Japanese Business Culture
Adeline Clerc
Japan is known and rightly for its strong and codified business culture, however this could be an issue to
trade with foreign country. In the Japanese business culture there is some uniqueness to do business, one of the
most powerful example if this culture of business is the “Keiretsu”. We can defined the “Keiretsu” as a business
network composed of manufacturers, supply chain partners, distributors and financiers who remain financially
independent but work closely together to ensure each other’s success. But in our days this idea of closed
borders has some limits and Japanese company should adopt more open and resilient strategy to evolve in the
actual business world.
Before World War II Japan launch a real protectionism strategy, this part of the Japan history could
explain why this country have some issues to trade fully with foreign country. However, some solutions could
allow on a long or mid term period to open more to the international trade market.
In Japan there are many small and medium companies more than one million, protecting this small
companies with government helps or regulation in order to allow them to grow more and to develop
themselves. Specially for the technology sector where the country is really efficient and provide quality
products. If those small industries are able to grow they would be able, on the long time, launch new products
and allow more exchange with others country.
For big companies, like Mitsubishi which have a lot of subsidiaries and evolved conglomerates are
typically the example of Zaibatsu. It means that most part of the big Japanese company are prominently family
centered and concerns. Those companies are really helpful for the Japanese business development, they had a
rapid international expansion and accumulate years after years a stable capital. This company are representative
