Japan: Confessions of a former ambassador

Gustavo Ponce Lerou, the former Ambassador to Japan and author of El Moderno Samurai, will share some of his deep insight into Japanese culture with our readers.  His life in Japan includes a complete mastery of the language and a humble start.  He did not arrive as a diplomat, but instead worked his way up through the ranks quite slowly.  Twenty years in Japan left him the undisputed master, as far as Chileans were concerned, of Japanese culture and negotiation.

Few might expect a man who teaches yoga to have once been a major player in Chile’s entry into the Japanese fruit market. Japan, after all, is one of the most demanding fruit markets on the planet.

Japan is a wonderful place that has quite an impact on most Chilean visitors, according to Gustavo Ponce. Its huge buildings, friendly people, technology which is present even its bathrooms, and a language which only the island's inhabitants speak, seem to be a tonic for Chileans. But to function in the mundane and in business settings, we need to understand Japan’s customs, which can difficult to do if we are not tolerant.

We all know that it is best to adapt to the customs of a given country when visiting, but when almost everything is different, you have to be careful. The Japanese drive on the left, dress formal for almost every occasion (preferably dark clothes) and have many gestures when speaking, according to Ponce.

When you get off the plane (easily 30 hours from Santiago to Tokyo, with layovers) you will see many signs in English. If you want to get somewhere, under no circumstances should you travel by taxi. It is best to go directly to the subway because you can go almost everywhere on it, according to the Chilean who lived 20 years in Japan.

The former diplomat, who arrived to Japan 21 years ago, attracted by his love of judo and whose first job involved pumping petrol, gives us some clues on getting around the island nation.

If you travel to Japan for fun, you better get open-minded about the types of food you eat. It is not enough to know how to use hassi, better known as chopsticks, you also need to be able to order off Japanese menus, which have a significant amount of exotic dishes from the sea. You cannot have a problem with eating eel or shark. When your tablemates burp, try not to react. It is acceptable and even understandable behavior.

When traveling on business, the number of codes of conduct increases exponentially. You need to bring a lot of business cards, understand that labeling is paramount and that negotiations are usually slow. This last part angers many Westerners who mistakenly expect they will be able to sign a contract upon arrival.

Persons who seek to develop longer-term business relationships should be aware that, after meetings conclude, the host company takes guests out for entertainment that is often unorthodox and may make a Western woman’s skin crawl. Those who want to learn more should definitely read the book by Ponce, which has a couple of chapters on the subject.

On the other hand, Japanese people are very open to Western thought. If you cannot find an address, it is normal for locals to try to help and even take you themselves. They do this even thought they probably do not speak any foreign languages.

Another point that our Barros Arana Boarding School graduate mentions is that the islanders are extremely peaceful, respectful of foreign customs and very punctual. Chileans may easily be stumped by the last point when acting as negotiators. So, remember, there is money at stake.

But it's not all milk and honey. Japanese society has serious problems such as excessive working hours, suicide and a growing illegal alien population that performs jobs that locals will not do. Not unlike Chile, in this respect, according to the yogi.

The rest of the world views Japan with admiration and respect. More than 120,000 foreign students annually travel to Japan, of whom fewer than a dozen are Chilean.

If you are thinking about traveling to Japan, you should review more than one website. Another option is to read our interviewee’s book entitled El Moderno Samurai. Written by the former gas station attendant who became Chile’s man in Tokyo.