Today’s Business Japanese is “Kabunushi-Yuutai (Shareholder incentive)”

This program is done inly in Japan.

Many Japanese companies offer some incentives such as discount/free coupon of own products/services to the shareholders twice a year.

For example, Japanese airlines companies such as JAL and ANA offer 50% discount coupon to their shareholders who own over certain number of stocks.

“Kabunushi-Yuutai” was generated from Japanese seasonal customs such as “O-seibo” and O-chuugen”.

“O-Seibo” and “O-Chuugen” is the seasonal presents to those who take care of me.

Thus, Japanese companies started to send seasonal incentives, instead of “O-Chuugen” and “O-Seibo” to their shareholders in June and December, usually.

In addition to it, Japanese shareholders tend to keep stocks in long term to support and cheer for the firms, instead of aiming short-term stock price increase.  I think that such shareholders’ behaviors also fit to “Kabunushi-Yuutai”.

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”.

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.

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.

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.