# Daily Collaboration for Mixed JP-EU Teams > Cross-cultural team communication training for mixed Japanese-European teams. Daily collaboration, meeting culture, HoRenSo, Sodan, and project… - **Source:** https://www.silkdrive.com/training/japan-team-communication - **Cluster:** cross-cultural training A team-communication workshop with colleagues in a collaborative exercise Team Training Japan team communication training is a daily-collaboration programme for mixed Japanese-European project teams, HQ-subsidiary pairs, and cross-border functions, covering HoRenSo, Sodan, meeting design, and written communication norms. Applied in both directions. Delivered by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute, 35+ years, 20,000+ alumni). [Book a Discovery Call](/book-a-call) [View Modules](/training/japan-team-communication#modules) 2 to 3 Sessions 2 to 4 Weeks Mixed JP + EU Teams 35+ Years Experience Japan Team Communication is part of Silkdrive's [Cross-Cultural Training](/training) practice. 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) ## Why Mixed Teams Underperform Most JP-EU teams aren't broken. They're running two different operating systems and assuming they're the same. ### Reporting Asymmetry European team members give status updates when blocked. Japanese team members give status updates continuously (HoRenSo). When the cadences clash, each side thinks the other is hiding something. ### Email Misfires European emails are short and direct. Japanese emails are long and contextual. Each side reads the other's emails as either rude or evasive, and stops opening them carefully. ### Meeting Mismatches European meetings expect open debate and live decisions. Japanese meetings expect pre-aligned material and ceremonial confirmation. Mixed teams alternate between chaos and theatre. ### Project Stalls Plans get agreed, then quietly stall. Decisions get made in side conversations the other side never sees. Project managers chase the wrong people and miss the real blockers. Our Services ## Training Modules Six modules covering the daily mechanics of mixed-team collaboration, with role-play in both directions. ### HoRenSo & Sodan The Japanese reporting and consultation system explained for non-Japanese teams. How to operate it as a European team member, and how to scale it back without offence. - HoRenSo cadence design - Sodan vs. decision - Reporting frequency norms ### Meeting Culture Designing meetings that work for both sides. Pre-meeting alignment, agenda structure, decision recording, and the role of post-meeting follow-up. - Pre-meeting alignment (nemawashi) - Decision recording - Post-meeting summaries ### Written Communication Email and chat norms across cultures. Greeting structures, tone calibration, when to write long, when to write short, and the role of cc/bcc in Japanese teams. - Email tone calibration - Slack/Teams norms - Cc/Bcc patterns ### Project Management Adapting Agile, Scrum, and waterfall practices for mixed teams. Standups, retros, and sprint planning that work across the cadence gap. - Stand-up adaptation - Retro design - Risk register cadence ### HQ-Subsidiary Operations Operating rhythm between European HQ and Japanese subsidiary (or vice versa). Quarterly business reviews, KPI alignment, and the role of the country lead as translator. - QBR design - KPI alignment - Country-lead role ### Conflict & Repair Naming and repairing the small ruptures that quietly accumulate in mixed teams. Recognising when 'it's fine' isn't fine, and when to escalate. - Rupture detection - Repair conversations - Escalation thresholds Why Silkdrive ## Why Train With Kawatani Three reasons mixed teams choose this programme. 20,000+ alumni ### Both-Side Native Kawatani has trained 20,000+ professionals across mixed teams in Asia, Europe, and North America. He has lived the operating-system clash from both sides. Whole team format ### Both Sides Together We strongly recommend running this programme with both halves of the team in the same room (or Zoom). Most programmes train one side. We train the team. Real project material ### Applied to Your Project Module exercises use your real project, your standups, your QBRs, your project-stalled-last-quarter. Generic case studies are a fallback, not the default. Our Process ## How the Training Works Designed to be embedded in the team's working week, not parked off to one side. 1 ### Team Diagnostic Short anonymous survey across both sides of the team to identify where collaboration is and isn't working. Output is a diagnostic shared with the team and used to focus the programme. 2 ### Customised Programme Module depth is tuned to where the diagnostic shows the biggest gaps. Project material from the team is used in role-plays and exercises. 3 ### Workshop Delivery 2 to 3 sessions over 2 to 4 weeks (90 to 180 min each), or a single 1-day intensive. Both halves of the team attend together. Remote or on-site. 4 ### Operating Agreement Final session produces a written team operating agreement, meeting cadence, reporting norms, escalation thresholds. The team owns it after the programme ends. Results ## Trainer Track Record Selected highlights from Takashi Kawatani's career delivering team training to multinationals. Mixed Teams ### Asia-Pacific Multinationals Challenge Mixed JP-local teams across multiple multinationals struggling with daily collaboration and project execution. Result Kawatani's team programmes are used across Japanese and Western multinationals operating in Asia-Pacific. 20K+ Alumni 35+ Years 13 Books Authored Recognition ### Global HR Excellence Award Challenge Demonstrating measurable team-level impact of cross-cultural training at scale. Result Awarded by the World HRD Congress in 2011 for contributions to global leadership and communication. 2011 Award World HRD Congress Global Reach Institutional ### Lecturing & Advisory Challenge Embedding mixed-team practice in Japanese executive education. Result Lecturer at Sanno Institute of Management; Special Advisor to the Japan Overseas Enterprises Association. Sanno Lecturer JOEA Advisor Multi Decades [Book a Discovery Call](/book-a-call) 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) Client Success ## What Mixed Teams Say Feedback from teams that completed the programme together. Drawn from Takashi Kawatani's career delivering team programmes 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. > “We left with an actual operating agreement. Meeting cadences, reporting norms, escalation thresholds. Six months later we still use it.” Project Lead Cross-Border Programme, European Manufacturer > “Best investment we made in the team this year. The Japanese side and the European side finally hear each other.” VP Engineering R\&D Lead, Tech Multinational Pricing & Formats ## Formats & Scoping 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 Call to Scope Your Training](/book-a-call) ## Who Is This Training For? This programme is designed for project teams, HQ-subsidiary pairs, R\&D collaborations, customer-facing service teams, and any cross-border function where Japanese and European team members work together daily or weekly. Both halves of the team attend together, that is the point. Format options include 2 to 3 sessions over 2 to 4 weeks (allowing practice between sessions) or a single 1-day intensive when the team can only block one calendar day. Sessions are 90 to 180 minutes and run remotely or on-site. Translation support available. What you leave with: a written team operating agreement covering meeting cadence, reporting norms, written communication patterns, and escalation thresholds. The team owns the agreement and uses it to onboard new members afterwards. FAQ ## Frequently Asked Questions Common questions about the team communication programme. ### Do both halves of the team have to attend? ### What size of team? ### What language? ### Can we run this remotely? ### What does the training cost? ### Further Reading - [Japanese Business Culture: A Working Guide](/insights/japanese-business-culture) - [Cross-Cultural Communication Training: Buyer's Guide](/insights/cross-cultural-communication-training) - [Intercultural Training: What It Is and How to Choose](/insights/intercultural-training-guide) ## Train Your Mixed Team Start with a short team diagnostic. We will recommend the right format and depth based on what comes back. 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