Your counterpart smiled and nodded throughout the meeting. Two weeks later, you received a polite decline.
You sent a follow-up email. Then another. The silence is hard to read — is the deal still alive, or is it already over?
They said they would "consider it." That was a month ago. You're not sure whether to push, wait, or walk away.
You thought the relationship was solid. Then you found out they signed with someone else.
Sound familiar?
None of this is a language problem.
It's what happens when you enter the Japanese business environment without understanding how it actually works.
What you will be able to do
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Read the decision-making signals of Japanese counterparts with accuracy
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Build relationships with confidence — in the meeting room and beyond it
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Prevent the cultural miscommunications that quietly kill deals
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Enter the Japanese market with a clear, actionable strategy from Day 1
The Japan Business Readiness Program is a 7-session intensive designed for business professionals preparing to build partnerships, lead negotiations, and develop long-term relationships in Japan.
We don't teach Japanese. We decode the logic behind it — the decision-making structures, the meaning of silence, the dynamics that play out long after the meeting ends. Once you understand how the system works, your entire approach to the Japanese market changes.
When you understand
the system, everything changes.
Seven Sessions.
One Objective.
Every session is built around your industry, your role, and your specific objectives in Japan. This is not a generic curriculum — it is preparation designed around your deal.
Define Your Objectives
The first session is not a lecture. It's a strategic conversation. We map your industry, your counterpart's organizational structure, and the phase of your negotiation — then design the remaining six sessions around your specific goals.Establish Credibility Immediately
A business card exchange in Japan is not a formality. It's your first opportunity to read the power structure in the room. We design your first ten minutes strategically — from the card ritual to a self-introduction calibrated to your industry and role.Read the Room Accurately
Why does your counterpart say very little in meetings? Why does "yes" not always mean agreement? Why does a decision that seemed imminent suddenly stall? We break down the decision-making architecture so you can read progress, not just presence.Where Real Relationships Are Built
Trust in Japan is built outside the meeting room. We cover the full protocol of business dinners and informal settings — seating, conversation, the role of alcohol, and the social dynamics that determine whether a business relationship deepens or stalls.Build Trust That Lasts
Your Japanese partners are evaluating far more than your product. Reporting frequency, response speed, the weight of a commitment — we break down the value system behind Japanese business culture so you can meet expectations before they are ever spoken.Move Through Japan With Confidence
Fluency is not the goal. Autonomy is. A working command of essential Japanese expressions for transport, dining, and hotel interactions means you arrive focused — not exhausted by logistical friction.Integrated Rehearsal Before the Real Thing
Using the scenario designed in Session 1, we run a full simulation of your first meeting and networking dinner. You receive detailed feedback on your communication patterns and leave with a personal action plan ready for Day 1 in Japan.
The first session is not a lecture. It's a strategic conversation. We map your industry, your counterpart's organizational structure, and the phase of your negotiation — then design the remaining six sessions around your specific goals.
This is not for you
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You are traveling to Japan for personal or tourism purposes
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You are looking to learn to read or write Japanese
For Japanese language instruction, please visit the main Sakura Japanese Workshop programs.
This is for you
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You are preparing for a business trip or relocation to Japan and need to perform from Day 1
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You are responsible for partnership development, sales, or relationship management with Japanese companies
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You have been assigned to Japan and need to build trust with a local team quickly
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You work in manufacturing, trading, technology, consulting, or any B2B sector with Japanese market exposure
This program is designed
for you if…
YOUR ADVISOR
Kenya Irie
FOUNDER, SAKURA JAPANESE WORKSHOP
JAPAN–EUROPE MARKETING & GROWTH STRATEGIST
Kenya Irie is a Japan–Europe business strategist and educator with over 20 years of cross-cultural professional experience across Oceania, Japan, and Europe.
Having worked in international marketing and organizational environments, he specializes in translating the structural logic behind Japanese business practices for global leaders — making the invisible visible, and the complex actionable.
Through Sakura Japanese Workshop, he supports executives preparing to build partnerships and lead effectively in Japan — not merely by teaching language, but by decoding the systems behind it.
New Zealand Tourism Board
Air New Zealand
ESET
Air Asia
InterContinental Hotels
Let's talk first.
Tell us when you're heading to Japan, who you'll be meeting, and what you're trying to achieve. In 30 minutes, we'll tell you exactly how we can help — and whether this program is the right fit for you. No obligation. No sales pitch.
Koediefstraat 5, 2511CG Den Haag, THE Netherlands
faqs
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. All sessions are conducted in English. Japanese expressions are introduced and explained in context where relevant, always with full English explanation.
Yes. All sessions are delivered online. We work with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or whichever platform you prefer.
Customization is built into the program from Session 1. Whether you work in manufacturing, technology, financial services, or professional services, the content is shaped around your sector, your counterparts, and your goals.
Customization is built into the program from Session 1. Whether you work in manufacturing, technology, financial services, or professional services, the content is shaped around your sector, your counterparts, and your goals.
Yes, group and team formats are available. Whether you are preparing a delegation or an entire team for Japan, we can design a program to fit your structure and objectives. Please reach out to discuss.