Communication Style Understanding the communication style in Japan is one of the biggest

challenges of doing business in Japan. Japanese have a preference for indirect, high context
communication. In other words, Japanese often imply and infer rather than verbalise directly
and they place a high importance on the impact of body language, paraverbal features,
relationships, emotion and other non-verbal communication. Japanese will rarely say no. As
a result, international organisations doing business in Japan are often left confused and
struggle to achieve their business objectives.

Speaking too much is associated in Japan with immaturity or a kind of empty

-headedness.
It is also associated with women: three kanji characters for kanji characters for
woman actually " woman " actually means "noise. Silences, on the other hand,
have many meaning in Japanese setting.
Japanese Non-Verbal Communication

Since the Japanese strive for harmony and are group dependent, they rely on
facial expression, tone of voice and posture to tell them what someone feels.
They often trust non-verbal messages more than the spoken word as words
can have several meanings.
The context in which something is said affects the meaning of the words.
Therefore, it is imperative to understand the situation to fully appreciate the
response.
Frowning while someone is speaking is interpreted as a sign of disagreement.
Most Japanese maintain an impassive expression when speaking.
Expressions to watch out for include inhaling through clenched teeth, tilting
the head, scratching the back of the head, and scratching the eyebrow.
Non-verbal communication is so vital that there is a book for 'gaijins'
(foreigners) on how to interpret the signs!
It is considered disrespectful to stare into another person's eyes, particularly
those of a person who is senior to you because of age or status.
In crowded situations the Japanese avoid eye contact to give themselves
privacy.
Business Negotiation

The Japanese are non-confrontational.

They have a difficult time saying 'no', so you must be vigilant at observing
their non-verbal communication.
It is best to phrase questions so that they can answer yes. For example, do you
disagree with this?
Group decision-making and consensus are important.
Written contracts are required.
The Japanese often remain silent for long periods of time. Be patient and try to
work out if your Japanese colleagues have understood what was said.
Japanese prefer broad agreements and mutual understanding so that when
problems arise they can be handled flexibly.
Using a Japanese lawyer is seen as a gesture of goodwill. Note that Japanese
lawyers are quite different from Western lawyers as they are much more functionary.
Never lose your temper or raise your voice during negotiations.

Some Japanese close their eyes when they want to listen intently.
The Japanese seldom grant concession. They expect both parties to come to
the table with their best offer.
The Japanese do not see contracts as final agreements so they can be
renegotiated.

Japanese communication relies less on verbal manipulation, and more heavily on nonverbals. Words are important, but so are body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial
expressions, posture, and "non-word sounds" such as the hissing sound that Japanese often make
when confronted with an unappealing proposal or situation. Japanese speak of haragei, the art of
silently communicating "belly to belly," through intuition rather than with words.
One reason that Japanese are able to rely more heavily on non-verbals for their communication is
due to what scholars refer to as a high degree of shared context (background information). For
example, think of the communication style between you and your spouse, or with your parents or
siblings. One raised eyebrow can clearly say "You forgot to take out the garbage," and a certain
tone of voice can communicate volumes. This is classic high context communication that needs
only a minimum of words in order to get the message across. Japanese tend to have this style of
communication with everyone, not just their close family members.
Japanese often describe their communication style as ichi ieba ju wakaru (hear one, understand
ten). The idea is that when the speaker says 10%, the listener will be able to figure out the other
90% on the basis of the non-verbals and the shared context. For the westerner used to hearing all
ten from the speaker (if not 11 or 12!), this communication style can be puzzling.
In order to bridge this gap, westerners need to learn to draw out Japanese, gently prodding them
to give further explanations and information. This means asking effective follow-up questions
after a Japanese colleague has given you the first 10%. For example, "Please give me some more
information about this," "I would like to know more background about this," "Just to check to
make sure I understood you completely, you would like. me to..?," "Is there anything else I
should know about?," "Do you have any advice for me about this?," "Please help me understand
why this is important," and "Please explain more about the situation" If no such follow-up
questions are asked, Japanese will tend to assume that you have grasped the other 90%; you need
to signal if you want further information.
It is also important to sharpen you antennae and tune into the non-verbals of the Japanese you are
working with. This will enable you to pick up more messages, and enhance your ability to read
between the lines.
You should also be sure to leave enough silence and not overwhelm Japanese with a torrent of
words. Too much verbosity will strike Japanese as not only difficult to understand, but also
lacking in subtlety.

Non-verbal Communication
Silence
Japans indirectness reaches as far as its non-verbal communication. Unlike westerners who speak their
minds at any point in time, the Japanese find it rude to interrupt in the middle of a conversation. In
addition, silence is viewed as a time frame where people can think about what is being communicated
and understand the concept behind the idea or comment being stated. Though westerners may feel
uncomfortable sitting through silence, it is best to just relax and be patient while the Japanese take a
moment to understand what has just been said.
Because the Japanese are so indirect, what is not being said also needs to be understood. In other
words, you need to read through the lines and understand what is being implied.

Eye Contact
Looking someone in the eye is considered a sign of confidence in the Western world. Once again, this is
another aspect that the Japanese are so uniquely different from the western world. To the Japanese,
looking at someone straight in their eyes is considered rude and a means to a challenge. The Japanese
will look down to show respect to the other person. Usually, the region of the Adams apple is where the
Japanese tend to direct their sight.

Gestures
First and foremost, the Japanese people try to avoid showing their emotions in public. Their uncommitted
face may not mean that they are not interested; they just dont want to show too much expression.
They are also uncomfortable with any physical contact such as a hug. However, the Japanese do
recognize the western tradition of shaking hands and would gladly adhere to that tradition, especially to
make the relationship more personal.
Hand gestures should be used with caution. Because certain hand gestures have certain meaning behind
them, using them at inappropriate times or the misinterpretation of the signal can be insulting to the
Japanese.

Sitting & Standing

When speaking with someone, do not leave hands

in pockets.
Do not stand with legs crossed over the other.
Do not lean against a wall or door.
Do not sit with the ankle over the knee. May sit with
legs crossed at the ankles or knees.
Do not stick legs out in front on one either
on tatami or in a chair.
Do not sit in a way that shows the soles of your
shoes
Sit on the edge of a chair or sofa to show
respect. Leaning back shows familiarity.
When sitting on tatami, first start out sitting on your
legs and then shift into a less formal
position. Women may tuck their legs to one side,
but not sit cross-legged (acceptable for men).

Distance & Touching

The Japanese like more space between themselves

than others. Bowing too close to each other could
be dangerous!
Touching is also taboo in Japan. The American pat
on the back or arm around the shoulder is to be

avoided.
Rarely is kissing accepted as a greeting. Some
Japanese with
extensive European experience
will be familiar with this form of
greeting.
Bowing is the common greeting in Japan, however,
the handshake is becoming more popular,
particularly among those who work with international
guests and clients and among young people.

Emotions & Communication

When is a smile not a smile? The Japanese smile

to communicate various emotions: anger,
embarrassment, sadness, and
disappointment. Interpretation depends on context.
Eye contact is thought of as rude in Japan. They
will often look
down at their shoes or off in the
air. Take care to not stare.
Silence in Japan is golden and is often used as a
negotiating
strategy. Do not be tempted to jump
in and fill the silence.