The Importance Of Business Letters In Japanese Business

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Both Business letters and emails are commonly accepted ways of written communication in Japanese businesses. Written forms of communication should be to the point and clear to the reader. A concise, although friendly, message is the norm among the majority of written letters or emails.
When composing a letter in Japan, it is crucial to include the name of the sender and the business with which that person works with and place the recipient’s information on the opposite side of the paper. The use of Letters are always formal to show respect and emphasize this through the use of a salutation in the beginning such as “Dear Sir” (Tamiya King). Each letter should contain a salutation (and or a brief introduction), following with the body, and a
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Punctuality is one of the first features an audience will observe, and being punctual fosters praise from one’s job and future business, because relationships are being built. There is a large emphasis on time and to arrive early in Japan is to be on time. Being on time might be considered late by some and quite possibly even rude.
Japanese businesses usually employ exceptionally high context communication expectations. Use of nonverbal cues such as body language, as well as facial expressions, are heavily relied on in Japanese business culture. The Japanese take the tone and context of what is being said over the actual words being spoken. Bowing low to the members of the group is a sign of respect and is common in most settings besides presentations in Japan. Body space is employed with a great deal of room between the speaker and his or her audience unless sitting in which case the only room separating the two parties consist of the table
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During a meeting, the combination of proper posture and reformed attitude is expected. Criticism is rarely given during a presentation out of being polite, and one should never openly disagree with a presenter’s point. Saying the word “no” or the rejection of any offer is impolite and disrespectful. Body language facilitates relationships in business. This is how trust is built, as the audience looks for what one means through the use of kinesics instead of what one says. The overall combination between the use of kinesics, tone, bowing, lack of eye contact, context of words, and lack of objection all indicate successful tactics in navigating a meeting in

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