by Luis Kotze:
It was really a dream come true when I visited Japan for the first time, many years ago. But of all the wonderful things I experienced in Japan during that time, working for a newspaper in Tokyo was right at the top of my list of WOW things! This was a chance for me to see one of the world’s most developed countries with a wide array in technology and trading. Different sectors include Information Technology, Banking, Automotive, Engineering, Retail, Communications and Electronics. Here some of the world’s biggest companies and industries originated; big names such as Toyota, Suzuki, Mazda, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Kia, Daihatsu, Isuzu, Yamaha, Sony, Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Hitachi, Bridgestone and Kenwood Electronics. I had the privilege of visiting Toyota Motors – the largest company in Japan with a total revenue of 235 billion dollars – during my internship in Tokyo, and interviewing two of their managers about their exports to South Africa.
At this point, I was studying journalism at the University of Port
Elizabeth (now NMMU) in South Africa to become a journalist. I did
several internships during my honors degree, all over South Africa, but I
managed to land an internship in Tokyo, Japan, at an English evening
newspaper called The Asahi Evening News! Not only was I about
to discover the culture and language of Japan, something I knew very
little about, but I was also going to get first-hand experience of the
ins and outs of the newspaper world in Tokyo, and I was going to see
places in the city I would never see otherwise. I could not wait to get
started!
Then the day finally arrived. It was 5 o’ clock in the morning when
my alarm went off. I got out of bed, and put on the kettle to make
myself a strong cup of coffee or kohii as the Japanese say. Full of enthusiasm, I got ready for my first day of a two-month internship at the The Asahi Evening News.
About an hour later, I got on my bicycle, backpack on my back with
everything I needed for the day, and off I went. It was already light
outside as I cycled to the train station for the next part of my journey
to the newspaper. I soon found the parking lot for my bicycle, where
thousands of bicycles are parked every day – truly a sight to behold.
Then I grabbed the train, or Yamanote Line, which is a train that goes
around Tokyo and stops at every station. After about 20 minutes, I got
off and tackled the last ten minutes of my journey to the newspaper on
foot.
On my way to the office, I noticed that many advertisements alongside
the road had celebrities in them. I later learned that the Japanese are
absolute crazy about celebrities in ads. I still remember one coffee ad
with Brad Pitt where he ran up a hill, shouted something in Japanese,
and then drank a cup of coffee!
When I finally arrived, I was greeted by the editor and staff of the
newspaper. After a few thorough introductions, they showed me that I can
have breakfast there; either in the form of a Western breakfast,
consisting of two buns, some jam and butter, or a proper Japanese
breakfast with many wonderful and delicious surprises! Of course, I
choose the Japanese breakfast, and so finally my journey at the
newspaper started.
My first official interview for the newspaper was with two managers
for Toyota Motors about their exports to South Africa. This was quite
daunting, as everything was really formal and I had to know all the
etiquette rules beforehand. I had my own business card, or meeshi
in Japanese even though I was an intern! This is how important business
cards are to the Japanese. I learned early on to always have a
business card with me when I went for interviews; and it is always good
to have one with you in Japan, whether you are a business person,
journalist or entrepreneur.
Another lesson I learned before my interview was that the Japanese do
not shake hands traditionally like we do in South Africa (even though
these days you do see that). Rather, they bow when greeting others.
Also, the more important a person is in Japan, the lower you bow. It
became a habit of mine to bow to people there. It eventually forms part
of your daily routine. I even bowed to greet people back in South
Africa, long after my visit to Japan – sometimes to the amusement of
others!
The last bit of advice my editor give to me before my interview was
this. Do not rush the Japanese. They take their time to make decisions
and normally make a decision as a group. So, be patient and you will get
your answers. This is good advice for anyone wanting to do business in
Japan.
Another place where you can see this in practice is in restaurants or
sushi bars. Many times when you are busy with a business deal, you talk
about it in a restaurant where people take their time, eat slowly,
think things over, and discuss it in a group. It may take a few hours
before a decision is made. This is just how the Japanese do business.
You have to earn their trust, relax with them, eat with them, and show
them that they can trust you and do business with you.
A few weeks later into my internship, I went to do an interview with
the owner of an African art gallery in Tokyo, and this turned out to
become my most exciting interview. After a bit of a detour to find the
place, I finally discovered the quaint little gallery, met the owner,
bowed, and swopped out business cards. We started to talk about his
gallery and about Africa. Here I was in a country thousands of
kilometers from home, in a African art gallery, and I felt like was
temporarily back home in South Africa. Art really is universal.
Then the owner told me he is also the director of an African film
festival, and I decided to do a preview for the festival for the
newspaper, which my boss back at the office later approved.
A few weeks later, I visited the art gallery again, and then
discovered something truly interesting! One of the movies in the
festival was a movie based on a German book which I did in German III at
university the year before, and the people from the festival did not
even know about the book! I therefore did an article for them on the
similarities and differences between the movie and the book, something
they really appreciated. It felt surreal that I could use information I
learned in German class in Japan! It truly is a small world.
After many stories, adventures and getting lost in Tokyo a number of
times, my final day at the newspaper finally arrived. I almost could not
believe it was over. As a gesture from the managers at the newspaper,
they invited me for drinks that evening to say goodbye and wish me well
on my journey ahead. I have to be honest with you, there are few places
in the world where people are as kind, friendly and warm than in Japan.
It reminded to be the same towards others.
Anyway, that evening I sat down with the management of the newspaper
(yes, it was a little daunting), but after a beer and some laughs, I
started to relax. I thanked them for a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime
chance (even though my hair got a little greyer during my internship!)
to be part of such a wonderful team. One thing you can say about the
Japanese is this. They work very, very hard, but they relax just as
much! The Japanese workforce is well-known for their excellent work
ethics and high levels of productivity, and at the same time creating
excellent quality work. They have a long history of recovering from
historic events such as World War I and II, and always come out on top
despite facing frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes and
tsunamis. There are about 1 500 earthquakes in Japan every year. I
experienced a few of these myself, even one while I was in the office at
the newspaper on the ninth floor with the building shaking from side to
side. Luckily, in Japan the buildings are created to withstand
earthquakes.
A month or so later, I experienced another part of Japanese culture.
My father was invited to visit a work colleague of him. We went to their
house, and there we had to take off our shoes, and put on special
slippers to wear in the house. Other than the fact that this helps to
keep the house clean, it is also a symbol of respect. When you enter a
business person’s home to talk about a business deal, taking off your
shoes is also as sign that you enter the home, and the conversation,
with a clean, fresh mindset and that you have the utmost respect for the
person you are talking to.
We also took gifts for my father’s colleague and wife, as this is
another part of Japanese etiquette. You always have to take a gift when
someone invites you to their home in Japan, preferably wrapped as pretty
as possible. Also do not refuse any gift if offered to you, although
objecting at first is a sign of good practice. However, just be careful
not to tell your host how beautiful something in their home is, because
they might just offer it to you as a gift, which could get a little
awkward!
Working and living in Japan has really changed my life forever. I
have learned so much during my time there, and still apply all those
lessons, even today. As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, and regularly
meeting new people from other cultures and languages, I keep reminding
myself that there is always something I can learn from others, and to
always be kind, gentle and understanding.