The image of the Japanese man always smiling politely is omnipresent, especially in business life. But what is behind the smile? This is something that Europeans often find difficult to fathom. This is because Japanese culture works differently to German culture. There are completely different perceptions of what is appropriate, polite and nice and when.
How do the Japanese communicate?
The Japanese live in “two worlds”, so to speak:
- Honnae is the real feeling and thinking
- Tatemae, on the other hand, is what should be said in public
In Japan, it is essential to save face. This serves to maintain a relationship, including a business relationship, which forms the foundation of a collaboration. Contracts in Japan are good, but without a functioning relationship they are only worth the paper they are printed on. Consequently, business life largely takes place in the realm of tatemae. For example, if you make a proposal that your Japanese partners think is not good, the Japanese might say: “A very interesting idea…” (Tatemae). (Tatemae). What remains unspoken is: “but unfortunately unfavorable for us because…” (Honnae).
What do the Germans understand?
Germans who communicate directly will initially understand the words and be pleased that the Japanese are interested. The disappointment is great when they find out the opposite. And then it is only a small step to assume that the Japanese are not sincere. This is not the case, on the contrary. The Japanese are still interested in a good business relationship. A direct rejection disrupts this relationship from the Japanese point of view. This simple example already makes it clear that worlds collide here that have difficulty understanding each other.
A “no”? – Unknown in Japan
The Japanese communicate very indirectly, i.e. you have to read between the lines. In Germany, communication is direct, i.e. a rejection is formulated as such, even if it is diplomatically packaged. This is possible because Germans are good at distinguishing between a thing and a person. In Japan, on the other hand, as in other indirectly communicating cultures, person and thing are regarded as a unit. The rejection of a thing therefore goes hand in hand with the rejection of a person. However, this disturbs the relationship, so it is refrained from.
How do I get to the “Honnae”?
Even in Japan, it’s not the case that people are indirectly obese to the point of vomiting. It depends on the situation. The key is to create informal situations. There are various ways to do this:
- Instead of a meeting (official character), an informal exchange of information could be arranged
- Be sure to use meeting breaks to have an informal chat in private
- You can also ask a Japanese person for such a conversation by indicating that you still have questions, for example
- During presentations, you should always give the Japanese people time to coordinate with each other before you start answering questions. This can be done by taking longer breaks or by postponing the presentation
- And finally, another important option: having dinner or drinks together in a bar, possibly a karaoke bar. Here it is socially accepted to move from the Tatemae to the Honnae area. In fact, this “leisure activity” is an important part of the business relationship and anything said under the influence of alcohol is forgivable. But: no matter how much you’ve had to drink, the next day you show up for work on time. The details of the evening are usually not discussed, but a heartfelt thank you for the previous evening is appropriate when you are greeted in the morning.
What else can I do?
As you can see, you need to allow a reasonable amount of time, especially at the beginning of a business relationship, to learn the essentials. Of course, this cannot be fully explained in a blog. It is not for nothing that the topic of communication plays a very large part in intercultural training in Japan. Here you not only learn more details, but also practice what you have learned.
