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What We Can Learn from Japanese Management

• Peter F. Drucker

Decision by ‘consensus,’ lifetime employment, continuous training, and the godfather system suggest ways to solve U.S. problems

What are the most important concerns of top management? Almost any group of top executives in the United States (or in many other Western nations) would rank the following very high on the list:

• PD Peter F. Drucker (November 19, 1909 – November 11, 2005) was an Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern business corporation. He was also a leader in the development of management education, he invented the concept known as management by objectives, and he has been described as “the founder of modern management.”

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The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Management

From kaizen to nemawashi to non-verbal cues, there are a handful of terms and customs foreigners should equip themselves with before starting a business in Japan. Implementing effective Japanese management strategies in a foreign company will help aspiring entrepreneurs and founders grow and sustain their businesses. In this article, we will explore the basics of Japanese management, what we can learn from it, and how exactly it can help you.

What Are the Basics of Japanese Management?

Have you ever wondered what kind of principles drive Japanese management and how different it is from Western management? This section of the article will introduce you to some important philosophies in the context of Japanese business culture. Afterward, we will explore how it varies from the Western style of operating a business.

What are Kaizen & Nemawashi and Why Do They Matter in Japanese Management?

Kaizen is a Japanese term that explains the concept of continuous improvement, ultimately leading to change for the better. Initially introduced to the world by Toyota in the 1980s, this principle provides businesses with a transformation framework dedicated to improving every aspect of the company. While it may sound daunting to have to improve so frequently, this can be done in small steps. No matter how small or big the step is, it is still a step forward.

The next Japanese term is nemawashi . This word literally translates to “digging around the roots”. It was initially discovered by Japanese farmers who learned that if you dig up a tree and transplant it right away, the tree will still go into shock and most likely have no chance of living. To address this, the gardeners came up with a technique that involves digging around the roots and making sure that each root receives the necessary care in preparation for the transplant.

In the context of business, nemawashi means allowing staff to carefully lay the groundwork and get support for their ideas. In turn, they would feel much more comfortable sharing their ideas because they know that this system allows them to be supported instead of just getting outright rejected.

Last, but not least, is consensus decision-making. Under Japanese management, decisions are formulated by a group consensus, so it is hard to say who exactly made it. The process of making a decision is similar to building momentum with a consensus rather than a decision made by a single person at a single point in time. There are many other etiquettes you should know before doing management in Japan. We have gathered that for you in the article Japanese Business Etiquette .

How Does Japanese Management Differ From Western Management?

Japanese culture emphasizes seniority and the importance of having a hierarchy. This means that it is crucial to get the higher-ups’ approval for things that, in Western culture, are something that lower levels have power over. As mentioned earlier, the concept of nemawashi encourages grassroots levels to share their ideas, although these are subject to feedback and approval from those in higher positions.

On the other hand, Western management allows these staff to make their own decisions so long as they have facts and logical arguments to support them. Another point is that in Western management, voicing out your opinion and showing people how passionate you are about it will more often than not get your point across. In Japanese management, what matters more is persistence. One can share an idea, and to truly push through with it, one would have to be able to show the team all the different ways that they can persistently get their message through.

If you’re curious to learn more about Japanese business culture, we have a podcast just for you! Check out Japanese business culture with Rochelle Kopp !

What is the Japanese Management Approach to Decision-making?

Now that we’ve laid out some basic principles of Japanese management, it’s time to understand how these fold out in consensus-building. In this section, we will detail the Japanese approach to decision-making and some common misunderstandings that foreigners may face at some point.

Negotiation and Consensus-Building

The process of decision-making in Japanese management is more a matter of negotiating concerns so that opposing voices gradually decrease. This is done until everybody feels that they’re all on board with a particular idea. While this can happen through communication, consensus-building under Japanese management relies heavily on non-verbal cues and the company’s unique culture.

There is a term in Japanese business culture called kuuki yomenai which means “cannot read the air.” Reading between the lines during decision-making processes is crucial, especially considering that not everybody will explicitly be voicing their concerns. In Japanese culture, it is not easy to share negative concerns, especially toward seniors. So, some individuals may end up being passive or prefer to slowly tune out. Once everybody feels that a decision has generally been agreed upon, there will be someone who formalizes the decision, concluding the process.

To help you prepare for your next meeting with Japanese individuals, we recommend reading our Guide to Best Japanese Business Phrases so you can leave a great impression on everybody!

Challenges in Decision-Making for Foreigners

It comes as no surprise for foreigners to experience culture shock in Japan, but that’s completely fine! We’re here to help you anticipate some challenges and how these can be overcome. Some cultural differences include different styles of confrontation, the role of hierarchies in decision-making, and business manners. As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, Japanese staff do not directly express their feelings when there is something they disagree with. This may be problematic for individuals who expect their colleagues to be completely open about their opinions.

Additionally, we also learned earlier that the decision-making process in Western management differs significantly from Japanese management. Such a difference could cause some conflict in collaboration and time management. Lastly, Japanese business manners can consist of the smallest gestures that may be overlooked by those who are used to Western Management. We have a podcast on Japanese business manners , so if you want to know more about these small gestures, we highly recommend listening to it!

One way some Japanese companies overcome this is by taking time outside of the workspace to have a casual gathering. This allows them to get to know one another as nakama which is Japanese for teammate, friend, or comrade. Such gatherings could be as simple as grabbing coffee together, having lunch, or dinner. However, lunch may be the ideal option as some individuals would like to spend dinnertime with their families after work. In doing so, teams will be able to get to know each other better and create a space where everyone is much more comfortable sharing their opinions.

What are Common Human Resource (HR) Practices Under Japanese Management?

For some people, employment stability and security are vital when searching for jobs. Thus, Japanese management introduced certain HR practices to cater to this. In this section, we will learn about three common practices under Japanese management. Watch out for some practices that you might want to implement in your own company!

If you are looking for more tips on starting a business in Japan, we have an article just for you! Our guide on How to Start a Company in Japan will tell you all about market opportunities, funding, recruitment, and more!

Lifetime Employment 終身雇用 ( shūshin koyō ) is the practice of companies hiring individuals with the promise of keeping them until their retirement even in the event of economic crises. This practice is implemented mainly to provide job security and stability to workers. For individuals who are looking for this kind of stability and do not see themselves shifting industries, this adds to their loyalty to the company. Additionally, workers may also prefer lifetime employment as it provides them with a sense of belonging in the community they are working for.

A seniority-based wage system 年功序列 ( nenkō joretsu ) implies that an employee’s age and number of years in service are the two determining factors of their wage. Additionally, promotions are based on how close an employee is to their retirement which, in Japan, is at 65 years old. Some may argue that compensation must be based on performance and skills. However, this practice aims to keep an employee’s loyalty by guaranteeing them increased benefits in the long term. We have also discussed earlier the importance of hierarchy and seniority in Japan, so the practice of nenkō joretsu aligns with the principle as well. What do you think about this?

Omikoshi 神輿 management exhibits the important role of an intermediary party between the higher-ups and those in the lower positions. The term omikoshi describes a shrine that is carried by men; serving as a means of transportation for a deity toward a new shrine location. This is usually done during festivals in which the shrine is walked through neighborhoods by local volunteers. Taking this concept into the business scene, the main goal of omikoshi management is to have a middle-level party to relay the lower levels and higher levels’ insights and concerns to ultimately lead the entire company towards achieving its goals.

Human resources in Japan is one of the more complicated topics within Japanese management. We’ve prepared 5 HR tips for entrepreneurs who just started their company in Japan.

HR in Japan: Top 5 Tips

How Can Japanese Management Help You Grow Your Business?

If you’re curious to see how the previously mentioned principles can contribute to the growth of your business, this section is just for you. The following paragraphs are brief stories from companies that have implemented certain principles of Japanese management into their operations. Upon reading this, we encourage you to conceptualize ways to implement these principles in your unique ways as well!

Japanese staff saying one thing to you and doing something else?

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Success Stories From Companies Adopting Japanese Management

GCash is a digital wallet for Philippine residents. The app allows its users to send and receive money, pay their bills, make donations, and shop online through convenient digital payments. GCash was not always able to serve so many functions. Its CEO and founder Martha Sazon believes that so long as there are Filipinos who struggle with accessible financial services, GCash will continue to make innovations to address this problem. This parallels the concept of kaizen as the company’s improvements are dedicated to making changes for the betterment, convenience, and accessibility of financial transactions in the Philippines.

Startups are also great examples of nemawashi as relatively smaller teams allow more intimate discussions. For example, Kotozna is a startup dedicated to addressing the issue of language barriers. With just over 20 members, Kotozna was established in 2016 in Japan. Just six years later, in 2022, Kotozna Singapore was born. A close-knit team of 27 members allows Kotozna’s team to closely observe and attend to each others’ needs, performance, and opinions. This kind of close collaboration will let a team learn more about what kind of management strategy and chain of command works best for everybody. Ultimately, business operations will run much smoother after seeing to it that all members of the team are on the same page.

In an article by the Harvard Business Review , readers learn about the story of Swisscom which is Switzerland’s leading mobile telephony company. The story explains how the company used a unique strategy to build consensus among a team. They called this the “walk the line” technique which involved sticking pieces of tape on the floor. Each piece of tape represented a certain stand or position on an issue. Then, the individuals are asked to stand by the piece of tape that holds the position they agree with. This created an immersive experience that allowed everybody to have more ‘robust’ discussions about the issue at hand.

What Does the Future of Japanese Management Look Like?

The previous paragraphs focused a lot on what Japanese management looks like right now. However, it would also be helpful to know and anticipate what it will look like in the future. Doing so as early as possible will give the individuals the upper hand in adapting to the evolution of business dynamics. Additionally, managers can understand how to attract, retain, and manage their team in anticipation of the changes that the future holds. The Japan Association of Corporate Executives released a brief paper discussing what innovations and reforms can be made to Japanese management. Some important aspects include loyalty, trust, and a global mindset.

One key point from the paper discusses long-term management. This aspect calls on managers to consider the long-term value and contributions that their personnel can make, and how they can maximize the team’s potential. By acknowledging each individual’s strengths and enabling them to be open about their contributions, employees are also likely to show heightened loyalty to a company that supports their growth.

A second key point is the importance of building a relationship of trust between executives and employees. As mentioned earlier in the paragraph about omikoshi management, there must still be an intermediary between higher and lower levels. The paper by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives suggests that a closer and stronger relationship of trust between the two levels would aid strongly in optimizing the utilization of personnel.

Lastly, a critical point for the future of Japanese management is fostering a global mindset in executives. With the continuous rise of globalization, companies and businesses need to promote a diverse work environment and open up to perspectives coming from various cultural backgrounds. The paper proposes that fostering a global mindset in executives will enable corporations to attract not only outstanding foreign employees but consumers as well.

Final Thoughts

To summarize this article, the Japanese management style is a unique approach with an emphasis on principles that are rooted deeply in Japanese culture. In one of the previous parts, we provided three stories of companies that integrated certain principles into their operations and how they led to success. We hope that these stories have inspired you to try implementing Japanese management strategies in your own business as well. In short, we were able to tackle kaizen (continuous improvement), nemawashi (digging around the roots), and consensus-building which all contribute to the betterment of a company’s employees and overall growth. Which one was your favorite?

Exploring ventures with Japanese companies can be difficult, especially if you’re foreign and not familiar with Japanese management style and culture. Scaling Your Company can help you:

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36 Japanese Management

Pooja Malhotra

1. Learning Outcome:

After completing this module the students will be able to:

• Understand the concept and origin of Japanese Management

• Understand the features of Japanese Management.

• Describe the difference between Japanese Management and traditional management system.

2. Introduction

Management is an important function of an organisation. The success or failure of business depends upon the effective management philosophy and system adopted by it. Amongst the most successful management systems is Japanese Management System. Japanese Management system has its origin from western system of management. It has improved over time. It has shown significant changes during the period of 1960-76. The main focus of Japanese management is to serve the society and the nation. Service to mankind is the force behind the success of Japanese Management.

3. Features of Japanese Management

The features of Japanese Management System can be divided into two categories:

• People related Features

• Work or Operations related Features

The People related Japanese management practices mainly focus on human resources management aspects like the life-time employment, the seniority wage system, training, employee involvement and employee welfare practices on the other hand, the work or operations related management practices includes practices like just-in-Time, subcontracting, Quality control.

4.1. Human Resources Management (People Oriented) Practices:

The main focus of the human resources management or people related practices of Japanese companies is towards people and their development. Following are the practices followed by Japanese companies towards people development:

4.1.1 Lifetime Employment:

The Japanese companies provide lifetime employment to employees. They are given full life security until they themselves want to retire. This system also provided work commitment from the workforce to the management.

4.1.2 Seniority based promotion and wage system:

Under this system, the promotions from lower to higher levels is based on number of years worked i.e. seniority based. Hence, it provides a long term loyalty to the organisation. Similarly the wage system is also based on seniority.

4.1.3 Recruitment

The system ensures that the companies hire the cream, i.e. the employees with higher levels of educational qualifications.

4.1.4 Training

Japanese Management system provides continuous training to the core employees so as to keep them updated with the present systems.

4.1.5 Equal Treatment

The differences between blue and white collar are irrelevant for organisational development under Japanese System. The focus is to ensure team spirit among the employees. Hence, top level managers are also trained on the shop floor for some time, having same facilities as are given to shop floor employees. Shop floor employees also share common benefits as are given to top level employees so as to remove differences.

4.1.6 Employee Involvement

Under this system, employees are motivated to participate in decision making process. Employees are encouraged to give suggestions to improve the efficiency and productivity at shop floor.

4.1.7 Employee Welfare

Japanese companies provide welfare practices for their employees like goods at lower price, accommodation at lower rates, loans at lower rate, health care practices etc.

4.2 Work or Operations Related Management Practices

The work or operations or production related management practices of Japanese companies have some specific features which focus on pursuing efficiency in work. Following are the practices followed by Japanese companies for achieving Operational efficiency:

4.2.1 Ownership Structure

Most of Japanese companies are not family owned. Financial institutions and the affiliated companies are the owners of these companies.

4.2.2 Corporate Structure

The corporate structure shows the relationships at different levels of operations. The Japanese companies hire a few of its directors from outside; otherwise, it promotes its directors from inside competitive employee force.

4.2.3 Communication System

Japanese System follows two way communication system allowing communication both sides upward as well as downward.

4.2.4 Just-In-Time

Just-in-time approach focuses on elimination of wastes. Under this system, minimum or a very low amount of inventory is maintained which is absolutely important for the production. It believes in purchasing inventory at the time when it is required. Though, it requires uninterrupted supply of materials. In similar way, the approach includes producing the goods only in accordance with sales so that adjustments can be made as per change in demand. Hence this practice ensures better quality and high productivity.

4.2.5 Subcontracting

To ensure regular supply of parts and materials, large companies, particularly in manufacturing sector, rely on a regular subcontracting system. Hence, this eliminates the competition between large and small companies. The relationship lies on mutual trust. In this way the companies can utilise the competencies and guidance of the subcontracting companies.

4.2.6 Quality Control

Better quality is the objective of the Japanese management. The Japanese companies focus on continuous improvement in its production or service capacity, products or service specifications as per customer’s requirements, delivery times and costs of production. All members of the organisation concentrate on improving continuously on each aspect and ensure high productivity and sustainable growth.

Overall, the Japanese system of management can also be summed up as Total Quality Management system covering both its aspects, people related as well as work related practices. The main objective of the system is to provide the consumers the products or services as per their requirements in an efficient and effective manner.

5. Japanese Management system Vs. Traditional System

The Japanese management system can be compared with the Traditional or Western management system in the following ways:

1. Japanese Management system focuses on companyism which includes its practices towards maximising the value of the company including all stakeholders, on the other hand traditional approach is based upon capitalism which focuses mainly on maximisation of profits.

2. Traditional system works for shareholders satisfaction, while Japanese system works for customers satisfaction

3. Priority is given to shop floor under Japanese system while top level is given priority under traditional approach.

4. Human development is the focus of Japanese system while traditional system lies on systems development.

5. Communication is both way in Japanese system while it is one sided particularly top to down in traditional system.

6. Employee involvement is there in Japanese system while only top management takes decisions under traditional systems.

7. Traditional approach is result oriented while Japanese system is process oriented.

8. Continuous improvement in quality is the focus of Japanese system while traditional system is typed one.

The Japanese management system has made Japan as a super power economy. Japanese system works on the theory of human development for the overall development of its organisation as against the traditional approach of management. Many countries are adopting Japanese management system for quality and productivity improvement.

References:

• Abegglen, J. C. (2006). 21st-Century Japanese Management New Systems, Lasting Values,Palgrave MacMillan, New York.

• Jackson, K. and Tomioka, M. (2004). The Changing Face of Japanese Management, Routledge, Taylor and Francis group.

• Firkola, P. (2006), Japanese Management Practices Past and Present, Econ. Journal of Hokkaido Univ., Vol. 35, pp. 115-130.

Japanese Business Management Style

Home » Country Profiles » Japan » Japanese Business Management Style

Find out more:

• Business Culture in Japan
• Background to Business in Japan
• Japanese Business Structures
• Japanese Business Meeting Etiquette
• Japanese Business Teams
• Japanese Business Communication Styles
• Women in Business in Japan
• Business Dress Code in Japan
• Business Entertaining in Japan
• Japanese Business Tips

Japanese management emphasises the need for information to flow from the bottom of the company to the top.

This results in senior management having a largely supervisory rather than hands-on approach. As a result, it has been noted that policy is often originated at the middle-levels of a company before being passed upwards for ratification. The strength of this approach is obviously that those tasked with the implementation of decisions have been actively involved in the shaping of policy.

The higher a Japanese manager rises within an organisation, the more important it is that he appears unassuming and lacking ambition. Individual personality and forcefulness are not seen as the prerequisites for effective leadership.

The key task for a Japanese manager is to provide the environment in which the group can flourish. In order to achieve this he must be accessible at all times and willing to share knowledge within the group. In return for this open approach, he expects team members to keep him fully informed of developments. This reciprocity of relationship forms the basis of good management and teamwork.

Instructions from managers can seem extremely vague to western ears and this often causes confusion and frustration. This difficulty is caused, in no short measure, by problems around styles of communication. As users of coded-speech (where what one says does not necessarily correspond to what one actually means), direct, clear instructions are not needed. The Japanese subordinate will second-guess what the boss wishes to happen and react accordingly. It is, therefore, often necessary to ask for clarification if tasks seem vague or unclear. It is better to seek clear understanding at the outset that to allow misunderstandings to produce poor results or tensions in the relationship.

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture . 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass .

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Japan only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.

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• Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed.
• Japanese Management Techniques

JAPANESE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

In the post-World War II era a set of Japanese cultural patterns and managerial practices came to be known collectively as the Japanese management style or Japanese management techniques. Many of these techniques were credited with helping vault the Japanese economy to its status as the world's second largest, behind only the United States, and with making Japanese businesses, particularly in the manufacturing sector, more competitive than their international counterparts. In the wake of Japan's prolonged and arduous struggle with recession throughout much of the 1990s, however, many observers—both inside and outside Japan—have called into question the effectiveness of some traditional Japanese management practices. As a result, at the dawn of the 21st century Japanese management techniques are more than ever in a state of flux, as scholars and business leaders alike reconsider which practices work and which don't.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Although Japanese management techniques and economic strategies came to be recognized in Western countries only during the postwar period, their origins are considerably older. Most directly, their origins can be traced to at least the latter part of the 19th century, when a Western influenced modernization program began under the new monarchy created in the 1868 Meiji restoration. In part as a response to the bitter European colonization experiences of its Asian neighbors, the new Japanese government began to open the Japanese economy and society to controlled outside influences in order to stave off any Western conquerors.

Some recognizably modern practices arose during the Meiji period. Even then, when the Japanese economy was still shedding the trappings of feudalism after centuries of closure to foreigners and slow technological development, heavy emphasis was placed on developing domestic imitations of—and innovations on—Western goods, rather than relying on imports. The practice was summarized well under a slogan of the era, "Japanese spirit, Western technology."

This ambition to preserve the character of the Japanese culture and the autonomy of the economy can be seen in 20th-century practices at both the macro- and microeconomic levels. In the national economy it is evidenced by long-standing restrictions (direct and indirect) on imports into Japan and the concomitant trade surplus Japan has maintained for years. At the company level, the same motive helps explain the prevalence of the Japanese keiretsu, the large and complex families of interdependent companies centered around their own banks (e.g., Sumitomo, Hitachi, Mitsubishi). In theory, at least, these firms can avoid "importing" their raw materials, components, or even capital from "foreign" (i.e., unaffiliated) companies by sourcing these goods from within their extensive organizations.

PROFILE OF TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Rooted in these and other historical traditions, some of the other key practices commonly associated with Japanese management techniques include:

• in-house training of managers
• consensual and decentralized decision-making
• extensive use of quality control methods
• carefully codified work standards
• emphasis on creating harmonious relations among workers
• lifetime employment and seniority-based compensation

It is important to note that these are generalizations according to a conventional formula. There have always been variations, and, as noted above, some aspects of these practices have been increasingly reconsidered in recent years.

MANAGEMENT EDUCATION.

The education of managers in Japan traditionally takes place on a relatively informal basis within firms. The percentage of Japanese chief executives who have attended university is high, similar to that in the United States and Western Europe. However, very few Japanese executives have attended graduate schools compared to their U.S. and European counterparts. In fact, only one Japanese university offers a degree analogous to an MBA, a key credential for managers in the United States.

Formal education for managers is also not well developed at the undergraduate level. Undergraduate education is not viewed by firms as a means of attaining business skills, and firms base their hiring decisions less on a recruit's knowledge than on general attributes such as character and ambition. Firms do not hire recruits to fill specific occupations. Rather, recruits are expected to be malleable, identifying with the general interests of the firm rather than with their specific role within it. The mentor system is widely used in the early training of management recruits and involves middle-level and senior managers serving as teachers and role models.

The emphasis on in-house education is related to the traditional lifetime employment system, in which management recruits are hired each April following university graduation; they typically would stay with the firm until retirement. The lifetime-employment system makes it probable that a firm will benefit from its investment in training, and also enables the firm to develop long-range plans for training recruits.

Management training is based on regular rotation through a broad range of a firm's operations. Management recruits also frequently begin their careers as ordinary workers on a production line. The pattern of regular rotation enables managers to develop a detailed understanding of a number of varied operations, and thus over time to attain a rich general knowledge of the firm.

Linked with the lifetime-employment system is the emphasis on seniority in compensation and promotion—often over what Americans would take to be "qualifications" for the job. This results in a higher average age and less variation in age among top executives in Japan. Compared to the United States and Europe, for instance, relatively few company presidents are under age 50. This practice is believed to equip Japanese executives with an intricate knowledge about their particular business.

Japanese managers typically take a more long-term interest in their firms than do their American counterparts, partly a result of the lifetime employment and seniority systems. In the United States, managers are typically compensated on the basis of their divisions' performance. This bonus system is not used for Japanese managers, as it is considered detrimental to a long-term perspective and an interest in the firm as a whole.

CAPITAL AND PRIORITIES.

The long-term view of Japanese managers is also based on sources of finance. While American firms rely heavily on capital from the stock markets, Japanese firms tend to rely more heavily on borrowing from banks and generally have much higher debt-to-equity ratios. Consequently, Japanese managers are under less pressure to maximize short-term earnings to please shareholders. By contrast, in the United States there is intense market pressure for companies to meet quarterly earnings expectations—even exceed them—or else face a sell-off of their shares. In general, Japanese firms are more likely to focus on productivity, growth, and market share, whereas U.S. firms are more inclined to concentrate first on profitability.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.

While directors from outside the company are common in the United States, they are rare in Japan. The decision-making process in Japanese firms is highly decentralized. In publicly held U.S. corporations, power is concentrated in a board of directors, with each director having one vote. In Japan, both middle and senior management serve as directors. Japanese directors typically retain production-line responsibilities. For example, in the early 1970s, 14 of Hitachi's 20 directors were engineers. This represents another facet of the strong production orientation of Japanese management.

THE RINGI SYSTEM

The traditional decision-making process in Japanese firms is referred to as the ringi system. The system involves circulating proposals to all managers in the firm who are affected by an impending decision. Proposals are generally initiated by middle managers, though they may also come from top executives. In the latter case, an executive will generally give his idea to his subordinates and let them introduce it. Managers from different departments hold meetings and try to reach an informal consensus on the matter. Only after this consensus is reached will the formal document, or ringi-sho, be circulated for approval by the responsible managers.

The ringi system requires long lead times, and thus is problematic in a crisis. In recent years the focus on speeding up decision making has made this approach unpopular at many firms. Nonetheless, one of its underlying principles remains prevalent. That is, when a decision proves beneficial, the middle-level managers who initially advocated it receive credit; when a decision proves unsuccessful, responsibility is taken by top-level executives. This practice is intended to promote aggressiveness in younger managers.

ENTERPRISE UNIONS

One distinctive characteristic of labor-management relations in Japan is the enterprise union, which is organized around a single plant. Consequently, any given company may have several enterprise unions representing various portions of its workforce. Enterprise unions generally belong to a larger federation, but the balance of power is at the local level. Japanese unions are distinct not only because of their highly decentralized nature, but also because they represent both white-collar and blue-collar workers, with union membership open to managers up to the section chief level. The fact that many upper-level managers have moved up through union ranks and may have even served as union officials highlights the generally less antagonistic relationship between labor and management in Japan. Combined with a relatively narrow income gap between managers and workers and the willingness of manager recruits to work on production lines as part of their training, the open membership policies of Japanese unions contributes to the fairly harmonious interaction between unions and management.

Union membership is generally associated with lifetime employment guarantees. Membership varies widely by firm size, and relatively few workers in firms with fewer than 100 employees receive lifetime employment guarantees. Nonetheless, in large firms the lifetime employment guarantee creates an environment in which workers are less likely to feel threatened by technological change. As a consequence, changes in the production process are likely to be undertaken by management and workers on a cooperative basis. More generally, since semiannual bonuses and annual wage negotiations are based on a firm's competitive strength, workers have a large stake in their firm's long-term success.

QUALITY CIRCLES

The extensive use of quality circles is another distinguishing characteristic of Japanese management. The development of quality circles in Japan in the early 1960s was inspired by the lectures of American statisticians W. Edwards Deming and J.M. Juran, in which they discussed the development of wartime industrial standards in the United States. Noting that American management had typically given line managers and engineers about 85 percent of responsibility for quality control and only 15 percent to workers, Deming and Juran argued that these proportions should be reversed. Production processes should be designed with quality control in mind, they contended, and everyone in the firm, from entry level workers to top management, should be familiar with statistical control techniques and undergo continuing education on quality control. In general, Deming and Juran argued that quality control should focus on prevention, with the ultimate goal being to improve the production process until no defective parts or products are produced. Quality circles were one method of reaching these goals.

In Japan, quality circles consist of groups of about 10 workers who meet weekly, often on their own time. The groups typically include foremen, who usually serve as circle leaders. Quality circles focus on concrete aspects of the operations in which they are directly involved, using tables and graphs to communicate the statistical details of their quality issues. In one common format, problems are categorized by materials, manpower, and machines.

Quality circles provide a means for workers to participate in company affairs and for management to benefit from worker suggestions. Indeed, employee suggestions play an important role in Japanese companies. Two associations, the Japanese Association of Suggestion Systems and the Japan Human Relations Association, were developed to encourage this process. Japanese employee suggestions reportedly create billions of dollars' worth of benefits for companies.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

Japanese management techniques have been strongly influenced by the tenets of scientific management. Like quality circles, scientific management originated in the United States, only to be more systematically adopted in Japan. The pioneering figure of scientific management is Frederick Jackson Taylor (1856-1915). Taylor is best known for his time and motion studies of workers as part of an effort to optimize and standardize work efforts, but he also argued for a system of bonuses to reward workers based on productivity. These ideas were implemented by Japanese firms as early as 1908, and a translation of his Principles of Scientific Management sold 2 million copies in Japan.

In the post-World War II years, carefully codified work standards and the use of semiannual bonuses for workers became common practices in Japan. Consistent with the Japanese emphasis on teamwork, bonuses are generally allotted to a work group rather than an individual worker. Scientific management emphasizes the role of management in the production process. This is reflected in the more hands-on approach in Japanese management training, as well as the relatively high share of managers directly involved in the production process.

PERVASIVENESS OF ENGINEERS

As with managers, Japanese industrial engineers are more directly involved with production processes than their counterparts in the United States. In his book The Japanese Industrial System, Charles J. McMillan explained that most Japanese companies make few distinctions between engineers and blue-collar workers, although engineers do tend to earn more. They work closely alongside production workers. In addition, Japan produces up to three times as many engineers a year as the United States. Japan's emphasis on production oriented engineering is consistent with its dominant competitive strategy in the postwar years—indeed, since the Meiji era—of focusing on improving existing products or processes rather than developing completely new ones.

NEW DIRECTIONS

While many of the patterns just described continue unabated at some Japanese companies, a variety of forces have caused them to change, often toward Western practices. Since the 1980s, for example, the predominance of seniority-based raises has been gradually giving way to a Western style regime of merit-based pay. Indeed, as of 1995, three-quarters of Japanese companies surveyed allocated at least some of their reward pay based on skills or achievements as opposed to tenure. And more than a few Japanese companies have attacked seniority more directly, explicitly revising policies to diminish or even eliminate it as a criterion in the compensation structure. This trend may be evidence of a cultural shift from valuing length of service to valuing quality of service.

Also mirroring Western trends, labor union membership in Japan has dropped considerably since the 1970s, falling from 35.4 percent of the workforce in 1970 to just 22.4 percent by 1998, according to figures compiled by the Japanese Ministry of Labor. Union participation remains the highest in large companies (those with 1,000 or more workers), where in 1998 membership was still nearly 57 percent. This share was down from 68 percent in 1987, the first year statistics by company size were kept.

Other traditional Japanese practices appear more enduring, notably lifetime employment. Although Japan's economic troubles have meant that some employees have lost their jobs, a continuing commitment to the principle of lifetime employment seems to remain at many companies and in the society as a whole. Still, younger workers (e.g., those under age 30) are decidedly less loyal to companies than in decades past, and there is growing evidence of a rise in professional identification over corporate identification among workers (i.e., "I'm a tax accountant" instead of "I'm a Toyota worker").

Nonetheless, even at the depths of the Japanese recession during the late 1990s Asian financial crisis, companies went to great lengths to avoid outright layoffs. One of the most common practices instead was to reassign workers, either within the corporate family or to other companies, such as vendors the company does business with. These transfers (known as shukko) could be temporary, in which case the worker is still officially employed by the company that has loaned him or her out, or permanent, where the company essentially finds a new job for the employee at another company. Employees who were never considered part of the lifetime staff, such as part-time help, usually didn't enjoy such privileges.

Although most agree that Japanese management has been moving in new directions, academics who study Japanese management practices are divided on how profound the shifts in the Japanese business paradigm really are. Indeed, the gamut of opinions has ranged from declaring the death of the Japanese management system to asserting its overarching continuity and strength. A number of observers see a continued convergence with Western practices, but many believe that, as in the past, the adoption of Western principles and practices will never be wholesale, but will blend with prevailing norms and beliefs in Japanese business and the broader culture.

SEE ALSO : Japanese Manufacturing Techniques

FURTHER READING:

Dirks, Daniel, Jean-Francois Huchet, and Thierry Ribault, eds. Japanese Management in the Low Growth Era. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1999.

Harukiyo, Hasegawa, and Glenn D. Hook. Japanese Business Management. London: Routledge, 1998.

Herbig, Paul, and Laurence Jacobs. "A Historical Perspective of Japanese Innovation." Management Decision, September-October 1997.

McMillan, Charles J. The Japanese Industrial System. 3rd rev. ed. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1996.

Mroczkowski, Tomasz, and Masao Hanaoka. "The End of Japanese Management: How Soon?" Human Resource Planning, September 1998.

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Japanese Management The Different and Famous Styles Behind Corporate Excellence

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Japanese management emphasizes harmony, teamwork, and continuous improvement, reflecting cultural values and traditions.<br>

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Japanese Management: The Different and Famous Styles Behind Corporate Excellence Business management refers to the process of controlling all the business activities including planning, directing, and organizing, to achieve the goal of the organization. This also involves managing different aspects of the business such as operations, finance, human resources, and marketing. Japan being known for its unique and influential management styles has significantly impacted global business practices. Japanese management emphasizes harmony, teamwork, and continuous improvement, reflecting cultural values and traditions. In this article, we will explore some of the most famous and distinctive Japanese management styles, their principles, and applications, along with their impact on both domestic and international business environments. Key Japanese Management Styles Kaizen Kaizen is a fundamental management philosophy in Japan. This focuses on continuous growth and incremental improvement in all aspects of an organization. The principles of Kaizen are to emphasize small and ongoing positive changes rather than large and radical transformations. It involves every employee including from top management to the shop floor workers. This type of management is widely used in manufacturing systems. Kaizen promotes efficiency, reduces waste, and improves quality. Companies worldwide have adopted this style to enhance productivity and improve a culture of continuous improvement. For more business management articles visit Apac Business Times Ringiseido Ringiseido is a process involved in formal decision-making and this includes circulating proposals among relevant managers and executives for approval. It requires low-level managers to discuss the idea and then with the higher managers. This style ensures that decisions are made collectively, with input and approval from various levels of management.

Common in large Japanese corporations, this method ensures that decisions are thoroughly examined and supported by multiple perspectives. The impact of this system can be time-consuming but it also fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among employees, enhancing implementation and execution. Nemawashi Nemawashi is a process of informal discussion and consensus-building with the concerned people before having formal decision-making. The style works when the company needs to adapt to changes and cope with the ongoing trends. Nemawashi involves gathering input and feedback from all stakeholders to ensure decisions are well-informed and widely supported. Nemawashi's approach is crucial in Japanese corporate culture to ensure that changes and decisions are smooth and have the backing of the entire organization. This helps in preventing conflicts and resistance along with promoting a collaborative and harmonious work environment. Hoshin Kanri Hoshin Kanri is a strategic planning process that aligns the goals of an organization with its strategic direction. Here the word ‘ho’ refers to the direction, ‘Shi’ refers to the needle, and together ‘Hoshin’ means the compass. Hoshin Kanri involves setting clear objectives, developing plans to achieve them, and aligning resources and actions throughout the organization. Hoshin Kanri is mainly used by leading Japanese companies, this method ensures that every level of the organization is working towards common goals. This style also improves strategic alignment and execution, ensuring that efforts are focused on achieving long-term success. Just-In-Time (JIT) Just-in-time is a production strategy that aims to improve efficiency by reducing waste and inventory costs. The main reason for adopting the just-in-time approach is to ensure that products are produced and dispatched on time. JIT focuses on producing only what is needed when it is requiredand, in the amount, needed. JIT is majorly used in the automotive industry and has been adopted by various sectors to streamline operations, reduce warehouse costs, and low inventory cost management. This style has revolutionized manufacturing processes worldwide by enhancing productivity and minimizing waste.

Conclusion To conclude, Japanese management styles are characterized by principles of harmony, collective decision-making, and continuous improvement. They have made also significant contributions to global business practices. From the efficiency of Just-In-Time production to the strategic alignment of Hoshin Kanri, these methods continue to influence and inspire organizations worldwide. As businesses are increasingly operating in a global market it requires understanding and integrating these diverse management styles to enhance the effectiveness of the organization along with fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

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Japanese Management: Strengths to Preserve

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The chapter analyzes the management principles that form the foundation of Japanese corporations’ strengths, and identifies the ideas and principles of behavior that deserve to be preserved. In Japan, it argues, the organizational principles and the structures of social relationships that originated in the traditional family system went beyond the level of the actual family unit and were transferred into modern corporations, and that the trust cultivated and reproduced in this process was accumulated as “social capital.” Four particular strengths of Japanese management born out of Japanese-style social capital are presented, drawing attention to several specific examples and showing how these qualities have helped fortify Japanese companies today.

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Watanabe, S. (2018). Japanese Management: Strengths to Preserve. In: Japanese Management for a Globalized World. Palgrave Macmillan Asian Business Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7790-6_4

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JAPANESE MANAGEMENT STYLE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

JAPANESE MANAGEMENT STYLE

Japanese management style what are the key elements centralized management control strong head office/subsidiary manager interpersonal relations multiple locations ... – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• Centralized management control
• Strong head office/subsidiary manager interpersonal relations
• Multiple locations
• Business strategy
• Single product focus
• Minimize costs of production
• Maintain consistently high quality output at all factories through standardization of best work practices procedures
• Diversify market segments, geographic markets, production location
• Qualified senior management
• Low costs of production
• Quality control
• Diversified strong market positions in established growing markets
• Good reputation early leader in small motors
• Good fit between organization structure competitive environment
• Limited scope for continued expansion with existing managerial capacity
• Relative difficulty in transferring Japanese management style across cultures
• continued growth will be difficult long term problem is new competitors allowed to establish themselves or if existing competitors were allowed to grow in strength
• Japanese firms more Outsider
• than firms from other countries
• Manufacturing subsidiaries average of 4
• Electronics industry mean was 5.03
• Overall average in Asia 3.25
• Belief Japanese management system is so unique that it cannot be easily transferred overseas because these processes of management are culture bound
• High wages based on seniority (including substantial bonuses)
• Structured managerial career paths
• Employment security (for regular employees)
• Company-sponsored welfare systems (I.e. subsidized housing, recreational facilities, etc.)
• Wide involvement of middle management in decision making
• Prevailing market rates no attention paid to seniority bonuses rarely paid
• Employee welfare system usually absent future of employees depended upon the market performance of the subsidiary
• Program intended to enable the firm to maintain its strategy of
• minimizing costs
• occupying the maximum competitive space
• Allowing continued diversification of production locations
• Impact upon the firm
• Expectations from the local managers
• Communication problems since Japanese are not very bilingual
• Possibility of ties weakening between head office subsidiary
• Increase recruitment of Japanese managers
• Reduce requirements for expatriate managers
• Alleviate pressure on cost control
• Diversify upstream, out of small motors
• Compare Japanese Management style with western management style
• Quality Guru
• Kaoru Ishikawa
• Father of Quality Circle
• Launches Japans Quality Movement in 1960s.
• Series of Articles in his Magazine Gemba to Q A
• Fish Bone Diagram
• Quality circle was first piloted at Nippon Telegraph Cable company in 1962 - 1978- One Million QCs - 10 million employees. 2000- Two Million QCs- 20 million employees.
• Book What is TQC?
• Given Seven basic tools for Quality- 1. Pareto Analysis 2.Fish Bone Diagram
• 3 Stratification 4.Tally chart
• 5 Histograms 6.Scatter Diagram
• 7 Control Charts
• Book Guide to Quality Control in 1974
• Binomial Probability Sampling
• M MANAGEMENT
• ALL FUNCTIONS / AREAS / DEPTTS.
• ALL ACTIVITIES
• ALL EMPLOYEES
• AT ALL PLACES
• CONSTANT AND CONTINUAL APPROPRIATE PROFIT GAIN
• EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION (INCLUDING SELF REALISATION)
• CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
• SHAREHOLDER SATISFACTION
• AFFILIATE COMPANY SATISFACTION, AND
• SOCIAL SATISFACTION.
• TQM IS A COST EFFECTIVE SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING THE CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS OF PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS IN THE ORGANISATION TO DELIVER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WHICH ENSURE CONSUMER SATISFACTION.
• To modify, to change Think, make good, make better
• Make it easier by studying it, and making the improvement through elimination of waste.
• JIT an integrated set of activities designed to
• achieve high-volume production using minimal
• inventories of raw materials, finished goods
• work in process.
• Management philosophyNothing produce until needed.
• Encompasses the successful execution of all production activities required from design to delivery of products.
• Common sense based/simple techniques
• Knowledge worker, a term coined by Peter Drucker in 1959, is one who works primarily with information or one who develops and uses knowledge in the workplace.
• Also called as intellectual worker or brain worker
• A Knowledge Worker's benefit to a company could be in the form of developing business intelligence, increasing the value of intellectual capital, gaining insight into customer preferences, or a variety of other important gains in knowledge that aid the business
• A knowledge worker is anyone who works for a living at the tasks of developing or using knowledge.
• For example, a knowledge worker might be someone who works at any of the tasks of planning, acquiring, searching, analyzing, organizing, storing, programming, distributing, marketing, or otherwise contributing to the transformation and commerce of information and those (often the same people) who work at using the knowledge so produced.
• Knowledge workers work in an environment described as a knowledge network.
• Popper (1963) states there is always an increasing need for knowledge to grow and progress continually, whether tacit or explicit. Knowledge grows like organisms, with data serving as food to be assimilated rather than merely stored.
• All knowledge workers, particularly RD project managers, need to easily access and search internal and external knowledge bases
• Knowledge workers are believed to produce more when empowered to make the most of their deepest skills
• they can often work on many projects at the same time
• they know how to allocate their time and
• they can multiply the results of their efforts through soft
• factors such as emotional intelligence and trust.
• ? Organizations designed around the knowledge worker (instead of just machine capital) are thought to integrate the best of hierarchy, self-organization and networking rather than the worst. Each dictates a different communications and rewards system, and requires activation of knowledge-sharing and action learning.
• The third wave of human socio-economic development is described by Charles Savage in "Fifth Generation Management." The first wave was the Agricultural Age with wealth defined as ownership of land. In the second wave, the Industrial Age, wealth was based on ownership of Capital, i.e. factories. In the Knowledge Age, wealth is based upon the ownership of knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge to create or improve goods and services. Product improvements include cost, durability, suitability, timeliness of delivery, and security.
• In the Knowledge Age, 2 of the working population will work on the land, 10 will work in Industry and the rest will be Knowledge Workers
• Knowledge work, ranges from tasks performed by individual knowledge workers to global social networks. This framework spans every class of knowledge work that is being or is likely to be undertaken. There are seven levels or scales of knowledge work.
• Knowledge work, (e.g., writing, analyzing, advising) is performed by subject-matter specialists in all areas of an organization. Although knowledge work began with the origins of writing and counting, it was first identified as a category of work by Drucker (1973).
• Knowledge functions (e.g., capturing, organizing, and providing access to knowledge) are performed by technical staff, to support knowledge processes projects. Knowledge functions date from c. 450 BC, with the Chanakya, but their modern roots can be linked to the emergence of information management in the 1970s
• Knowledge processes (preserving, sharing, integration) are performed by professional groups, as part of a knowledge management program. Knowledge processes have evolved in concert with general-purpose technologies, such as the printing press, mail delivery, the telegraph, telephone networks, and the Internet.
• Knowledge management programs link the generation of knowledge (e.g., from science, synthesis, or learning) with its use (e.g., policy analysis, reporting, program management) as well as facilitating organizational learning and adaptation in a knowledge organization. Knowledge management emerged as a discipline in the 1990s.
• Knowledge organizations transfer outputs (content, products, services, and solutions), in the form of knowledge services, to enable external use. The concept of knowledge organizations emerged in the 1990s.
• Knowledge services support other organizational services, yield sector outcomes, and result in benefits for citizens in the context of knowledge markets. Knowledge services emerged as a subject in the 2000s..
• Social networks enable knowledge organizations to co-produce knowledge outputs by leveraging their internal capacity with massive social networks. Social networking emerged in the 2000s.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept which encourages organizations to consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of the organization's activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of its operations.
• This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families as well as for the local community and society at large.
• There is no universally accepted definition of CSR. Selected definitions by CSR organizations and actors include
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development
• "Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large"
• Mallen Baker
• "CSR is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society."
• "CSR is a companys commitment to operating in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner whilst balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders."
• International Finance Corporation
• "Corporate social responsibility is the commitment of businesses to contribute to sustainable economic development by working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their lives in ways that are good for business and for development
• European Commission "A concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis."
• Dr. Reddy's corporate social responsibility - Truly sustainable ...
• Corporate social responsibility - Dr. Reddy's believe that any high performance sustainable organization rests on the three pillars of economic, social and Emplioyees.
• e-Choupal also unshackles the potential of Indian farmer who has been trapped in a vicious cycle of low risk taking ability gt low investment gt low productivity gt weak market orientation gt low value addition gt low margin gt low risk taking ability. This made him and Indian agribusiness sector globally uncompetitive, despite rich abundant natural resources.
• Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Infosys Technologies Ltd., came into existence on 4th December 1996 with the objective of fulfilling the social responsibility of the company by supporting and encouraging the underprivileged sections of society. In a short span of time, the Foundation has implemented numerous projects in its chosen areas. The Foundation has undertaken various initiatives in providing medical facilities to remote rural areas, organizing novel pension schemes and in aiding orphans and street children. It has undertaken a large rural education program titled "A library for every school" under which 5500 libraries have been set up in government schools spread across many villages. Other activities include the reconstruction of old school buildings, setting up of rural Science Centers and schemes to provide support to dying traditional art and culture forms
• THE SOCIAL COMMITMENT
• NTPC believes in growth with a human face, and pursuing people-centred development. NTPC is a socially committed organisation and a socially responsible corporate citizen. It attaches great importance to discharging its overall social responsibilities to the community and the society at large where its projects and stations are located. In this regard Resettlement and Rehabilitation (RR) program becomes an area of sharp focus, a program that addresses people affected directly or indirectly in the wake of the projects undertaken by NTPC.
• Discuss CSR with the examples of minimum 5 different organisations.

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Japanese-style management today

During a discussion in 1969 between Shishido Toshio, then chairman of Nikko Research Center, and Mimura Yohei, former president of Mitsubishi Corporation, when Mimura was asked whether a Japanese-style general trading company was possible in the United States, he said: "Because management in the United States tends too much toward the short term," it would not be possible. 59 Planning in Japanese companies often requires a long time from conception to implementation, so that a company of this kind may not conform to the interests of shareholders who expect high dividends quickly.

Shishido remarked, considering the essential nature of capitalism, that "the capitalist selects the manager, and unless he increases profits quickly, he will be fired. In Japan, however, capitalism has no capitalists. Nobody imagines the president of Mitsubishi Corporation has been selected by its shareholders. Many companies speak of their social responsibilities, but not of the responsibilities to their shareholders. Personally, I don't think this is a good thing; on the other hand, one could say precisely because this is the way it is in Japan, Japanese companies have achieved prosperity and increases in productivity" (Shishido 1970: 194-95).

Another insight into the Japanese style of management is provided by an incident involving an employee of a commercial firm who, suspected of graft, committed suicide and left a note saying the company was "immortal."

A company president indifferent to shareholders and a sacrifice of one's life for the benefit and prestige of one's employer seem especially indicative of a particular Japanese management culture. In Japan, the number of shares held by individual stockholders is extremely small, and for each listed company, an average of 10 institutional shareholders, mainly banking institutions, hold the overwhelming majority of its stocks. It is common for companies to hold each other's stocks. For this reason, Japanese capitalism is often referred to as "trust capitalism" or "no-capitalist" management capitalism.

A strong sense of belonging, what might be called enterprise familism, and an intense loyalty within an organization that operates according to quasi-family principles and practices could account for the case of the employee who committed suicide. And he was ashamed of himself for having been suspected of a "lack of virtue." He also adhered to the code of bushido, by which he intended, through his suicide, to morally prosecute those who suspected him. Or, it may have been that his sense of responsibility toward the company caused him to want to protect the company's integrity at the cost of his own life. Bushido mandated a manifestation of one's loyalty.

In Japanese culture, a person may not speak ill of the dead, and so if a verification of the facts reveals a dishonour, its disclosure would be embarrassing. Perhaps the person committed suicide simply because he was tired of living. If so, suicide is an allurement toward which anyone living in a highly industrialized society may tend to be tempted, and it is a disease inherent in modern civilization.

Foreigners (especially Westerners) often find it difficult to understand the psychology and logic of Japanese group formation. That there is competition between groups comes as no surprise, but many are not aware that fierce competition often occurs within them. This sort of unawareness can lead to a misinterpretation of Japanese business management. The impression we Japanese have gained, for example, from textbooks and the popular media of management practices in Europe and the United States often does not coincide with the actual situation.

Japanese management is characterized by lifetime employment, a seniority wage system, vague job classifications (which means an unspecified range of responsibilities and power) and groupism. It is generally true that workers select their employers, not their occupations. And this corresponds well with the practice of regular recruitment of new graduates and the training of new employees in the particular business practices within each enterprise. Because the system and individual jobs in one enterprise are incompatible with those of others, there is a tendency created in employees to settle in one company, which justifies the immense educational investment made by the enterprises.

The system of seniority wages was originally based on a great value placed on experience and skills and on the assumption that living expenses would be greater for more senior employees, and it became firmly established and widespread in the period of sharp inflation. The lifetime employment system was established in 191(}1920, when the labour movement was active, to secure and pacify a skilled labour force. In parallel with this, unskilled, outside contract workers and temporary workers were recruited, and skilled workers of the key production sectors were deployed from the parent company to its affiliates. This inevitably led to the formation of a dual employment structure.

As in the past, technological innovation today is changing the Japanese style of management in various ways. The focus of education and training within the company is shifting from the newly recruited to the middle- and higher-level strata of employees to ensure their adaptation to new technology. The seniority wage system has been combined with a system of wages based on job function, which itself is undergoing revisions amid rapidly progressing technological innovations.

Management concepts and practice aim at a continually expanding wealth and growth potential. Technological innovation, however, brings with it fewer job opportunities in the manufacturing sector (because of the mechanization of the production process), and it reduces the office work-force, while it encourages an expansion of the planning, R. & D., and sales divisions. This is referred to as the development of a "software economy." This has been reducing direct employment and diversifying, increasing, and shortening employment periods for indirect employment. For this reason, it is difficult to forecast in which areas the traditional Japanese style of management will continue or will have to change. One certainty is that, although the priority of where one works rather than what one does will not altogether disappear, the giving of priority to occupational preference will grow stronger.

As indirect employment becomes shorter and more irregular, it demands higher wages than direct employment. If necessary, an enterprise will convert indirect employment to direct employment, thus realizing a long-term reduction of wages. This is one aspect of developing software economies, and a possible outcome of this will be the diversification and professionalization of the technical occupations, which in turn will increase social mobility.

History of Japanese-style management

Yasuoka Shigeaki, an economic historian, isolates the following three areas of industry where the Japanese style of management was first established following the changes brought about by the Meiji Restoration.

1. In areas that held an advantage in the beginning. Products such as silk and tea, in other words, many agricultural products became goods for export. (Coal and copper may be included in this group.) 2. Industries and products that had not been affected by the international economy: foodstuffs such as salt, soya-bean paste, soy sauce, and sake; fuels such as coal and charcoal; materials for housing such as straw floor mats and wood; and native clothing. 3. Areas and their goods that were at a disadvantage in the beginning, for example, cotton and wool, which suffered strong external competition (Yasuoka 1981).

The process was most apparent in this last group, where, in the transition to import substitution and expansion of exports, Japanese-style management became firmly institutionalized.

Yasuoka focuses attention on (1) the role division between investors and management, (2) organizations for engineers, office workers, and plant workers, (3) the employment period, and (4) the wage system. An examination of each item will make clear that there were in existence domestic conditions favourable to converting an internationally disadvantageous position to an advantageous one.

The role division (1) was characteristic of big merchants, where the owners were busy with their social functions and the actual business was performed by clerks, called banto . The banto had been trained in business skills since childhood and screened from among many employees. Just as investors in an unlimited or family-owned business must bear full responsibility as a business partner, the banto bore full responsibility for business activities in the owner's firm.

To maintain or develop their properties and businesses, merchants commonly had their eldest daughters marry banto , then let these sons-in-law succeed to the property and enterprise. This was in contrast to the practice of primogeniture in the samurai class.

Only two to three per cent of all employees were able to rise to top management positions at the big merchant houses as the job performance demands were extremely tough. There was no guarantee of long-term employment; only able men were hired for life, and the time of contract renewal was also often an opportunity for discharge. The strictness and severity of the evaluation systems used at the time, as seen in the Mitsui family, for example, were very like those in force today at the large firms (Chimoto 1982).

The rules pertained to every aspect of work and daily life. Only two holidays a year were allowed. Although food and clothing were supplied, wages were extremely low. But with patience and hard work, the apprentices accepted this as the necessary period of schooling in which to master all the needed management skills, starting with working an abacus and bookkeeping, before proceeding to transactions and contracts.

Those who could not tolerate the initial training were regarded as failures. But once completing the initial training, the new managers were allowed to live outside the shops, and were provided with opportunities to establish their own families and even the right to set up their own shops.

The time frame for skill training extended to the time of the physical examination for conscription, at age 20, by which time basic occupational training was expected to have been completed in the merchant and craft worlds. The establishment of the elementary school system, however, meant that, for some vocations, the training - which began upon graduation from elementary school - was interrupted by military service. Having formed part of the social change, the new technology, which was introduced selectively, filled the gap caused by this interruption (Yasuoka 1981).

As an example of the selectivity applied in introducing technology, in the silk-weaving area of Nishijin, in Kyoto, the machines that could not produce as fine a weave as traditional machines were rejected. A mixture of new and old, internal and external technologies was dispersed throughout the production process; or, as dictated by the particular markets and characteristics of certain products, one type selected and applied exclusively (Iwashita 1982). Modern technology and machinery were carefully evaluated from management's viewpoint before being adopted; this selectiveness implies the existence of a large stock of managerial ability.

Japanese-style management and managers of zaibatsu

The question arises how did the stock of management ability among the old leading merchants respond to the rapid political and social change precipitated by the Meiji Restoration.

The transformation from privileged merchants ( seisho ) to zaibatsu as an example of this process was characterized by three conditions: (1) management based on familism, (2) family-owned and -operated enterprise, and (3) maintenance of broad, family-operated network of assets and business connections.

Management based on familism had an essential internal logic in response to the establishment of a modern private ownership system by the Meiji government, which, in order to gain credit with foreign countries, had to establish modern civil and commercial codes. Thanks to the banto system, for example, the top merchants had their "management specialists," able men in the right places.

On the other hand, the merchant families maintained their familistic structure, for without limitations on the execution of modern private law and private rights that allow the free disposition of properties, the preservation and development of family enterprises could not be ensured. To prevent the dispersion of family properties, these merchant houses instituted a "family constitution," or "family precepts," shunning outside capital investments in their family businesses.

Yet, under these circumstances, raising funds for expansion and diversification in response to social change was difficult, and businesses were compelled to venture into risky areas of high profitability and accumulation. The Mitsui family, aided by its able managers, was successful; the Konoike and some other banking families were not, however, as blessed with able management specialists. They could not adjust to the changing situation and were anxious only to preserve a safe and steady, conservative business management, which led to diminishing capital and finally the loss of their influence in industry.

A family's monopoly of capital investment, that is, closed management, was one type of response merchant families made to the rapid changes, a response they did not consider unusual. It was common for an owner to try managing the family business with his own capital and to prevent others from interfering with his control. Unlike other business groups, both the large zaibatsu and the small local zaibatsu were fortunate in being able to practice this independence (Seoka 1982; Fujita 1981).

The zaibatsu formed in the early 1900s. The relationship between the head of a zaibatsu , the employer, and the management specialists was not one based on the practice of modern contracts. It was closer to the relationship normally found between a master and his servants. The confusion or contradictoriness of the zaibatsu family members managing their managers arose from the fact that, while the zaibatsu families were the sole stockholders and carried full responsibility for their businesses, they left actual operation wholly in the hands of their managers, who had no ownership in the businesses whatever. Some experts (e.g., Noda Nobuo) maintain that if there had been no interference in operations by the families, the zaibatsu businesses would have been more active.

Regarding their legal status, the zaibatsu families assumed the form of an unlimited partnership, because, as such, it was not necessary to disclose the company's financial status (Mitsubishi was a limited partnership) (Yasuoka 1981). Scholars speculate variously that the zaibatsu families adopted this legal form to avoid having their income from property be regarded as unearned income, as a measure against taxation, or to avoid donations. The Japanese zaibatsu were not alone in keeping their financial records confidential. All organizations of this kind did. The Rothschilds, for example, did not disclose a balance sheet before World War II.

Zaibatsu managers and the reference group

The zaibatsu managers felt a personal loyalty to members of the zaibatsu family - not unlike that demonstrated by the company employee who committed suicide. A keen national consciousness, too, however, could be observed in the managers: Enterprising managers were motivated in the early days to contribute to the nation's development through zaibatsu family property. If too highly motivated, however, they were considered dangerous to the welfare of the family and consequently isolated.

Because most managers were well-educated ax-samurai or ax-bureaucrats, they were familiar with foreign countries and modern technologies, and had an enlightened, modern outlook. They were thus well qualified to participate in the commercial and industrial activities of the day. Nevertheless, just as Dan Takuma hesitated to be "a clerk for a merchant family" rather than a government bureaucrat, they also had a psychological resistance toward clerking for merchants.

They were interested in social prestige and official approval from the nation and the government for their achievements. They were active in social and cultural projects outside the zaibatsu businesses. This was in sharp contrast to the zaibatsu families.

They devoted themselves to religion and philosophy (Seoka 1982). This might have been a means for the zaibatsu managers to maintain a psychological equilibrium between private and state interests. This desire to maintain a balance between personal and national interests seems to indicate there was some tension in existence from the time of the formation of the zaibatsu . These managers had to concern themselves also with the public image of the zaibatsu . Thus, an ultra-right reformer like Kita Ikki (1887-1937) would receive contributions from the zaibatsu to maintain a relationship with him and his followers and thus lessen the potential threat Ikki and the reformists posed to the zaibatsu .

There were other reference groups, some made up of Christian philosophers and others of state Shintoists. In any case, "the zaibatsu were not risk-taking pioneers; rather, they were good at following the pioneers to harvest their results later" (Yasuoka 1981).

Local zaibatsu and new zaibatsu

The local zaibatsu and the newly formed zaibatsu contrasted with the big zaibatsu which adhered closely to the intentions of the central government and enlarged and diversified their activities on a nation-wide scale.

The local zaibatsu amassed vast wealth through diversification of their business activities, but they did not move from their local bases even after they had grown into nation-wide enterprises. In general during this period (early 1900s), the local zaibatsu did not adapt themselves to the line of industrialization led by the central government. Because their markets were not of a size that would have required the introduction of modern technology, their diversifications were carried out mainly in the traditional industries. Their chief areas were large-scale wholesaling and retailing, brewing, and food processing. When investments in the (local) railway, coastal transportation, warehousing, and electricity were added, most of the local zaibatsu constituted businesses of a size paralleling the agricultural landlords.

While hesitating to invest in modern industry, these zaibatsu invested mainly in banking. Accompanying development, money was in constant strong demand, and the banking business, which was stable, did not require as complicated a technology as did other industries.

Once banking was generally recognized as an important institution, holding the key to local industrial development, local notables began entering the top ranks of local banks - not for the sake of financial gain so much as for social prestige and to give the appearance of serving their communities. Thus, there was no evidence of plans to take control of the banking institutions through investment to utilize them as their own financing source.

Most local zaibatsu became rentiers in the process of the nation-wide structural changes in the economy because they could not recruit capable management personnel, and the limits of their financial capacities precluded them from entering industry. On the other hand, ambitious businessmen operating local mining or silk concerns grew into zaibatsu by riding the wave of industrialization and making full use of the technology their families had accumulated.

The top management of these new zaibatsu were men educated .15 engineers, scientists, etc.; they were well aware of the need for new investments and technology. The enterprises they established formed new zaibatsu by moving into fields where their technologies were interrelated. Some of these new zaibatsu included Nissan (Nihon Sangyo), Nisso (Nihon Soda), Nitchitsu (Nihon Chisso), and Riken (Rikagaku Kenkyusho).

These new zaibatsu had strong foundations and could undergo rapid growth. They were more daring than the old zaibatsu as they advanced into the heavy and chemical industries, and a characteristic common to all was that their founders were engineers.

Because the technology in these industries ranged over energy, materials, parts supply and processing, and other sectors, the new zaibatsu , in the process of expansion, inevitably ran up against enterprises belonging to the old zaibatsu , and this naturally restricted their business activities. For this reason, they went in search of opportunities in Japan's colonies overseas, such as Manchuria and Korea, where they played a leading role in the formation of the heavy and chemical industries. For these new zaibatsu , the younger government functionaries, the "new bureaucrats," acted as their political mentors, and they, in turn, had the support of the military. The defeat in World War II meant a loss of most of the foundation on which they had been established.

From the viewpoint of the five Ms. however, this loss was not fatal for the reconstruction of the zaibatsu as business groups. What was decisive, though, was their inability to raise money or secure credit, which controlled all the five Ms. In other words, it was the group's lack of supporting banks that was fatal. The ex -zaibatsu enterprises have revived as new groups organized around the new banks.

Of these new zaibatsu , Riken had started out as an institute of physical and chemical research in 1917. It described its purpose thus:

To promote the development of industry, the institute will be engaged in research in physics and chemistry and in the pure sciences and their applications. In either the agricultural industry or any other industry, an institute that does not base itself on physics and chemistry can make no steady development. Especially in Japan, which has a dense population but insufficient industrial and other materials, there can be no other way to realize the prosperity of the nation than by promoting the development of industry by means of education. Our aim is to accomplish this mission.

An examination of how Riken's goal of national development on the basis of science and technology was realized deserves careful study. It perfectly epitomizes the period of the transition from importation to self-reliance in technology.

In passing, it might be mentioned that the three Nobel laureates Yukawa Hideki, Tomonaga Shin'ichiro, and Fukui Ken'ichi had direct or indirect relations with this institute. 60

14. Development of Japan's financial system

Development and finance Exchange companies From a national bank to the bank of Japan

Development and finance

One major problem regarding development is finance. If a country has a source of funds, obviously the problem is solved. Otherwise, it must depend on loans, assistance, or direct investment from foreign enterprises. Depending on the terms and conditions, these funds can have vicious effects on development. This is one reason we have emphasized national sovereignty as a decisive factor in the development of economic and technological independence. Although some countries have adopted development policies that leave them vulnerable to financial subordination, others have stubbornly rejected foreign capital, technology, and management funds, leading to retarded development. We live in an age of unprecedented interdependence and so must pursue a new international economic order. Because mutual dependence should be established on the logical assumption that each nation is the holder of independent politics and an independent economy, independence is the starting point.

Economic independence is not isolation; moreover, immersion into the international economy compels a nation to contend with rapid change. A country working toward self-reliance, even where a national consensus has been formed, must face a variety of difficulties. We have examined the sorts of experiences that arise as a result in the context of various industries. Turning now to the Japanese financial system and the financial institutions-after much trial and error, sacrifice, and loss, they have managed to achieve independence in the international arena.

In early Meiji, the Japanese yen had no international creditability, and therefore little investment in Japan was made by foreign enterprises, while an overwhelming deficit made the government dependent on foreign funds.

In 1899, the thirty-second year after the establishment of the Meiji govern meet, direct foreign investment began. This was made possible by two important political and economic events that occurred late in 1898.

One was the adoption of the gold exchange standard, using the gold obtained as reparation from the Sino-Japanese War as reserve. The second was the revision of the unequal treaties after, indeed, their 40 years of existence. (The acquisition of rights for an autonomous customs tariff had to wait another 10 years.) Foreigners living in Japan were no longer forced to live in concessions, but they lost their extraterritoriality. In his Naichi Zakkyo-go no Nihon (Japan after the opening of the concessions), Yokoyama anticipated and warned of the severity of "free competition." 61

Enterprises, too, at this time lacked international creditability and could therefore not float bonds in other countries; they had to depend on direct foreign investment for the introduction of foreign capital. The first instance of this was Nippon Denki Co., Ltd., which was established in 1899 with an investment by Western Electric of the United States to manufacture telephones and switchboards. Nippon Denki was modeled after Miyoshi Denki Kojo, famous for its high-level machine-manufacturing technology. Nippon Denki eventually became NEC, which, now under complete Japanese control, has long been a leading company in the Japanese electronics industry.

Standard Petroleum made a lone investment in 1900 and started the development of oil wells. "The introduction of foreign capital begun in this way was soon being used to supplement the insufficient accumulation of capital and the low level of production technology" (see Hattori Kazuma in Arisawa Hiromi et al., eds. 1967: 141).

Also at this time, the classification of banks by function, with the Bank of Japan as the core, into commercial banks, kangyo banks (investment and promotion of industry), and savings banks was established. It has been said that "in no other country was the banking system consolidated in terms of legislation as it had in Japan." This is one example of the advantages of being a late comer. 62

The financial institutions organized in the 1890s were the crystallization of ideas worked out when the Bank of Japan was founded (1882) and paralleled the secondary rise of industry and the increased number of banks after the Sino-Japanese War. The first rise of industry, which followed the period of the Matsukata financial policy in the 1880s, saw the establishment of approximately 10 private railway companies and the same number of banks.

Later, forced by the intervention of Germany, Russia, and France to abandon its dominion of the Liaotung Peninsula after the peace treaty between Japan and China in 1895, Japan determined to adjust to this loss by producing weapons domestically, which led to the construction of ironworks and brought about Japan's second surge of industrialization. This included creating an integrated system of iron and steel manufacturing, the enlargement and improvement of the national railways, the reinforcement of sea transportation and shipbuilding, enlarging the communications network, and developing Taiwan, with priority on strengthening armaments.

To attain these targets, the full-scale transfer of technology and increased imports of machines and equipment were required. But the fall of the price of silver on the international market meant a sharp increase in the prices of imported goods (which, however, was advantageous for the export industry).

Before the Sino-Japanese War, the propriety of a move to the gold standard had been discussed in government circles, and a fierce debate on how to proceed had resulted. With the sharp increase of machinery imports in the private sector after this war, the group advocating a shift to the gold standard became predominant. On the other hand, it was in the interest of the cotton-spinning industry, the only industry that had international competitive power, to adhere to the silver standard since many Asian countries - especially China - which were its biggest market, were under the silver standard.

However, when India, from which Japan was importing its raw cotton, shifted to the gold standard in 1893, and when increased imports of raw cotton precluded the cotton-spinning industry from staying with the silver standard, the time for a shift to the gold standard had arrived. The Sino-Japanese War reparations provided the point of transition. Thus was the consolidation of the financial system effected. Let us briefly examine the process of technological transfer that led to this consolidation.

Exchange companies

The earliest banks in Japan were called "exchange companies," that is, currency exchange companies. In 1869, exchange companies were established in Tokyo, Yokohama, Niigata, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Otsu, and Tsuruga to finance the promotion of domestic and foreign trade. Their business was deposits, loans, foreign exchange, and nickel silver, old gold, and silver coin transactions. The companies were given the rights to issue gold, silver, coin, and nickel silver notes.

At this time, deposits had not developed, and civil strife and political changes had brought about a state of confusion that affected currencies. and thus the amount invested in the exchange companies was smaller than the amount required as working capital. The exchange companies therefore depended on huge loans from the government. For example, the capital of the Tokyo Exchange Company was 948,500 ryo in 1872, of which the government had contributed a total of 332,000 ryo . The company's investors were exchange companies that had been authorized by the Tokugawa shogunate, such as Mitsui, Ono, and Shimada. The Tokyo Exchange Company offered financing for the production of export goods (silkworm-egg cards, raw silk, tea, and seafoods) at an interest rate of 0.15 per cent per month, which was much lower than the prevailing rates.

Despite the interest-free government financing, the authorization to issue notes, and the government's easiness about returning the money, it was not possible for the exchange companies to establish themselves and grow.

Takizawa Naoshichi and other banking experts attributed the failure to the companies" being established merely on the basis of a combination of traditional Japanese money exchange practices and European institutional features, which did not properly fit the Japanese commercial structure of the time; moreover, there were few men qualified to conduct the business. Furthermore, as a result of the rationalization of the administration, the government's trade department, which had been the leading division for the scheme, was abolished.

The new government lacked stability; it was a time of rapid political and social changes. The foreign trading firms were in an overwhelmingly advantageous position in business negotiations, protected as they were by gunboat diplomacy. Finance for leading agricultural export products had an extremely speculative nature. These were hostile circumstances for the establishment of a true banking system. Nevertheless, there were a few bankers, able to overcome the instability and risks, who survived the upheaval en route to the modern age. The successful bankers had a management strategy, abundant funds, and the ability to evaluate the situation accurately. Ono and Shimada failed because they lacked these abilities.

In 1872, only three years after their establishment, the exchange companies were forced to dissolve because they could not develop their credit systems and supply the necessary funds to stimulate industry. Nevertheless, a general awareness was created that this type of business organization as an incorporation, though incomplete, was necessary and effective. It made ordinary people more aware of business organizations, the banking business, and the operation of funds, and gave impetus to the establishment of private banks. 63 For Mitsui especially, it was this first experience of the "modern ace" that led to the formation of Mitsui Bank's management philosophy.

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Mastering Japanese Presentation Phrases: How to Impress Your Audience

Have you ever needed to give a presentation in Japanese and felt a bit overwhelmed with the language and cultural nuances? Whether you’re a student, a business professional, or simply someone interested in sharing ideas in Japanese, mastering presentation phrases is essential. In this blog, we’ll guide you through some useful Japanese presentation phrases to help you deliver a successful and engaging presentation.

A Quick Jump To…

Introduction, transition phrases, providing data and evidence, expressing agreement and disagreement, concluding your presentation, handling questions, kind reminders: cultural considerations.

• Tutorial Video

A well-crafted introduction sets the stage for a successful presentation. Here are some Japanese phrases to get you started:

• こんにちは、皆さん (Kon’nichiwa, minasan) – Hello, everyone.
• 私は[Your Name]と申します (Watashi wa [Your name] tomōshimasu) – I am [Your Name].
• このプレゼンテーションでは… (Kono purezenteeshon de wa…) – In this presentation…
• 最初に (Saisho ni) – First of all.
• まず、[Topic]について話しします (Mazu, [Topic] ni tsuite hanashishimasu) – First, I will talk about [Topic].

Smooth transitions are essential to keep your audience engaged. Here are some phrases to help you transition from one point to another:

• 次に移ります (Tsugi ni utsurimasu) – Let’s move on to the next point.
• それでは、[Next Point]について話しましょう (Soredewa, [Next Point] ni tsuite hanashimashou) – Now, let’s talk about [Next Point].
• この点に関して (Kono ten ni kanshite) – Regarding this point.

To support your claims and arguments, it’s crucial to present data and evidence effectively. Use these phrases:

• データにより(Dēta ni yori) – According to the data.
• これにより、[Your Point]が明らかになります (Kore ni yori, [Your Point] ga akiraka ni narimasu) – This makes it clear that [Your Point].
• 例を挙げましょう (Rei o agemashou) – Let’s give an example.
• これは統計的に示されています (Kore wa tōkei-teki ni shimesa rete imasu) – This is statistically demonstrated.

In discussions and presentations, you may need to agree or disagree with other points. Here are some phrases for these situations:

• 私は[Your Opinion]に賛成です (Watashi wa [Your Opinion] ni sanseidesu) – I agree with [Your Opinion].
• 私は[Opposite Opinion]とは異なります (Watashi wa [Opposite Opinion] to wa kotonarimasu) – I disagree with [Opposite Opinion].
• [Name]さんの意見と同じです ([Name]-san no iken to onajidesu) – I agree with [Name]’s opinion.

A strong conclusion is vital to leave a lasting impression. Try these phrases:

• 最後に、まとめますと (Saigo ni, matomemasuto) – In conclusion, to sum up.
• 皆さん、なにか質問がございますか (Minasan, nanika shitsumon ga gozaimasu ka) – Does anyone have any questions?

Prepare for questions and engage with your audience effectively:

• はい、どんな質問でも結構です (Hai, don’na shitsumon demo kekkōdesu) – Yes, I’ll take any questions.
• 非常に大事な質問ですね (Hijō ni daijina shitsumondesu ne) – That’s a very important question.

Understanding Japanese cultural nuances can enhance your presentation:

• 謙譲語を使用する (Kensetsu o shiyō suru) – Use humble language.
• 直接的な表現を避ける (Chokusetsutekina hyōgen o yokeru) – Avoid direct expressions.
• 敬語を使う (Keigo o tsukau) – Use respectful language.

Incorporate these Japanese presentation phrases into your next speech to impress your audience and effectively convey your message. Practice makes perfect, so don’t hesitate to rehearse your presentation in Japanese to boost your confidence. Good luck with your future presentations!

Remember, language learning is an ongoing journey, so keep practicing and exploring new phrases to become a proficient presenter in Japanese. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance. がんばって (Ganbatte) – Do your best!

Having Trouble Pronouncing The Phrases? Check this out.

The phrases we learned today.

Here are our flashcards that include all the Japanese presentation phrases covered in this blog. Go check it out!

You Might Be Wondering…

Are there specific cultural nuances in japanese presentations that aren't covered in the guide.

Yes, there are several cultural nuances to be aware of in Japanese presentations. For example, it’s important to use respectful language (keigo) when addressing superiors or clients. Additionally, indirect and modest language is often preferred, and avoiding direct expressions can be seen as more polite.

What are some common challenges non-native speakers face when giving presentations in Japanese, and how can they overcome them?

Non-native speakers may face challenges with pronunciation, fluency, and understanding of cultural nuances. To overcome these challenges, it’s crucial to practice speaking, seek feedback, and immerse oneself in the language and culture. Taking language courses and working with a language coach can also be beneficial.

Could you offer tips for incorporating visual aids effectively into a Japanese presentation?

When using visual aids in a Japanese presentation, keep them simple and uncluttered. Use visuals to complement your spoken words, not replace them. Ensure that any text on slides is in Japanese, and provide context for any images or charts. Rehearse your presentation with the visuals to ensure smooth integration.

How important are body language and non-verbal communication in Japanese presentations?

Body language and non-verbal communication are highly important in Japanese presentations. Maintaining good eye contact, bowing as a sign of respect, and using appropriate gestures can enhance your communication. Be aware of your posture and facial expressions to convey sincerity and attentiveness.

What are some advanced-level presentation phrases for those looking to take their Japanese presentation skills to the next level?

Advanced presenters can incorporate more complex language structures and idiomatic expressions. They may also use rhetorical devices and storytelling techniques to engage the audience. Additionally, mastering advanced-level phrases for agreement, disagreement, and persuasion is beneficial in conveying a more nuanced message in Japanese presentations.

Test your Japanese level!

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Culture brings light into people's lives! This is no metaphor, in Japan, November 3, Culture Day, is statistically one of the days with the least rain of the year. Even the weather wants to celebrate Japanese culture! With this creative template you can do it too. Talk through slides with...

Kaizen, Quality Management Method

The Kaizen method is a philosophy of continuous improvement that has gained popularity in the business world. The concept is simple yet powerful: small, incremental changes lead to significant progress over time. Slidesgo wasn't built in one day—it's been a journey of small steps until we got to the top!...

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