When meeting new Japanese people in a business context it is important to remember the proper method for exchanging business cards. This method for introductions is very specific because it is part of a cultural ritual which has been generated through religious anthropology. I will first explain the method in which business cards are properly exchanged then I will explain the cultural points which make this such an important ritual for Japanese people. The Method Japanese han

Culture and the Methods for Solving Problems Go Hand-in-Hand

Statistical control methods are a founding concept in Japanese manufacturing. However, Six Sigma as a problem solving methodology* causes many hang-ups for Japanese managers. Many Americans seeking training in Six Sigma in Japanese organizations face resistance with little explanation as to why. This often leads to frustration and contempt towards management. They write off the Japanese resistance to the training as resistance to change, preventing growth and feeling unrepre

The production line goes down 4:30pm on a Friday. Great. Someone says “We don’t know if the gage is reliable.” Awesome. “We need to confirm the gage with an R&R study” Stop. It’s time to grab a hold of this situation, because I’m going to be home for dinner. Use Cases of Gage R&R This article is not to discredit gage R&R; at least not entirely. Gage R&R is useful to say that a gage is appropriate for a process and to measure the capability of said process. Gage R&R can also b

I’m half Japanese, I speak Japanese fluently, and I studied Japanese business and culture in college as part of a minor. Yet I don’t think I’ll ever be employed by a Japanese company in the US or abroad. This is deliberate and a decision I’ve come to after what I’ve gathered from my studies and internships at Japanese companies. With that said, I have a deep love of Japan and its culture. Cultural Points There are two cultural points. The first is that Japanese ethnicity is d

What does “yes” really mean? As it turns out, in Japanese culture it can mean “no”. Are they lying? Well… not exactly. I call these “Tatemae Hedge Words” In Japanese culture there is a construct called “Honne and Tatemae”. Honne (本音 hon’ne) literally translates to "true sound“ and refers to one’s true inner feelings. Alternatively, Tatemae (建前) means „built in front“ and refers to the facade that projects what is expected or required by society. These two constructs can be (a