Lesson 91

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Insei o shiku”.

It means that the president keeps on seizing the real power even after retirement.

 

This vocabulary originally comes from Shirakawa emperor who kept on holding the real power after his retirement because his successor was still 8 years old. 

 

It is often heard that in some medium-small enterprises the founder keeps on hold the real power even after his retirement.

 

I think that we should choose 2nd life instead if insisting on the current position before we are called “old farts”.

Lesson 90

Friday, June 16th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Company with nominating committee etc.”

 

This word can be heard recently.

So far, all of the directors are elected from company’s employees.  However, all of the directors worked under the supervision of president and chairman previously.  Therefore, it is difficult for them to make objections against them even they make wrong decisions.

This is not the ideal style of management obviously.

 

Thus, idea to differentiate management from execution was introduced in Japan and some companies started to committee which nominate board of directors.  And the more than half of the “Nominating committee” members has to be occupied by Outside Directors.

 

But, the ratio who introduced “Nominating committee” is still less than 10% in Japan.

Japan is still on the half way.

Lesson 89

Friday, June 9th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Soroban-Kanjyou”.

 

“Soroban” is the old and traditional calculator used in Japan for a long time.

“Soroban-Kanjyou” is used as “Calculating Profit/Loss” in good sense.

However, it is sometimes used as “Thinking about one’s own profit” in a bad manner.

 

For your reference, “Donburi-Kanjyou” means “To be not good at Soroban-Kanjyou” because “Donburi” is a big bowl used for eating soba and udon noodle and it means calculation is not accurate.

Lesson 88

Friday, June 2nd, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Nai-Naitei”.

 

It is June 2 today. I think that a lot of companies offer “Nai-Naitei” since yesterday.

Western firms express their will to hire somebody by issuing “Offer Letter”.

However, Japanese companies verbally communicate their will to hire before issuing “Naitei Tsuuchisho (Offer Letter) on Oct 1.

This is so called “Nai-Naitei” and is Japanese specific business practice

 

“Nai-Naitei” is done verbally and if companies cancel it they are not to be blamed.

Some of the university students obtain more than 2 “Nai-Naitei”.

 

I hope that many students get the job from the best fit company.

 

Lesson 87

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Habatsu (faction)”.

 

”Habatsu” is often used in politics, but is also used in business world. 

Especially, in the old type of companies the people tend to form “Habatsu” such as “Shachou-ha (President faction)” and “Fuku-shachou-ha (Vice president faction)”.

People polish the apple (“Goma o suru”) to the top of his faction and drag down (“Ashi o hipparu”) the other faction.

We should do our job for the market, not for our boss.

 

For your reference, we have “Gakubatsu (academic clique)” in addition to “Habatsu”.

Everyone wants to climb up the corporate ladder by using any connection.

Lesson 86

Thursday, May 18th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Hiya-meshi o kuu”, literally meaning “To eat cold rice”.

 

This word originally comes from “Cold rice at prison” and actually means “to be treated badly at company” or “to be demoted”.

 

Several years ago the LDP politician, Taro Kono, said that I will do “Zoukin-gake (To clean-up the room)” after losing at prime minister election.

“Zoukin-gake” is similar word with “Hiya-meshi o kuu”, but have positive nuance because he mean that he will start from the beginning.

Lesson 85

Wednesday, May 10th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Kata-tataki”.  It literally means “Hitting employee’s shoulder”

In fact, managers silently hit employees’ shoulder from the back, call the meeting room, and do the retirement advice.

 

Recently, “Kata-tataki” is widely done in the giant IT firms in the USA.

In Japan “Kata-tataki” was done at hotel industry and restaurant industry during Corona period.

And not enough employees have come back even after Corona finished.  Therefore, hotels and restaurants can not accept all customers because of not enough employees.

 

Companies have to increase the severance pay or take care of reemployment in case of “Kata-tataki”.  Otherwise, there is a chance to be sued by the employees.  “Kata-tataki” has to done softly like grandchildren do “Kata-tataki” to their grandmother.

Lesson 84

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Sode no Shita”.

It is literally “Under the sleeves”, meaning “Bribes”or  “Under the table”

In the past Japanese people wore Kimono and hide Bribery under the Kimono sleeves.

 

The other day some companies’ top management were arrested because they passed bribery to the Tokyo Olympic committee chairman.

It is clearly the worst end of life after climbing up the corporate ladder.

Lesson 83

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Kamiza / Shimoza”.

 

Because one of the Japanese style management features is Seniority system, we apply “Seniority system” in every business scene.

Who should sit which seat in the meetings and restaurants.

Basically, senior person should sit in the most far seat from the entrance and the most junior person should sit on the most near seat from the entrance.

 

Why?

That is because the most junior person should do the miscellaneous jobs, it is more convenient for them to sit next to the door to call the waitors/waitresses.

 

There are “Kamiza/Shimoza” when you take a taxi and ride on the elevators.  Please, be careful.

Lesson 82

Wednesday, April 12th, 2023

Today’s Business Japanese is “Kigyou-betsu Kumiai”, meaning “Union by firm”

 

I listed up “Lifetime Employment” and “Seniority System” as Japanese Style Management System.

Another feature is “Kigyou-betsu Kumiai”.

While labor unions are formed by industry in the Western countries, they are created by company in Japan.

 

Then, why did “KIgyou-betsu Kumiai” become a factor to develop Japanese economy?

That is because their most important objective is to keep the company alive, which leads to keeping the employment of workers.

Therefore, they have not requested too much demand to the company management.

Thus, companies could grow their business without meeting too much demand by the unions.

 

As a matter of fact, union leaders tend to be promoted in many Japanese companies.

Why?

 

Because they understand both company situations and workers’ requests and persuaded the workers. 

Those who have good sense of balance between companies and workers are well evaluated in Japan.




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