# Japanese Business Culture Training > Japanese business culture training for European teams: honne/tatemae, HoRenSo, nemawashi. Live with Takashi Kawatani (35+ years, 20,000+ alumni).… - **Source:** https://www.silkdrive.com/training/japan-business-culture - **Cluster:** cross-cultural training Takashi Kawatani, Diversity Management Institute, leading Japanese cross-cultural training expertTakashi Kawatani · Diversity Management Institute · Tokyo Cross-Cultural Training Equip your team to read what Japanese partners actually mean in meetings, negotiations, and weekly reporting, and to respond the way trust is built in Japan. Live training with Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute): 35 years, 20,000+ professionals trained. [Book a Discovery Call](/book-a-call) [View Training Modules](/training/japan-business-culture#training-modules) Kawatani-led, 35+ years · Customised per team · Remote or on-site Teams trained by Kawatani-sensei across 35+ years include - Toyota, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Sony, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Panasonic, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Nokia, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Mitsubishi Electric, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - MUFG Bank, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - NEC, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - Fujitsu, teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - All Nippon Airways (ANA), teams trained by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute) - - - - - - - - - Takashi Kawatani, President of Diversity Management Institute Silkdrive is the preferred European delivery partner of Diversity Management Institute (Tokyo). Takashi Kawatani-sensei leads the Japan-side curriculum and trains directly; Silkdrive scopes engagements, contributes European-side context, and runs delivery. Co-delivery in Europe began in 2023. [More on the partnership →](/about-us#partnership) > You heard tatemae. You needed to read honne. The gap between the two is where most European-Japanese deals stall. Outcomes ## What Your Team Can Do Afterwards The training is judged on behaviour change, not slides. These are the working skills the modules drill. ### Read the meeting Tell tatemae (the public position) from honne (what your counterpart actually thinks), and respond without forcing a yes/no in the room. ### Report at the right cadence Use HoRenSo (report, contact, consult) to keep the Japanese side informed the way they expect: trust compounds instead of eroding. ### Prepare the decision, not just the meeting Map a nemawashi plan (who to consult, in what order) before the decision meeting where the outcome is already settled. ### Pace the room Treat silence as deliberation rather than disagreement, and time your proposal to the room instead of the agenda. Training Modules ## Three Modules, Built on Real Practice Designed for European teams working with Japanese partners, customers, or colleagues. Each module combines concept, language, and real-deal practice. 01 honne, real intent ### Cross-Cultural Communication Master the art of effective communication in Japanese business contexts. - Deep cultural motivators - Relationship-building strategies - Honne 本音 vs tatemae 建前 (real intent vs public position) - HōRenSō 報連相 (reporting, contacting, consulting) in practice 02 sōdan, consultation ### Recognition & Trust Building Develop lasting business relationships built on mutual trust. - Recognition principles - Trust-building framework - Strategic questioning - Sōdan 相談 (consultation) for stakeholder alignment 03 nemawashi, consensus-building ### Negotiation Mastery Navigate complex negotiations with confidence and cultural intelligence. - Japanese negotiation principles - Cultural pitfall navigation - Nemawashi 根回し (consensus-building before the meeting) - BaMaWa 場間和 (room-and-pace harmony) in practice Expert Trainer ## Meet Takashi Kawatani, 河谷隆司 35+ years helping professionals succeed in Japanese business culture, in partnership with Silkdrive on the EU↔Japan corridor. Takashi Kawatani, Diversity Management Institute, Japanese cross-cultural training expert ### Today - President, Diversity Management Institute (1989 to present) - Founder, Success Japan Initiative - Host of 'Japan Spirit', English-language internet show - Trains Fortune 500 clients, business associations, and government bodies across 20+ countries ### Publications & Recognition - Author of 13 books, incl. Winning Together at Japanese Companies (Beyond-Global, 2015) and titles published by Nikkei, PHP, and SANNO - Creator of 10 e-learning products on Japanese business culture - 13,000+ students enrolled across Udemy courses, 4.4★+ ratings - Global HR Excellence Award, World HRD Congress 2011 ### Background - Lecturer in international business, Sanno Institute of Management - Special Advisor, Japan Overseas Enterprises Association - Visiting researcher, ISIS Malaysia (Institute of Strategic and International Studies) - Doctoral studies, Human and Organizational Development, Fielding Graduate University (USA) Alumni Feedback ## What Alumni Say Thanks to this program, I have been able to understand, for the first time, what my Japanese president was thinking. Before the program, we had all kinds of misperceptions about each other that were hard to untie. Production Control Manager Malaysia From Takashi Kawatani-sensei's Japanese cross-cultural training career across Asia-Pacific (20,000+ alumni since 1989). Silkdrive began co-delivering in Europe in 2023; named European cohort feedback is added as engagements complete. Pricing & Formats ## Indicative Pricing Priced per group session, never per participant, so the per-person figure follows from the group size rather than being a rate. Sessions cap at ten because they are interactive; a larger team runs as more groups. Starting figures, excluding VAT, with travel and accommodation billed separately, and the final amount confirmed in writing after the intake call. Most Common Multi-session programme From €7,600 4 sessions, 2 groups of 10, over 2 to 4 weeks - €380 per person for the whole programme - Typical engagement €11,400 to €19,000, three to five groups of ten - Online, the format most programmes run in - The sum of its sessions, with no separate minimum Full day on-site From €3,500 6 to 7 hours, one group of up to 10 - €350 per person - Travel and accommodation separate Half-day on-site From €2,700 4 hours, one group of up to 10 - €270 per person - Travel and accommodation separate Half-day online From €1,900 3 hours, one group of up to 10 - €190 per person [Book a Discovery Call to Scope Your Programme](/book-a-call) ## What is Japanese business culture training? Japanese business culture training is a structured cross-cultural programme for European teams working with Japanese partners. It builds communication fluency (honne/tatemae, HoRenSo), recognition and trust-building competence, and negotiation skill across the cultural gap, including the nemawashi consensus-building that settles most Japanese decisions before the meeting starts. Delivered live, remote or on-site, with Takashi Kawatani of the Diversity Management Institute. FAQ ## Frequently Asked Questions What companies typically ask before commissioning Japanese business culture training. ### How does Japan business-culture training for European executives differ from US-focused training? ### Who delivers the training? ### Do you deliver training in languages other than English? ### Can you train a remote or distributed team? ### How is the training priced? ### What if the training is not the right fit for our team? ### How is this different from generic intercultural training? ### Can the programme be customised to our industry? Self-Paced Option ## Not ready for team training yet? Kawatani-sensei's self-paced Udemy course covers the same cultural foundations in lecture format: a solid first step before, or alongside, a team programme. How to Speak Japanese Cross-culturally, Udemy course by Takashi Kawatani Udemy Course, all levels ### How to Speak Japanese Cross-culturally Taught by Takashi Kawatani. Covers cross-cultural communication, recognition, trust building, and the Japanese decision-making patterns European teams keep tripping on. 4.4 (79 course reviews) • 13,000+ students across Kawatani's Udemy courses [View on Udemy](https://trk.udemy.com/5kYqQL) [Or talk to us about team training](/book-a-call) Affiliate link, Silkdrive may earn a commission if you enrol, at no extra cost to you. [Full disclosure](/privacy#affiliate-disclosure). “Provides excellent guidance to interacting with colleagues, clients and superiors in a Japanese work setting. Concise and practical, yet also rewarding at a deeper level.” Maria Barbara, on Udemy “Insightful for understanding the phrases and concepts used in Japanese business conversations and the idea behind them. The 5 Golden Rules are really helpful to navigate Japanese corporate culture.” Aneesh, on Udemy “Highly innovative and one of a kind. Focuses on the cross-cultural aspects of learning a language, which is most needed for understanding the Japanese mindset and behaviour patterns.” Parul, on Udemy ### Related Programmes [Japan Negotiations Training](/training/japan-negotiations) [A full programme on deal-table dynamics: pacing, concessions, and reading positions.](/training/japan-negotiations) [Japan Sales Training](/training/japan-sales) [Selling to Japanese buyers: qualification, proposals, and long-cycle trust.](/training/japan-sales) [Japan Executive Coaching](/training/japan-executive-coaching) [One-to-one coaching for leaders working with or inside Japanese organisations.](/training/japan-executive-coaching) [Japanese Business Etiquette Training](/training/japan-business-etiquette) [The forms and rituals: meishi, seating, gifts, and meeting protocol.](/training/japan-business-etiquette) ### Further Reading - [Cross-Cultural Training for Japan: An HR Buyer's Guide](/training/cross-cultural-training-japan) - [Japanese Business Culture: A Working Guide for European Companies](/insights/japanese-business-culture) - [Nemawashi: How Japanese Companies Actually Make Decisions](/insights/nemawashi-japanese-decision-making) - [Honne and Tatemae: Reading What Japanese Partners Actually Mean](/insights/honne-tatemae-japanese-communication) - [Cross-Cultural Communication Training: Buyer's Guide](/insights/cross-cultural-communication-training) ## Train Your Team Before the Next Japan Engagement Half-day to multi-week programmes, delivered with Takashi Kawatani on the Japan track and Silkdrive on the European side. Scoped to your team and the meetings ahead. [Book a Discovery Call](/book-a-call) [View Pricing](/training/japan-business-culture#pricing) Insights ## From our insights Deeper reading on this topic from the Silkdrive team. 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