Japanese Business Training
Eight programmes covering Japanese business culture, etiquette, negotiation, sales, team communication, executive coaching, DEI, expatriate preparation, and market entry. Delivered by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute, 35+ years) and Silkdrive (EU-Japan Centre accredited).
Which programme fits your situation?
Most teams arrive with a specific trigger. The three patterns below cover most of what we see; use them as a starting point and we will refine on the discovery call.
Single milestone (trip, hosting, posting)
Start with Japan Business Etiquette Training for pre-trip or pre-hosting prep, or Expatriate Training for Japan for a posting. Both are tightly scoped to a specific milestone.
Team-wide baseline
Start with Japanese Cultural Awareness Training for a whole-company cohort, then layer Cross-Cultural Negotiations or Cross-Cultural Sales for the teams that need depth.
Already deep in Japanese work
Start with Training for Working with Japanese Colleagues, which addresses the specific friction patterns that show up after the first six months. Add Team Communication with Japan for cross-functional projects.
Eight Japanese business training programmes
Each programme has a dedicated page with curriculum, formats, pricing, and FAQ. Mix and match per cohort, posting, account, or integration.
Cross-Cultural Training for Japan
The flagship hub: six programmes covering culture, negotiations, sales, team communication, executive coaching, and DEI for European teams working with Japanese counterparts.
Intercultural Training for Japan
The same programme catalogue under the continental-European term. Most common label in NL, DE, BE, FR, and Scandinavia.
Japanese Business Culture Training
The foundational programme led by Takashi Kawatani: communication, recognition, trust building, negotiation principles.
Japan Business Etiquette Training
Practical etiquette: meeting conduct, meishi exchange, seating hierarchy, written communication, hospitality.
Japanese Cultural Awareness Training
Lighter introductory format covering how Japanese organisations operate, how communication and decisions work, how relationships develop.
Training for Working with Japanese Colleagues
For European teams already in active Japanese engagements. Addresses friction patterns that show up after the first six months.
Expatriate Training for Japan
1:1 pre-departure and first-year coaching for staff being posted to Japan. Optional spouse orientation.
Japan Market Entry Training
Channels (LINE, Yahoo!Japan, Rakuten), budgets, timelines, and go-to-market planning for European companies entering Japan.
Who delivers the training
Takashi Kawatani
President, Diversity Management Institute (since 1989)
35+ years on Japanese cross-cultural management. 20,000+ alumni. Author of 13 books on global leadership. Recipient of the Global HR Excellence Award (World HRD Congress 2011). Leads all Japan-side training programmes.
Patric Sawada
Founder, Silkdrive · EU-Japan Centre accredited expert
11+ years in international and cross-cultural marketing. EU-Japan Centre webinar lead for European SMEs. Co-facilitates the European-side context for Dutch, German, Belgian, and Nordic cohorts. Leads the market entry programmes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Japanese business training.
Pick the Right Japanese Business Training Programme
Tell us the team, the situation, and the timeline. We will recommend the programme (or combination) that fits, with a named trainer and a clear budget.