Training for Doing Business in Japan
Practical preparation for European teams who are doing business with Japan: business culture, communication, decision-making, and the operational protocols that make or break the engagement. Delivered by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute, 35+ years) and Silkdrive (EU-Japan Centre accredited).
Two halves: what changes, and what to do about it
The cultural and operational reality of doing business in Japan, then the practical patterns European teams can use.
What changes when you do business in Japan
- Cycle length: European 3-6 month deals run face-first into 9-18 month Japanese B2B procurement
- Decision-making: decisions are made before the meeting, in nemawashi conversations and ringi document circulation
- Communication: high-context, indirect, with silence as response and refusal encoded in language European ears miss
- Relationships: trust on a multi-year horizon, not multi-quarter, with the first six months building infrastructure rather than commercial output
What to do about it
- Realistic Year-1 commercial expectations and budget that account for the cycle length
- Channel and partner selection that match the buyer journey, not the European default playbook
- Meeting and follow-up protocols that support Japanese internal process rather than fight it
- A communication discipline that reads Japanese counterpart behaviour correctly and signals back in a way the Japanese side can route internally
Three situations where teams commission this training
Companies entering Japan
Marketing, sales, BD, and senior leadership preparing for the first Japanese launch, account, or partnership.
Companies expanding Japanese operations
Teams scaling existing Japan presence: opening a Tokyo office, taking on enterprise Japanese accounts, integrating a Japanese acquisition.
Teams managing distributors or partners in Japan
European companies with Japanese distributors, resellers, or alliance partners who need the partner relationship to actually work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related
- Japan Market Entry Training — channels, budgets, and go-to-market planning for entering Japan.
- Cross-Cultural Training for Japan — the full programme catalogue.
- The Complete Guide to Japan Market Entry for European Companies
- The Real Cost of Entering the Japanese Market
Prepare Your Team to Do Business in Japan
Tell us the engagement, the team, and the timeline. We will come back with a programme proposal, named trainer, and a clear budget.