With Respect to the Japanese: Going to Work in Japan

by John C. Condon

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780984247110
Publisher:	John Murray Press
Publication date:	01/11/2011
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	140
Sales rank:	866,329
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

John Condon is a famous cross-cultural communication specialist who has spent much of his life living and working with the Japanese.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

1 All I Really Need to Know, They Learned in Kindergarten 1

2 The Social Order 9

3 More than Meets the Eye: All About Context 25

4 Everyday Communication 37

5 In Place 55

6 About Time 63

7 Waiting for Feedback 73

8 On-the-Job Learning 81

9 In Sync with the Rhythms of the Year 89

10 Going to Work in Japan: Seven Suggestions 101

Appendix: Some Useful Terms to Know When Going to Work in Japan 107

Additional Resources 111

Index 113

Editorial Reviews

The authors' remarkable cross-cultural acumen shines in this practical, approachable guide to Japanese culture. Rich with illuminating examples, keen observations, and thoughtful explanations, With Respect to the Japanese is a superb handbook for Western professionals seeking to understand and appreciate the ways of their Japanese counterparts. Indeed, this insightful book provides readers with a template for approaching any new culture with self-awareness and sensitivity.

Ming-Jer Chen

A valuable book for those working in Japan for the first time, as well as for those who are in the position to teach or train newcomers to Japan . . . to understand what is expected at the Japanese workplace.

Eriko Machi

Like gourmet chefs, John Condon and Tomoko Masumoto invite us to taste, smell, feel, and experience the rich, subtle, and complex aspects of the Japanese culture. Each course is brilliantly crafted and served, the rhythm flowing seamlessly between concepts, comparisons, examples, and applications. Reading this book makes me want to go to Japan . . . now!

Nagesh Rao

A beautifully balanced insider-outsider view of Japanese culture. If the reader observes and participates in Japanese business and culture as the authors suggest, they will no doubt succeed in whatever they intend to do in Japan.

Kichiro Hayashi

I spent 20 years in Japan, but I can honestly say that With Respect to the Japanese opened my eyes to a new and more helpful understanding of the key values and assumptions underlying the way that Japanese think and interact. This new edition has even more practical advice and insights than the first, and I trust it will enlighten the many Westerners now working with Japanese companies in the same way that it did for me.

Ted Dale