The WorldWeave Recommended Business Practices for Japan

Have a good product.

Learn the Japanese market.

Be serious about competing in Japan: people who are sent there should have a working knowledge of the country and the language.

Consider where your best opportunities are, and determine your timing.

Get help from a partner, learn everything you can from the U.S. Department of Commerce: Asian,The US Export/Import Bank, and JETRO.

Go to fairs, exhibitions and cultivate contacts.

Learn patience.

Plan for the long-term. Develop an institutional memory.

Use common sense: be courteous and observant.

Practice win-win thinking and planning.

Remember, you're in Japan to compete, not to tell the Japanese how they should be managing themselves.