Customer Reviews

Doing Business with the New Japan

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I'm working in Silicon Valley for a company that deals regularly with the Japanese. Personally, I have lived and worked in Japan, so I am not completely new to the complex culture. Recently, I've been searching for a current book that addresses specifically problems that can arise and solutions to those problems in negotiations between Americans and Japanese. This book does just that.

The first portion of the book compares Japan and the US in cultural terms. Newcomers to Japan will find this section very useful. I enjoyed the section, as it allowed me to review material that I had learned through reading other books on Japan and through personal experiences. The second section, the Business of Face-to-Face Negotiation, was the reason I bought the book. It provides a detailed analysis of negotiating with the Japanese - who to send, what character traits are effective in dealing with Japanese, timing, process, etc. In addition, all of the information is supported by anecdotes of the authors, who all have long, impressive careers in working with Japan.

Overall, it think the book is excellent and would recommend it to anyone who negotiates with the Japanese - whether that person is a newcomer to the Japanese culture or a Japanophile.

I spent the last three years working with a Japanese client and leading a joint software development team with engineers in Japan and the U.S. This book was very helpful to me in helping me understand the nuances of Japanese culture and how to do business with them. Understanding the importanct of gifts, saying "no" , loyalty and other subtleties will be very important if you want to succeed in your relationships with Japan. I found this book to be extremely helpful.