Jana Carstens 
The ‘Dos and Don’ts’ and ‘Need to Knows’ for a German visiting Japan on Business 

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Didactics — English — Discussion and Essays, grade: 1, 8 (A-), University of Cooperative Education Mannheim (Education: Economics), course: Business English, language: English, abstract: […] Etiquette is a minefield and a mistake can cost a businessman a contract. So it is important to
know about the business customs of a country you are doing business with. No one who
travels East with the intention to do business should do so without informing himself about
the business structure, practices, customs and habits. It is very common that business people
are sent from their company to exotic regions like Japan without being taught in cross-cultural
business or the country-specific customs and manners. The more exotic one country, the more
preparation is necessary.
In most Asian business cultures, harmony is valued above everything else.4 Problems can
arise out of the international cooperation and misunderstandings due to language and
gestures.5 When it comes to a faux pas, it can have serious consequences: the image of the
company can be destroyed, the contract will probably not be settled and the cooperation can
be deranged. Not the different manners, but the different mindsets make international
cooperation difficult: far-eastern distance hits the western backslapping mentality.6 “Building
relationships … should emphasize mutual trust, confidence, loyalty and commitment for the
long term, both among individuals and companies.”7 In this paper I will point out interesting facts and figures about Japan, its history, its capital as
well as its working conditions. Furthermore, I highlight strange Japanese customs and habits
and present special differences between Germany and Japan. For a German visiting Japan on
business, this information is essential to have. Although Europeans will never understand the
culture and tradition of the Japanese, they need to arrange with it in order to do business. I
will not mention facts about Japan’s economy and the consumers’ behaviour, which are also
important for doing business, because of the limited size of this paper.
4 Cf. Scheunemann, C., 4/2003, p. 18.
5 Cf. Obmann, C., 10/2003, p. 78.
6 Cf. Obmann, C., 10/2003, p. 78.
7 ACCJ, 1996, p. 19.