companies have doubled.

• There is a very serious lack of workers entering the workforce in Japan.

• Japanese investors do up to 30% of the buying and selling on the New York Stock Exchange.