Sakura (cherry blossoms) are a symbolic part of Japanese culture signifying transience in life. They are celebrated annually in hanami flower-viewing festivals and were painted on kamikaze planes in WWII. The Japanese language uses honorifics that are important in conversations. Traditional hot pots are enjoyed in winter and bring people together. Kimonos signify status and are worn for special occasions. Manga comics and anime animation grew out of manga and led to devoted fans. Japanese organizations value group harmony over individual needs and decisions are made through consensus. Hofstede's framework shows Japan scores high in masculinity and uncertainty avoidance with a long-term orientation.

1. Studying the culture of Japan
Highlights
Section A Group 6
Abhay Sharm 1A
Anirudh Shrivastava 9A
Devansh Doshi 16A
Manasi Jain 23A
Sachin Gupta 42A
Vidooshi Joshi 55A

2. Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
• Signify “transience in life”
• Hanami
• A thousand year old tradition
• Yearly flower-viewing festival
• Celebrated by feasts under the
blooming cherry blossom trees
• Also signify nationalism and
patriotism
• A fallen cherry blossom
symbolizes a samurai who
sacrificed his life for the
emperor
• Were also painted on
Kamikaze warplanes in World
War II
• In 1912, Japan gave more than
3,000 cherry-blossom trees to the
United States as a gift to honor the
growing bond between the two
countries
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)

4. Language - Nihongo
• Japanese is the official language for
many (usually smaller) businesses even
today
• Honorifics form an important part of a
Japanese conversation
• They are used everywhere from
households to schools to professional
scenarios with each setting demanding
for a different tone and honorific for the
same or different person
• It is important to use the right suffixes
else you might end up being
disrespectful
• As important as the honorifics are in
themselves, the delivery – tone and
emphasis are equally important
• Using the wrong honorific, or the right
honorific in the wrong way, can result in
anything from simple disdain to (in
feudal times, at least) clan warfare!

5. Food – The Hot pot
• Deeply ingrained in the Japanese
culture
• Enjoyed specially in the winters
• Keeps the body warm and is quite
easy to make
• But the best part of these hot pots is
that it brings people together
• Whether you are having it with
family, friends or colleagues, you
need to work together around the
single pot throughout the meal – an
inherent lesson of Organization
Behavior
• Another socializing spot are the
Oden stalls seen from late nights
to early mornings in winters
providing hot food and alcohol to
hungry passers-by
Food – The Hot Pot

6. Clothing – The kimono
• Japanese for 'clothing' originally
• Different colors were used to signify
political class, roles, etc.
• Several different types of Kimono carry
a significance and symbolism of their
own (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-
tmPhDrBQYUs/UUY36T7TIUI/AAAAA
AAAAWw/KhPc1Se6L84/s1600/kimon
o+styles.jpg)
• One of the most significant parts of a
kimono is Obi
• The height at which it is tied signifies
the marital status of a woman
• Original purpose is to conceal feminine
parts
• Today, they are reserved for special
occasions such as weddings, funerals,
tea ceremonies or summer festivals
• One rare use of kimonos today is by
Escorts and Prostitutes in high-end
parlours run by Japanese gangsters
called yakuza.
Dress – The Kimono

7. • Roughly translates to “whimsical
pictures”
• Comics written in Japanese style
which originated in late 19th century
• Form 25% of sales of print industry in
Japan
• Meant for all types and ages – its a
phenomenon which has caught the
fantasy of many across the world
• The drawings are typically defined by
the peculiar characters and their
exaggerated emotions
• An important link of the world to
Japanese culture and history
Art - Mangas

8. • Japanese animation
• Generally derives the story from
mangas
• Started off in early 20th century
• Led to making of “Otakus” - a
derogatory term used for people who
follow mangas and anime diligently
Art - Anime

9. Japanese Organizations
• Is wrongly perceived as the biggest obstacle to
starting business in Japan for many foreign
companies thinking of entering the Japanese market
• Politeness is their biggest virtue – and also the
most annoying one
• Typically, the organizations are hierarchy-based
which is decided on the basis of seniority
• Lot of significance is on the appearance than the
reality
• Ring-sei or collective decision making is a practice
followed across organizations
• Consultative memorandums are circulated around the
company for consensus
• But, due to the hierarchy, most decisions are finally
made by one individual
• Traditionally, the Japanese place great importance on
the concept of wa, or group harmony.
• The value of the common greater good is more
important than valuing one's own needs
• This principle is applied in schools, as well as
social groups and, later in life, the workplaceThe Organization

10. Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory
• A framework for cross-cultural communication
• Developed by Geert Hofstede
• It describes the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members,
and how these values relate to behavior
• Widely used in several fields as a paradigm for research
 cross-cultural psychology
 international management
 cross-cultural communication
• Important for determining how values in a culture reflect the organizational
behaviour

11. Japan’s Dimensions

12. Power distance Index (PDI)
• Expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and
expect that power is distributed unequally
• Attitude towards hierarchy
• At a score of 54, Japan is a mildly hierarchical society
• Japanese are always conscious of their hierarchical position in any organzational
setting and act accordingly
• Japan has always been a meritocratic society

13. Individualism (IDV)
• The high side of this dimension can be defined as a preference for a loosely-knit
social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and
their immediate families only
• Its opposite, Collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit framework in
society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-
group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty
• In simple terms: “I” or “we”
• Japan scores 46 on the Individualism dimension.
• Putting harmony of group above the expression of individual opinions and people
have a strong sense of shame for losing face shows their collectivistic side
• Japanese are famous for their loyalty to their companies, that explains their
individualistic side

14. Masculinity / Femininity (MAS)
• The masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for
achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material reward for success
• A high score of 95 indicates that the society will be driven by competition,
achievement and success, with success being defined by the best in field
• With some mild collectivism, Japanese display sever competition in groups
• Also displayed by drive for excellence and perfection in their material production
and in material services and presentation in every aspect of life
• Still hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their
masculine norm of hard and long working hours

15. Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)
• It expresses the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with
uncertainty and ambiguity
• At 92 Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries on earth.
• One could say that in Japan anything you do is prescribed for maximum
predictability
• In corporate Japan, a lot of time and effort is put into feasibility studies and all the
risk factors must be worked out before any project can start
• Managers ask for all the detailed facts and figures before taking any decision
• This high need for uncertainty avoidance is one of the reasons why changes are
so difficult to realize in Japan.

16. Long-term versus short-term orientation (LTO)
• The extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather
than a conventional historical short-term point of view
• At 80, Japan scores as one of the long term oriented societies
• In corporate Japan, there is a constantly high rate of investment in R&D even in
economically difficult times, priority to steady growth of market share rather than to
a quarterly profit, and so on

17. Comparison between India and Japan

18. • Indians give a lot of
importance to
hierarchies than
Japanese people
• In Japan,
paradoxically, there
is no one top
person who can
take the decision
• In India, there is
always a wait for
approval from the
higher authorities
Power Distance Index (PDI) Individualism (IDV)
• Both show mild
collectivism
• Both believe there is
a need to belong to
a larger group
• While Japan
believes in
meritocracy, in India
hiring and promotion
decisions are often
made based on
relationships

19. • Higher score by
Japan indicates that
it is a far more
competitive society
than India
• Japanese
workaholics is an
expression of their
masculinity
• India is actually
very masculine in
terms of visual
display of success
and power
Masculinity / Femininity (MAS) Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)
• Indian are more
tolerant towards
uncertainty that
Japanese
• Indians are more
tolerant towards
imperfection than
Japanese
• While Japanese
focus more towards
feasibility analysis,
Indians focus more
on adjustment

20. • Higher score by
Japan indicates that
it is a far more far
sighted society than
India
• Both countries
believe in fatalism
• The concept of
Karma dominates
ideologies
Long-term versus short-term orientation (LTO)

21. Domo Arigatou (Thank you)