Moving to a new home is not a simple process. This is especially the case when you are moving to another country. Even more so if the said country has a different cultural system than yours. This is generally the case for people moving from Europe or the Americas to Japan. Going through such a move can be challenging even if you hire a great moving company, especially when you realize that you have to get to know a whole new lifestyle that varies a lot from what you are used to. This is the case in every section of the life that is waiting for you. Now, some areas of life are more important than others, and your job is one of those. Getting to know the corporate side of Japan is thus super important. Luckily for you, we have prepared a guide on its crucial elements.

The corporate side of Japan is all about the dedication

The most important thing about the business segment of Japan’s society is that they value dedication above all. And that is actually true across the society, not just in regards to business. Dedication to yourself, dedication to your work and dedication to your company’s collective. Every worker matters and every worker is a part of the whole in any Japanese company. What they cherish the most is that you do not give up because people are counting on you not to give up. You may fail, but as long as you push on, they will respect you. For them to achieve the best possible score right away, while it is the ideal scenario, is not something that they will expect from you right away.

What they will expect is that you do not give up. Keep trying to do whatever you are doing. Mistakes will happen, you will fail, but if you give up, that is when you have lost. If you do your best and give everything you can to make it on your own, then ask for help. After all, only through our mistakes do we actually improve ourselves and evolve. That is why the trial and error system of doing your job is the go-to system in Japan. This is “giving up” attitude is something that the Japanese people are famous for. Adopting this even in your everyday life is a great idea, whether we are talking about your job or you practicing on your freshly-shipped piano.

Embrace HORENSO

The differences between Western society and the one in Japan are many. One of the most important ones is how they distribute roles, in this case, within their companies. Roles in Japanese companies are as specific and detailed as they are in the West. Here, the work is done in a more direct and organic way. The system insists on trust, willing contribution and sharing the space. The information between colleagues is distributed in a more natural way, through more direct contact instead of through technological means. The acronym HORENSO contains 3 elements: Hokoku, Renraku, and Sodan. These three are the key to smooth communication and cooperation.

• Hokoku– This element represents the skill of communicating on your success with your projects. The idea is that through sharing your progress including successes and failures you are contributing to the team. Helping each other with your tips and advice is the goal here. You can share the positive things you discovered, but also receive a valuable tip from a colleague on something you are unsure of.
• Renraku– Renraku overlaps with Hokoku in a sense that Hokoku is more about sharing your progress and getting comments on it, while Renraku is about sharing things that matter on a more personal scale. So, things like anecdotes and interesting stories that you have experienced or you know of.
• Sodan– This one is for the situations when you actually need help. Remember what we mentioned about not giving up and doing your best? When you reach that level and it is still not enough, then it is time to ask for help. Share the problem with your superiors and try to find the solution together. For instance, if you are moving to Japan and you have problems managing your exhibition cargo Japan, then you may want to ask for help. 

The “Gemba” concept

Another important element that is really important on the corporate side of Japan is the “Gemba” concept. It is a term that generally means “actual place”. It can also mean the place where work is being done or made. What it relates to is actually quite a simple yet super effective idea. By honoring the idea behind Gemba, you would simply go to the very location where the work is supposed to be happening. Gemba aims at going to the actual epicenter of events and seeing it first hand. By going there you can see what the task you have is exactly about and all its details. By staying at the office when you have the chance to experience the task from a practical perspective, you would lose a lot of your experience and it would make it hard to fully answer all the questions the task may ask.

This will enable you to gather all the information you may need. In turn, this would lead to making the most informed decisions. Furthermore, by taking initiative and going to the field, you would be sending a clear sign throughout your area of the corporate side of Japan that you are a man of action. For instance, as you plan your move, do not call your movers to ask about exhibition cargo Japan options. Instead, go to their headquarters and ask everything in person. This was you will likely find out all the important things you need to ask. Plus, you get to meet people you may cooperating with soon enough.