Doing Business with the New Japan

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: I'm working in Silicon Valley for a company that deals regularly with the Japanese. Personally, I have lived and worked in Japan, so I am not completely new to the complex culture. Recently, I've been searching for a current book that addresses specifically problems that can arise and solutions to those problems in negotiations between Americans and Japanese. This book does just that.

The first portion of the book compares Japan and the US in cultural terms. Newcomers to Japan will find this section very useful. I enjoyed the section, as it allowed me to review material that I had learned through reading other books on Japan and through personal experiences. The second section, the Business of Face-to-Face Negotiation, was the reason I bought the book. It provides a detailed analysis of negotiating with the Japanese - who to send, what character traits are effective in dealing with Japanese, timing, process, etc. In addition, all of the information is supported by anecdotes of the authors, who all have long, impressive careers in working with Japan.

Overall, it think the book is excellent and would recommend it to anyone who negotiates with the Japanese - whether that person is a newcomer to the Japanese culture or a Japanophile.