c"Land of the Rising Sun".

]


c s of 2009 The economy of Japan is the third largest in the world after the
United States and the People's Republic of hina but ahead of Germany at
4th.
c For three decades from 1960, Japan experienced rapid economic growth,
which was referred to as the Japanese post-war economic miracle.
c However, in the second half of the 1980s, rising stock and real estate
prices caused the Japanese economy to overheat
c Japan ranks 12th of 178 countries in the 2008 ]ase of Doing Business
Index and has one of the smallest tax revenues of the developed world
c Recently, Japan has moved away from some of these normsIn the Index of
]conomic Freedom, Japan is the fifth most laissez-faire of 30 sian
countries
 IDUSTRI]S
 The fields in which Japan enjoys high technological development
include
c consumer electronics,
c automobile manufacturing,
c semiconductor manufacturing,
c optical fibers,
c optoelectronics,
c optical media,
c facsimile and copy machines, and
c fermentation processes in food and biochemistry.
 GRI ULTUR]

nly 12% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation. Due to this lack of
arable land, a system of terraces is used to farm in small areas. This results
in one of the world's highest levels of crop yields per unit area, with an
overall agricultural self-sufficiency rate of about 50% on fewer than
56,000 km² (14 million acres) cultivated.
c R]LIGI

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c Languages


 




 

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c BUSI]SS RDS
c business cards play a large role in Japanese business relationships, and
international businesspeople should expect to receive between five and ten
business cards at each meeting.
c It is advisable to carry an ample supply of double-sided business cards, with one
side printed in ]nglish and the other in Japanese, to business meetings.
c Business cards should be presented and received with two hands and a slight bow,
and should be treated with the utmost respect. Business cards should not be put
away immediately; Japanese businesspeople appreciate a visitor taking the time to
look them over immediately.
c Bowing is the traditional greeting in Japan, and is used to convey a number of
subtle messages.
c Handshakes are becoming more popular in modern times, however, as Japanese
businesspeople spend time with their international counterparts.
c Japanese people prefer not to maintain eye contact when speaking, and can
become uncomfortable if they feel that visitors are staring at them.
c Talking distance is farther in Japan than in many other nations, and any physical
contact during a meeting should be avoided.
c #$%&'()&(* is an extremely important aspect of
communication in Japanese business culture.
ccording to, the following body movements can cause
discomfort in Japanese businesspeople:
c Leaving hands in pockets while speaking
c Standing with legs crossed
c Leaning against walls
c Sitting with an ankle on a knee
c Stretching legs out while sitting
c Sitting in a way that exposes shoe soles
c Leaning back into a chair or sofa
c 

 
&

c Japanese business attire is among the most formal in the world.
c 


+
c Japanese businessmen are expected to wear dark suits with white shirts and
subdued ties
c  


+
c gray suits. Since summers in Japan can be very hot and humid, some men will wear
short-sleeve collared shirts to work.
c BUSI]SSW
]
c businesswomen in Japan are required by most companies to wear a company
uniform, although Japanese women are very fashion conscious outside of work.
c International businesswomen should wear short or tied-back hair and a suit with a
long skirt or pants.
c Women should avoid wearing jewelry and high-heeled shoes in business meetings,
but dressing fashionably at dinner parties or when visiting a home is acceptable
c *


,


c Japanese employees are accustomed to lifetime
employment, and have been brought up in a society
that honors self-sacrifice for the good of a group.
c Japanese workers are not likely to change jobs
frequently to acheive higher wages or better benefits,
and in turn will expect to be secure in their
employment as long as their performance is
satisfactory.
c Performing large-scale layoffs and divisional cutbacks
can seriously harm a company͛s reputation and future
employee relations in Japan.
c  
( 

 
  

c In Japanese culture, more emphasis is placed on the ritual significance of
business gift giving rather than the gift itself.
c Regardless of the quality of the gift, a thoughtful presentation can make a
positive impression on a Japanese businessperson.
c It is considered polite to refuse a gift several times before finally
accepting. When a gift is accepted, a reciprocal gift is expected.
c Gifts should be given and received with both hands, with a slight bow to
show appreciation.
c ccording to, the best time to give a gift is toward the end of meetings,
and they should never be given at conspicuous times.
c Gifts should always be given in private; a publicly given gift can be seen as
rude to those who are not included, and can cause embarrassment for the
recipient.
c Gifts given to groups should be presented to the entire group at once for
the same reasons.