Daer all. Konnichiwa

The title of this posting probably sounds silly. But i hope the lesson that it bring is not silly at all.

This occasion marked the beginning of the new decade of mine. It was in January 2000, my company acted as a co-organizer for an international trading seminar sponsored by Japanese government body. The subject was mainly about how to enter Japan's market. We had three Japanese native trainer who deliver training materials on several key points on entering Japan's market.

It was probably bad idea to organize such training when most people were just finished celebrating the big moment of entering the year of 2000. Dispite big budget provided by the Japanese sponsor for dispatching their 3 experts, we couldn't get the minimum participant number required by the sponsor.

It was very obvious that my Japanese counterparts (the 3 Japanese trainers) were not happy. But still, the show must go on. Even with minimum participants, my team and I determined to show my Japanese guests that we ara a responsible and reliable organizer. We did our best to make sure that the training ran smoothly.

You probably ever heard a saying about doing business with a Japanese that the best way of resolving a problem is via drinking diplomacy.

Well, it's true. Many of you have probably known this. But can people like me who is Muslim (Islam) who can not drink alcohol (even forbidden to order alcoholic drink for other prople) aplly this way of diplomacy too? I know that many Muslim brothers just take it easy for a while and forget that they are a Muslim, instead, they become a Japanese and drink together with their Japanse guest just to show that they appreciate their guest.

This is the experience that I am going to share. It's also a tric of how, without "being a Japanese" we can still do the drinking diplomacy with the Japanese.

In order to get closer to my Japanese guest (the 3 trainers on the above story) and win their simpathy after looking bad of not being able to bring enough participant to the seminar, I was ready to do the drinking diplomacy.

I reserved a VIP room in a good restaurant that equipped with Karaoke facility. Why I choose this restaurant, one because it serves good meal, second because they are pretty well known among Japanese people that their servants will not have problems of communicating with the Japanese in getting order from them, even though those servants don't speak english more over Japanese.

When it comes to ordering the meal, the menu is eqipped with english translation that my Japanese guests can read and choose what they like. Even when it comes to ordering the alcoholic drink they want, a word "Beer" is a universal language that doesn't even require me to translate it.

Now, that saves me (from the Muslim point of view, i do not do anything wrong since i was not the one who order the drink). Off course I myslef and also the rest of my team only order juice and sof drinks for ourselves. This way, we can still do "Kampai" (tost) and it certainly broke the ice that night on.

Then the conversatiton started easily. Esspecially when the Karaoke operator takes his role and played out some legend of Japanese songs that my guests were very familiar with, my guests soon to have forgotten all the problems that occured during the day.

Guess what. I might have dissapointed my Japanese guests in the beginning, but after the drinking diplomacy that night, it was all nothing but good evaluation from them. They were happy, the participants were happy, and off course I was happy too.

The biggest lesson that I got from this experinece, that in order to please our guest, in this case my Japanese guests, I don't have to be a Japanese too. Yes, it is a great pleasure for them when we show them that we know their culture, but that doesn't mean that we do not have to show our culture or believe too.

The fact that international trading should bring mutual benefit to all parties, it is natural if we use it as a way to gain mutual understanding off al party's way of doing things too.

Hope this posting is usefull. Ganbatte Kudasai!  

According to my experience, I think it's better for you to become a japan-style man first as Japanese are introvert ,they just do things with the people similar

That's my question.

Skysweden

Thanks for your wonderful story shared, I agree that sometimes we can also solve problems well via other methods that not contrary to our own principles.

BTW, can u speak Japanese?I can speak some japanese too, wo we may communicate with both English and Japanese even if i am a Chinese

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As a British born Indian i have been doing business in Japan 15 years and you do not need to "become Japanese" as a foreginer you will never become Japanese. Even my friends in Japan (15 years) who speak and write fluently are not accpeted as Japanese. I do not think Japanese expect you to behave like them they will expect you as a foreginers and treat you likewise, which to my experience is very well.
Now Living in China past 2 yrs I do not need to become Chinese ot do business here.
So be yourself try to speak the language if you can.

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Thank you for sharing your experience, and I agree with you that you don't have to be a Japanese to deal with Japanese firms.


However, on the streets of Tokyo, or in the small city of Kagoshima, you got on to a taxi, the driver does not speak single word of your language, be it English or Chinese, or Hindi. What should you do? To learn the language and know how to read and speak is a good asset to us foreigners in the land of the Rising Sun.

Saving face = your grace. All Asians, Chinese and Japanese alike will be infuriated if you mock at them, or laugh at their inept linguistic ability. Same way if you try to speak their language in a quaint manner, becomes insulting to them and their culture. Never throw jokes to them about themselves or their parents or in-laws. Most American comedians joke about their mother-in-laws.


Most importantly respect the culture of others, be humble and do not criticize and if they do strange things which are not to your liking, just do not voice you criticism in front of his subordinates. Yes, dinner and drinking is a part of culture to seal the deal, like in China, the Japanese also has this practice. Do not bring wife to drinking parties.


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very useful case, and i think anyone read it should learn a lot from it, thanks for sharing!

yes, know your friends' culture, you will be more closed!