First meetings have a tendency to be slightly awkward, even between people from the same country. Crossing cultural differences and language barriers can make initial conversations challenging, to say the least. Starting with safe and easy topics like weather, sports, and travel can set a jovial foundation for further discussions.

Small Talk, Japanese Style

Japanese tend to ease into negotiations as into a hot bath. Maefuri (“small talk”) provides everyone with an opportunity to relax for a few minutes before jumping into business-related conversation. Comments about the weather are common openers.

An easy response to either of the above comments is:

Sports are another common topic. Yakyuu (“baseball”) and sakkaa (“soccer”) are the most popular sports in Japan.

Most Japanese are familiar with the English words for many sports, so a Japanese pronunciation of “baseball” may be used instead of the traditional word, yakkyu.

Of course, travel is another great topic of small talk. If you came from far away, your hosts will want to know how the journey went.

Since these are really just polite inquiries, you do not have to go into great detail about the turbulence on the plane or the horrible food. Simple responses that reflect an easygoing attitude are most appropriate.

As the maefuri winds down, the host will inevitably say, Sore de wa, an introductory phrase that means something like “Let's get down to business, shall we?”

Ending the Meeting

There are only a few possible outcomes to business meetings. You may have a sense of how things are going without anyone saying anything at all. If you hear either of the following sentences at the end of your meeting, however, you will know that the answer is either “no” or that a decision has not yet been made.

Maemuki can be broken down into two parts: mae (“front”) and muki (“facing,” or “direction”). Perhaps you can see how these words combine to create a term for positive thinking. These three examples are all pretty vague, indirect ways of saying “no” or “We'll think about it.” For fear of con-flict, not wanting to disappoint the guests, and a variety of other reasons, most Japanese people find it difficult to say “no” directly.

If the meeting was successful, a party atmosphere may develop. Any of the following statements are sure signs that your negotiations went well.

“A drink,” in Japanese, is really nomimono, but you would not say Nomimono ni ikimasen ka. The third example features an idiom in which nomi is used as a substitution for nomimono, even in formal situations.