the American way of give-and-take when at the negotiating table. The surprises and open displays of power that are often integral parts of adversarial proceedings in [America] are not tolerated in Japanese society (Ibid. p.223). A main difference in the American and Japanese negotiation styles is that of the American “John Wayne” way of negotiation. Americans often feel that four or six Japanese negotiators against one American is no big deal. This is partly due to the American idea that less people means less money sent. This is not a wise approach, you do not want to be outnumbered and especially not alone when negotiating with the Japanese. Think about how much closer you could pay attention to the person talking if you did not have to continuously think ahead to the next question. Japanese often have a great advantage in these situations because they are rarely outnumbered when doing business with Americans. The Japanese negotiating style is one of the most distinctive styles in the world. The typical Japanese negotiating manner is characterized by intuition, indirectness, disguising or suppressing real feelings, persistence, avoidance of self praise, and diligent information-gathering about the other side’s needs and intentions. The historical and cultural roots of the Japanese style run much deeper than those of the American style (Ibid. p.228). A major reason that Japan has a different negotiating style is do to its natural environment. There are three major environmental factors that are important when looking at its negotiation style and the reason it is the way it is. First, cooperation is essential in Japan du to its isolation and mountainous geography. Second, obedience and cooperation are extremely essential because Japan I one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Finally, the Japanese philosophy that the importance of the group takes precedence over that of the individual ca...
