A guide to doing export business in Japan
Be prepared ... important cultural and language difficulties. This may seem obvious but some businessmen try
to get by ... Japan ... hiring a good interpreter who can also explain Japanese traditions and customs.
Trade ... personal contact ... a senior level. This is more important that trading ... price.
Patience pays dividends. It may take several visits before an order comes....
Quote ... local currency.
Emphasise your product's country ... origin.
Offer gifts. However, it is not the value ... the gift, but the fact it is a present... you that counts.
Exercises in Comprehension
Ex.1. Answer the following questions:
What should a businessman know before starting business abroad?
In which country is it not recommended to discuss business over dinner?
In what countries will you never make written contracts?
Where do they change written contracts as conditions do?
What is considered polite in the USA?
What behaviour is usual in Japan and Korea?
In which country do they avoid saying "no" directly?
You shouldn't bring liquour to an Arab house. Why?
What gifts are not acceptable in China?
Should you not criticize royalty in Great Britain?
In which country should you shake lands?
Is the custom of giving tips still common in many countries?
When do you tip and how much?
Ex.2. Put these statements about customs and culture into
the correct order.
Clock/bad/a/is/symbol/of/a/luck. (China)
Directly/"no"/avoid/they/saying. (Japan)
never/business/must/you/discuss/dinner/over. (France)
Luckiest/is/the/number/eight. (China)
Responsibility/managers/to/expected/are/full/take. (Saudi Arabia)
Always/taught/have/not/been/business/do/to/anyone/but/with/friends/ they. (Mexico)
Business/do/they/quickly/as/possible/as. (Britain)
You/if/shake/fail/hands/to/may/considered/be/rude/you. (France)
Take/they/queues/seriously/very/never/and/ jump/line/in. (Britain)
Make/people/clear/a/distinction/personalfaetween/business/and/ relationships. (Germany)
Titles/required/job/are/generally/talking/to/when/colleagues/business. (Mexico)
Ex.3. Are the statements in exercise 2 true for Ukraine? Write similar sentences about customs in Ukraine, using the following topics:
parties
business
lucky numbers or objects
politeness
Ex.4. Compare the customs in the text with those in Ukraine.
What are the differences and what are the similarities?
G rammar Revision The Participle
2. Participles can be used like:
a) verb forms. Participles are used with the auxiliary verbs "be" and "have" to make progressive, perfect and passive verb forms.
He was answering questions when I came in. He has forgotten my name. You'll be informed soon.
b) adjectives
Your offer seems exciting. The office window is broken.
c) adverbs
The secretary ran screaming out of the house.
d) clauses
Having spent all his money, he asked father to help him. Being unable to help, we gave him some money.
3. The structure object + participle (clause) is used after verbs of sensation (e.g. see, hear, feel, watch, notice, smell) and some other verbs (e.g. find, get, have, make)
I saw your secretary sending a fax to our business partner. I found him speaking to a customer.
You ought to get your car repaired.
Ex.1. Insert Participle I of the verbs in brackets.
We spent about an hour (take) our papers to the office.
Generally (speak), this problem is rather difficult.
(Work) a year in Germany he returned to Ukraine.
He sat in his arm-chair (smoke) a cigarette.
Our new manager is a young man (wear) glasses.
The Japanese businessman bowed low and (take) my hand kissed it.
(Say) this, he left the room.
(Be) busy, he postponed his trip to Italy.
I stood (watch) the people who were entering the office.
He went to work, (leave) the letter on the dressing-table.
The conference (take) place at the university is devoted to the problems of green tourism.
While (wait) for you I have translated this article.
Ex.2. Insert Participle II of the verbs in brackets.
She entered the room (accompany) by her superiors.
My boss looked (worry).
The letter will lose its importance if (not deliver) immediately.
(Press) for time, he couldn't even phone his wife.
She will certainly help if (ask).
When (invite) he always takes part in our discussions.
The problems (discuss) were of great importance.
Those (interview) will start training next week.
The (lose) document was found.
The secretary didn't even look at me as though too (occupy) with what she was writing.
11.1 am going to have my car (repair) next week.
In Turkey your coat should be (button) when you are with superiors.
Don't expect (write) contracts in most Moslem countries.
Ex.3. Insert Participle I or Participle II of the verbs in brackets.
When (pay) by cheque, you must show a bank card.
(Know) that he was in trouble, I offered to help him.
(Find) nobody in the office, I left.
(Write) in very bad handwriting, the message was difficult to read.
Time (permit), we shall stay for a few days in London.
The solution (adopt) was welcomed by our manager.
All things (consider), there is little hope of his arrival.
I was driving a car (lend) me by my close friend.
The necessary sum of money (save up), I could buy a new computer.
We found her (work) in the office. 11.1 heard them (argue) again.
(Hope) to find the lost letter, he searched everywhere.
(Think) he had made a mistake somewhere, the accountant went through his calculations again.
When (ask) to help them she refused without hesitating.