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Japanese politics: Foreign executives beware

16 Comments

I normally find Japanese politics quite dull. The parties change names, but it always seems to be the same gang of politicians sharing the spoils.

However, recent interactions with senior Japanese in business and politics showed me that engaging with politics is necessary — but also quite dangerous.

I recently spoke to members of the opposition parties, Ishinokai and Your Party. On economic issues, they said that they would win further support if Abenomics failed, but not if it succeeded. This struck me as strange. Abenomics clearly has winners and losers. But no one talked about redistribution, as a European left-leaning party might.

It was the political issues we discussed that grabbed my attention. The Ishinokai representative talked about how his party wanted to revisit a government apology for WWII (the Kono statement). The Your Party representative claimed that Japan doesn’t have classes and, therefore, is not faced with class warfare and left-right divisions. My sense was that the first speaker was trying to be even more revisionist than the government. The second speaker was spouting an obvious untruth. Wealth inequality is high and rising in Japan.

The Ishinokai statement was especially striking. The last time this party had made a similar comment about a year ago, its popularity plummeted. If they are raising the subject again as a vote winner, does that mean Japan’s centre has moved to the right? This is what some observers are saying. I tend to agree.

Ironically, the Liberal Democratic Party politician I spoke to was frank, responsible and articulate. Foreign executives need to beware. If you are in the public eye and you associate with politicians and businessmen making ever more revisionist statements, you run the risk of being seen as an apologist for war crimes. But if you speak out, you run the risk of being excluded from some important relationships with elite Japanese — being seen as anti-Japan.

How do you balance that? You could take the historical approach, but do you really have time to read through the thousands of books on the Nanjing Massacre, for example?

The stakes are high: one agenda-setting Western journalist told me that he believes denial of the comfort women issue is akin to Holocaust denial. Ouch! For most Western executives, the issues are hardly even comparable. Many Asian historical issues fail to make a visceral impression on foreign executives.

Executives will try to excuse themselves from the debate altogether. Always chasing increased profitability, they often tell themselves that politics is of no concern.

But in Japan, relationships count. Your corporate affiliation is key, but even more important is your own nature and quality. So your stance on something like the Nanjing massacre could actually impact your business. However much you may groan at being dragged into that ghastly, time-consuming and utterly bogged-down debate, you need to confront the fact that your statements on the topic will be taken as a powerful sign of whether you are “in” or “out”.

The problem is that pressure to speak out is rising. Even those business people reluctant to get engaged must have noticed that politics over the past 12 months has been a succession of anti-democratic blows to Japan’s body politic.

This more difficult political environment means senior foreign executives have to think all the harder about how they plan to engage with their elite Japanese peers.

But another issue comes to mind, namely, the low quality of the debate in Japan today. If foreign executives accept many of the statements emanating from right-wing circles to show their support for Japan, they are deluding themselves.

The problem is that there is no political party and intellectual opposition in Japan to counter the government’s claims. For example, nobody confronts Abe’s frequent assertion that he is the “pneumatic drill boring into the bedrock of vested interests”.

Abe, as a third-generation politico, is part of the vested interests himself. Abenomics is good for the elites and is based on ideas of “trickle down” wealth. GDP growth will be interpreted as success, just as it was in the West, pre-2008 (Lehman Shock).

Under those mental conditions, it’s hard to discuss the prejudice, rigidity, snobbishness and elitism in so many parts of Japanese society. That means clearly that the frequently professed aim of promoting entrepreneurialism and growth will miss its target by a long way.

One Japanese leader told me several months ago: “The age of the warrior has replaced the age of the merchant”.

Foreign executives are not warriors. They should not give the impression they are.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

16 Comments
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Whenever politics come up in my business, and it's fairly rare, I just politely opt out of it. It's never hurt me yet, or at least not at a noticeable level.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

But it will because u r a foriegner! H cannot escape the blame for anything and everything as u r a foriegner. Japanese pride is so high ofcourse everything is ur fault and u will be made an example of one way or another by the right wing nazis here - be warned the age of the warrior what does that mean to u? Idiots in control again of course. History has a habit of repeating itself. Let's hope not but Abe is third generation war government

0 ( +4 / -4 )

But it will because u r a foriegner!

That way of thinking is the surest way to ensure you will never succeed in this country. People have been saying much the same thing to me since I first stepped on to these shores nearly 20 years ago. And yet, I've managed to start two businesses here, supporting the lives and lifestyles of all the employees of said businesses, forming positive relationships with too many Japanese to count. If I were to believe the line that the Japanese will hate me because I'm a foreigner, I never would have gotten to where I am.

If you believe that the Japanese think you are inferior, you will only find Japanese that think you are inferior. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

The stakes are high: one agenda-setting Western journalist told me that he believes denial of the comfort women issue is akin to Holocaust denial. Ouch! For most Western executives, the issues are hardly even comparable.

Speak for yourself, Dan.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Speak for yourself, Dan.

As someone who lost family members in the Holocaust, I'll say no, Dan's right. The issues are not at all comparable.

But folks, in doing business anywhere - avoid politics as much as humanly possible, especially hot-button, emotional issues. You're going to alienate a lot of people inevitably.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The problem is that there is no political party and intellectual opposition in Japan to counter the government’s claims.

The article only mentions LDP, Your Party and Ishin. All of them are right to ultra-right wing. He should meet politicians of Democratic Party of Japan, Japan Communist Party, or Social Democratic Party to find a left wing politician.

StrangerlandOct. 22, 2014 - 08:35AM JST

Whenever politics come up in my business, and it's fairly rare, I just politely opt out of it.

That is the wise way. Most Japanese business men do the same. Business is busines. Politics is politics.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

But another issue comes to mind, namely, the low quality of the debate in Japan today.

THIS! Hot button issues it is best to absolutely NOT discuss with friends, co-workers, colleagues & especially not spouses! You do so at your own risk, I just find there are precious few Japanese where hot button issues can be discussed & not affect the relationship if there is disagreement!

Heck Japanese can get upset if you criticize Japan & they are in 100% agreement with you, sadly one has to hold back & avoid lots of topics in Japan.

Hell this is I bet one of the reasons so many of us VENT here on JT because the locals would NOT like to hear a lot of our opinions & still talk with us! I wish they could/would but alas......

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Strangerland's comment dealing with 'u r a foreigner ..' reminded me of the book called The Secret. Those you attract are often attracted to you due to your 'vibes' to use the vernacular.

Personally I like Japan and I like the Japanese, but I don't always feel that some of the things various politicians do are good for Japan's image abroad. I don't hesitate to tell my Japanese wife that, but I always try to speak in such a way that shows respect for the Japanese in general. Showing others respect usually is reciprocated. In any case, it works for me.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

As someone who lost family members in the Holocaust, I'll say no, Dan's right. The issues are not at all comparable.

Pnadabelle -- fair enough. And I say that Japan's continued attept to white-wash decades of organized sex-slavery makes them comparable. Besides, what in the world does it have to do with a business leader, which Dan claims to be, having success in Japan or not? The Delphi Network is simply a networking firm and this article is nothing but an "advetorial" for his firm. Anyone who wants to follow Dan's advice is free to do so, but consider the source.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

And I say that Japan's continued attept to white-wash decades of organized sex-slavery makes them comparable.

...and you are one person. Slater's comment was quoting another Western journalist who felt that "he believes denial of the comfort women issue is akin to Holocaust denial." Slater then adds his own comment that, "For most Western executives, the issues are hardly even comparable." Even if you happen to be an executive of a Western business, you are still only one such executive and Slater's comment would still be accurate.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Personally I like Japan and I like the Japanese, but I don't always feel that some of the things various politicians do are good for Japan's image abroad. I don't hesitate to tell my Japanese wife that, but I always try to speak in such a way that shows respect for the Japanese in general.

Really? I like some people but tend to hate "national" groups of all kinds.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Slater then adds his own comment that, "For most Western executives, the issues are hardly even comparable." Even if you happen to be an executive of a Western business, you are still only one such executive and Slater's comment would still be accurate.

Fadamor -- horse feathers. Slater is "only one such executive" who hardly has polled all of the Western buiness executives in Japan on this subject, nor has the right to speak for them. His opinion is no more valid than mine, yours, or the Western Journalist who made the original statement.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

In the words of Basil Fawlty: don't mention the war! Works for me.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Stranger land and Karllb I have lives for 25 years over and believe me if u success here it will lead u to trouble. Just a matter of time. And I was very successful in Japan having 5 shops and a very successful and profitable business. Japanese pride is so high it always leads to trouble. Jealousy is always a problem too as it is not your country. Don't believe me fine why are 6 generations Koreans in Japan not called Japanese? Ofcourse u can succeed here and I am grateful for that but u will always be a gaijin an outsider because u can't change who u r. Your children also are Gaijins. many Japanese are lovely people but there is also the other element here that is not normal perhaps as it has not mixed with the rest of the world as much as other western countries have done so. Or because it is an island and was isolated for thousands of years or from the history war etc or just simply because we are different. Nothing to do with being inferior quite the opposite actually ty.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Don't believe me fine why are 6 generations Koreans in Japan not called Japanese?

Because they refuse to nationalize. Plenty of naturalized Japanese out there, you know.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Stranger land and Karllb I have lives for 25 years over and believe me if u success here it will lead u to trouble.

Why would I believe you? I've been here almost as long as you, and I've been (fairly) successful, and it hasn't led me to any trouble.

Don't believe me fine why are 6 generations Koreans in Japan not called Japanese?

Because they self-identify as Koreans, and maintain their Korean nationality. Of ethnicity, citizenship, and culture, they are Korean by ethnicity and citizenship, and only Japanese by culture - and even that is still not exactly the same as the Japanese insofar as they also maintain a Korean culture.

Ofcourse u can succeed here and I am grateful for that but u will always be a gaijin an outsider because u can't change who u r.

It depends on the group you are talking about. We will definitely always be foreigners, and an outsider when it comes to the Japanese group. I'm ok with that, and I actually use that to my advantage by doing things differently than the Japanese would be obligated to. Our clients often appreciate that, because it means we can do things differently/quicker/more efficiently than an equivalent Japanese company would do.

But if you are talking about other groups, I'm in the in-group. In my off-time I have a couple of different hobbies, and I'm on the in-group when I'm with the groups I do these hobbies with.

And if you are talking about my company, I'm in the in-group. When my Japanese staff refers to me when speaking to people from other companies, I'm in-group, the Japanese people in the other companies are out-group. The people from the other company are the outsiders.

So your comment that we will always be an outsider isn't entirely correct. It's only correct when you are referring to being Japanese. And I'm ok with it in that situation.

Your children also are Gaijins.

People say that, but so far it's not something I've seen expressed towards either of my children. I imagine it will come at some point, and it's something I've even discussed with my older boy. But in my experience, it's not as prevalent as many would have you believe.

I can understand that you've had some frustrations and/or troubles while being in Japan. But don't make the mistake of believing that just because it's happened for you, means it will happen for everyone. There are plenty of successful foreigners in Japan who live here comfortably without any major issues.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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