Informational Memo - Assignment Example

Jenna Harrington Lisa Chavez July 14, Japan’s Culture This memo will provide you with valuable information that you can use in your trip to Japan. Japan is one of the most powerful industrialized nations in the world being a member of the G8. The country is one of the most populated places in the world with a population of 127 million inhabitants in an area of 145,913 square miles. There are 870.4 people per square mile living in Japan. The geography of Japan consists of four main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku (CultureGrams, 2011).

There are thousands of small islands surrounding the four main islands. There are a lot of mountainous regions in Japan. The weather in Japan experiences all four seasons with hot humid summers and cold winters. Japan has a high risk to natural disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.The official language of Japan is Japanese, but in the business scenes the use of English is common as Japanese include English as part of the secondary education of young students. The two primary religions practiced by Japanese people are Buddhism and Shinto.

Shinto stresses a person’s relationship to nature and its many gods (CultureGrams, 2011). The capital city of Japan is Tokyo. The city of Tokyo is considered the most popular metropolis in the world (Japan-guide, 2011). The US Embassy in Japan is located in Tokyo. The embassy’s phone number is 03-3224-5000 and its address is 1-100-5 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8720 Japan (Usembassy, 2011). The official currency of Japan is the yen. The current exchange rate between the US dollar and the Japanese yen is 1 to 78.

6 (Xe, 2011). Japan’s has a sound economy that generates for its people a gross domestic product per capita of $32,600. The country is highly dependent on its manufacturing activities. Some of the industries that are thriving Japan’s economy include machinery, textiles, chemicals, and engineering. Japan is considered a group oriented society. The educational system of Japan is very good which has helped the country established a highly qualified labor force. Math and sciences are stressed in the Japanese educational curriculum.

Education is free for all citizens from ages six to fifteen; thereafter the parents or the student must pay for their studies. The male is the power figure in the household and in Japanese businesses most important positions are held by men. The Japanese people have high moral and family values. The young generations are supposed to take care of the senior members of society and age is a sign of wisdom and respect in Japan. In business loyalty, devotion, and cooperation are valued attributes among the workers (CultureGrams, 2011).

The business culture of Japan believes in lifetime employment. Massive layoffs by corporations are not common in Japanese business culture. When a Japanese person receives a gift they feel an obligation to pay back the favor. Most Japanese people are polite, patient, and are at peace with their situation in life. Japanese are very peculiar about their eating habits. Eating while walking or driving a car is considered is considered an impropriate act. A tourist that buys a snack at a food stand should consume the food at the establishment.

During dinner it is common for the entire family to sit together at the table to enjoy their meal. Instead of the utensils commonly used by Americans to eat such as forks, spoons, and knives Japanese prefer to eat using chopsticks. When eating Western type meals the Japanese use common utensils. The younger generation is fascinated by traditional American meals such as burger and fries which is the reason hamburger chains such as McDonalds have been so successful in Japan. McDonalds has 3,598 franchises located in Japan.

The traditional Japanese diet consists of rice, fresh vegetables, seafood, fruit, and small portions of meat (CultureGrams, 2011). Soy sauce is added to most meals for flavoring. In Japan most meals include rice and tea. Some traditional Japanese plates include miso, udon, shashimi, and sushi. The customs and traditions of Japan are very different than in the United States. The most commonly used greeting in Japan is a bow. It is common however for Japanese people to shake hands with Westerners.

Japanese people are very formal and titles should be used during introductions. The use of first names is reserved for family and friends. It is very important to be polite and treat Japanese people with respect. Yawning is visualized as impolite in Japanese culture. The proper posture when sitting is to be straight up with both feet on the ground (CultureGrams, 2011). Ties and suits is the proper dress attire used by businessmen in public. Female employees wear dresses or slacks to work. Formal dresses are also used by Japanese women during holidays and special occasions.

The younger generation of Japanese people like the fashion used by Americans and Europeans. Other western customs such as sports, going to movie theaters, and a passion for automobiles are similar in both Japanese and American culture. There are traditional Japanese attire that are used by the people of Japan on special holidays. The wafuku is a style of clothing that is used for special events. The kimomo is traditional Japanese clothing used by women. When pointing to a person it should be done with the entire hand instead of a single finger.

In Japan people refer to themselves by pointing a finger at their nose. Laughing in Japan is not solely a symbol of enjoyment; it could also represent embarrassment by the person. Chewing gum in public is considered an unacceptable act. Due to the differences in culture is imperative for you to review this memo in order to learn the basics about the Japanese culture. Japanese people are very discipline and they take business matters very seriously. It shows respect having good working knowledge about their customs and culture.

Due to importance of the contract negotiations you must do your best to blend in the corporate Japanese environment. Make sure to be polite at all times. Making a good impression will go a long ways towards securing the contract for the company. References CultureGrams (2011). Japan. Retrieved July 14, 2011 from CultureGrams database. Japan-guide.com (2011). Tokyo. Retrieved July 13, 2011 from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html Usembassy.gov (2011). Embassy of the United States Tokyo Japan.

Retrieved July 13, 2011 from http://japan.usembassy.gov/contact.html Xe.com (2011). US Dollar to Yen Conversion. Retrieved July 13, 2011 from http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=JPY