Many people on both sides of the negotiating table would agree that business negotiations between Japanese and foreign companies involve significant complexities. But that alone hardly constitutes a solid foundation for any type of successful negotiation. Aside from the most obvious barrier of language, there are many other pitfalls with roots in the differing concepts of how business is conducted and relationships are nurtured. The fact is, however, that not everyone in Japan thinks or acts alike and, when one asks people about their own experiences, everyone has a different story. Sometimes, two similar stories will have contradictory conclusions.
Generalizations are therefore dangerous.
On the other hand, an awareness of certain facts and trends helps in the initial stages of negotiations. A first example of a potential problem area is the particular nature of business relationships in Japan. These generally are more structured than in many other countries, especially in the West, and the dividing line between business and personal relationships is drawn much less clearly. Then, there is the matter of trust, a state that comes about as a result of effective communications. This is partly related to language, not just as a simple tool, but also as something which conveys the concepts behind words.