Learn Japanese Language for Business Communication in Japan

A common language provides us with the means to communicate. If we want our business to grow, it is vital that we learn the language of our clients to communicate with them because firstly they sure will not take the pains to deal with us if they have to learn a new language and secondly it shows them as to how committed we are.

Japan, though geographically is very small in size, has strong cultural values, traditions and customs. Additionally, with the language being so difficult, doing business with Japan or with the Japanese people poses a high possibility for cross-cultural misunderstandings. Besides the language itself, understanding the business culture, business etiquette and meeting protocol is also very important.

All right, now that you have decided to expand your business in Japan and have started getting hold of Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana…what do you do next? Make sure the conversations that you are holding is simple and specific and avoid long sentences. Do not use jargon or acronyms for words that are not common in Japan. Also make sure that while speaking in Japanese, you respect the correct rules of grammar and punctuation. Always be formal and very polite in a business meeting and avoid using any humor.

The Japanese language consists of several levels of politeness: colloquial, polite, very polite and honorific (keigo). Ensure that you speak in a honorific language to all your business associates until you get well acquainted with them and can move on to the very polite level. Basically, very honorific expressions are used to refer the person you are addressing and at the same time, very humble expressions are to be used to refer to yourself.

Some more important points to remember are that you must always use the person’s last name along with the word ‘san’ which means Mr. or Ms. Japanese people prefer using last names only. Do not request them to address you with your first name. Also, if you uncertain as to how to pronounce the name, it is okay to ask for assistance but do not try and get creative.
Another interesting aspect of communication in Japan is to understand that the Japanese people prefer not to use the word ‘no’. When asked to respond, they may simply say ‘yes’ while the answer is ‘no’. It is very critical to understand this while negotiating business deals.

Learning Japanese Language

If you are really passionate to learn Japanese language, then you will not have to look too far. Internet is an excellent resource and is full of websites that offer free tutorials to learn Japanese. Using flash cards, mnemonics and a Japanese dictionary will take you a long way. When compared to some of the European languages, the Japanese grammar is relatively simple. Factors that complicate the language like gender articles and distinctions between plural and singular are almost completely missing. There are no exceptions in the conjugation rules for verbs and adjectives.

However, the best option available to learn Japanese is via Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which is affiliated to the government of Japan and was established to provide support for the development of the Japanese trade. One of the activities that the JETRO undertakes is running the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT). Currently BJT is running in cooperation with the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (which run the Japanese Language Proficiency Test) and the National Institute for Japanese Language, and is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agency for Cultural Affairs, and Japanese business community. The BJT is intended for people who do not speak language but plan to do business in Japan. All the relevant information is available on their website.

To give you an idea about the Japanese language, below are some of the common phrases that can be very useful while on a business trip in Japan:

• Hajimemashite: means ‘I am pleased to meet you’ and should be used only the first time that you meet a person.
• Ohayogozaimasu: means ‘Good Morning’.
• Konnichiwa: means ‘Good Day’.
• Kombanwa: means ‘Good Evening’.
• Gochisosama deshita: means ‘Thank you’.
• Gomen nasai: means ‘Sorry’.
• Sumimasen: means ‘Excuse Me’.

An accepted fact is that if you want to establish your business in Japan, it may take a little time, but you can eventually turn in it into a profit-making venture. If you put in a little additional effort into business communication to learn the Japanese language and educate yourself about the Japanese etiquettes, then success will knock at your door sooner than you expect!