that is especially important in establishing new relationships in Japan because the Japanese have been culturally conditioned for centuries to avoid dealing with people they do not know. Historically, in their close-knit family and group-oriented society becoming involved with strangers not only complicated their lives, it also represented a possible danger.
The only way to circumvent this cultural-bound limit when business and other considerations required them to develop new relationships was to depend on introductions from friends, classmates, professors or trusted institutions who would take responsibility for the character and behavior of the people being introduced.
The custom of depending on shōkai thus became deeply embedded in Japanese culture, and remains today an important tool in both social and business etiquette.
Letter of Introduction
紹介状 Shōkai-jō (shohh-kie johh)
A shōkai-jō is a written introduction from an individual or from an institution attesting to the character of the bearer, and asking the third party to do whatever they can for him or her. An introduction from a well-known person or institution carries a lot of weight in Japan, and is highly recommended. “Cold calls” and self-introductions are not taboo in Japan, but a shōkai-jō will get you much further and faster because it gives you instant “face.”
The Indispensable Advisor
相談役 Sōdanyaku (sohh-dahn-yah-kuu)
Sōdan means consultation, conference, talk and advice. A sōdanyaku is the Japanese word for consultant or advisor. Sōdanyaku can be extraordinarily valuable to foreign businesspeople who are considering their first foray into Japan on a relatively large scale—or need to make fundamental changes in existing organizations in Japan.
Foreign companies planning on going into Japan should consider retaining sōdanyaku well before the date of the initial contact because there are many things they should do in preparing for the venture—things they generally would not know about if they have not done considerable research or already had hands-on experience in Japan. [And doing a few hours of research on Google or Yahoo doesn’t count!] The use of sōdanyaku is a well-established custom in Japan.
The Indispensable Go-Between
仲介人 Chukaisha (chuu-kie-shah)
This term may be literally translated as “middle-meeting-person” and refers, of course, to a “middleman”—a person who serves as an agent of one party to another in presentations and negotiations, particularly when the matter at hand is sensitive. Chukaisha have traditionally played a vital role in political and business affairs in Japan because Japanese culture did not support important dialogue between parties who did not already have a connection.
Chukaisha are generally chosen because they know both parties in a situation and are trusted by both sides, or they have a public reputation as a skilled go-between who can be trusted to be impartial and fair to both parties. Chukaisha are also retained to initiate and help establish new relationships between companies and other types of organizations. In this case, an experienced chukaisha is far superior to a shōkai-jō. Again, chukaisha play critical roles in situations where there is a major conflict between two parties because the Japanese will always opt for mediation over litigation.
The Indispensable Business Card
名刺 Meishi (may-she)
The first use of meishi—name cards or business cards—was apparently in China, when eunuchs serving at the Imperial Court began using them more than 1,000 years ago. Their cards were large in size and came in bright colors… and the original Chinese ideograms used to write meishi meant “Famous Gentleman.”
Meishi were introduced to the emperor’s court in Japan soon thereafter but they did not become common until well after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate government in 1868. Now, it is commonly said in Japan that you are nobody if you don’t have a name or business card. It goes without saying that foreigners doing business in Japan [and in some cases ordinary visitors to Japan] should have business cards—and they should be bilingual; Japanese on one side and the bearer’s native language on the other side.
The manner of presenting business cards in Japan is now much less formal than it used to be [using both hands and bowing slightly], but it pays to be a little formal, and if you are going to be engaging in sit-down discussions after the card exchange, put the ones you received on the table in front of you so you can refer to them during the proceedings. In Japanese, exchanging name cards is 名刺交換 meishi kokan (may-she koh-kahn).
[A growing number of people in sales positions in Japan now put their photographs on their name cards—a custom this writer originated in the early 1960s.]
The Indispensable Greeting Ritual
挨拶 Aisatsu (aye-sot-sue)
The literally meaning of aisatsu is “greeting,” but its cultural nuances and uses go far beyond the connotations of this English word. Aisatsu incorporates the behavior that is a key part of the foundation of the culturally approved interpersonal relationships of the Japanese, including the hierarchical [senior-junior] status of individuals, the obligations that one owes to others, and the process of sustaining and nurturing relationships.
All Japanese are obligated to pay aisatsu visits to people who have helped them in the past to express their thanks and appreciation, and particularly when they want to ensure that they continue to benefit from the goodwill and help of the individuals concerned. In the business world, aisatsu visits to customers, potential customers, suppliers, etc., are a vital part of keeping the relationships on track.
There are many congratulatory-type occasions when aisatsu are called for, from managerial promotions to the introduction of new products. The period between about the 4th and 7th of January each year could be called “Aisatsu Season,” because that is the period when people as a whole— especially businesspeople—pay their respects to benefactors.
When an aisatsu visit involves a middle or senior manager or executive, appointments are advisable because they normally receive many visitors during this New Year’s period.
Top Man in a Department
部長 Buchō (buu-chohh)
Bu (buu) means department or division, and cho (chohh) means “the chief” or “the head.” Buchō therefore means department chief or division chief. [The terms department and division may be interchangeable in smaller companies and organizations, but the larger the group the more likely it may be referred to as a division.]
In any event, the buchō in Japanese companies is an important individual, and in larger organizations may be comparable to a vice-president in Western terminology. In military terms, buchō are the equivalent of company commanders in smaller organizations and battalion commanders in larger firms. They are the front-line managers in the operation of the company, and it is therefore vital for outsiders wanting to do business with a Japanese company, or already doing business with a firm, to establish and sustain a close relationship with all of the buchō in the firm who have anything to do with the product or service involved.
Another reason why it is important for foreign businesspeople to build and nurture close relations with department managers is that some of them will move up in the company hierarchy and become directors. Traditional etiquette calls for people doing business with a company to pay courtesy visits to key buchō every other month or so—not to talk business but to show their face.
Key
