Customer Reviews

Inside the Kaisha: Demystifying Japanese Business Behavior

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is a sad commentary that, now that Japan is no longer viewed as ascendant, critical and better books are coming out than existed (or were known) previously. I think that we did not want to know about the flaws underneath the facades we constructed, though many of us suspected them.

This book takes a good, stark look at the arcana of dealing with Japanese businesses. It is a world where appearences are more important than realities, where superficial politeness hides brutal power relationships, and where the correctness of routine is more important than the reasons - strategic or otherwise - behind them. In practical terms, this reveals that what a lot of us thought about Japan in the 1980s was in fact meaningless ritual and blind procedure (following and copying), couched in nice terms ("tatemae") that so many of us took at face value. The reality underneath, the uglier side of things, is almost invariably truer than the nicer versions. And now that Japan is seen as a beleagered backwater, we have no problem believing the worst.

That makes this book VERY valuable. Unfortunately, it is written like an academic business book, which means its style is rather plain, rather than with the vividness of journalism. But that may be my own bias.

My 10 years of experience with the Japanese (including 4 different Japanese companies) has provided me with endless cases of dumbfounded bewilderment at Japanese behavior. Upon reading Inside the Kaisha, I found succinct, clear explanations of Japanese thinking and behavior which totally agree with my life experiences. Hats off to the meticulous research and easy-to-read writing style!

For a long time Japan business and society have puzzled even its own insiders, it is no longer so after this book. "Inside the Kaisha" describes a society where its people make their date-to-date decisions not based on a set of core values, but on model behavior which varies upon different context. Highly egalitarian from the outset, yet its language effectively enforce a caste system based on seniority and acquired social status. Japan's splendid economic success has spurred global imitations of its business behavior, yet outsiders often failed to understand its culture which is the primal driving force. This book successfully establish such link and I think its essential for everyone who's interested in Japan

Read this and come away with a much better understanding of the background and corporate orientation of your Japanese counterparts. Simply outstanding.

The author states in the first chapter: " As a trader, my job is to go into the market and try to make money. We still have almost two months before our fiscal year ends. Are you saying I shouldn't even make money because it will affect the budget?" "Yes:' answered the controller, "that's exactly what I'm saying!"

This is a statement about what happens but the author doesn't pause to ask or answer the question "Why does the budget have to be on target?" Anyone who has really worked in a Japanese company and who has some insight would give the readers more substance concerning the topic of Japan. Add this one to the list of "ho-hum" titles on this country and its culture.