how to start a japanese presentation

How to Prepare for a Business Presentation in Japanese

5月 11, 2021

In japanese, コメントはまだありません.

You just started your job in Japan, and it’s time for your first presentation – all in Japanese. Even if you don’t have trouble speaking in front of people in general or have had some practice, this can be quite a challenge. In this article, we give you some tips for acing your presentations right off the bat.

Presentation structure and style

For structure and style, presentation rules and guidelines are virtually the same as outside of Japan – there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

A structure for a presentation is called 構成 こうせい in Japanese. There are multiple ways for structuring a presentation, such as…

• – Introduction – Main Part – Conclusion ( 序論 じょろん ・ 本論 ほんろん ・ 結論 けつろん )
• – PREP (Point 結論 けつろん – Reason 理由 りゆう – Example 例 れい ) – Point 結論 けつろん )
• – DESC (Describe 説明 せつめい – Express 表現 ひょうげん – Suggest 提案 ていあん – Consequence 結果 けっか )

Pick a structure that suits your topic and go from there. In business settings, it’s common to start with the conclusion ( 結論 けつろん ファースト), PREP style.

As for style, keep to the basics. Don’t put too much text on the slides, add graphs and pictures to visualize information, use color sparingly and with purpose … you know the drill.

Making your presentation “Japan-proof”

Aside from the universal basics, there are some points where you have to provide for cultural differences. Here are our tips.

Check with a native Japanese beforehand

The last thing you want to do is miss the topic or point of your presentation. To eliminate the risks of miscommunication, check with a Japanese senpai or your boss beforehand (ideally, the person will also be attending the meeting and is “in the know”).

Show them the structure of your presentation and explain what you want to talk about. If you’ve already made some slides, you can also ask them to do a quick Japanese check (non-standard expressions, typos). I recommend this even for people who are confident in their Japanese ability! When I got my first job in Japan, I had already passed N1 but still managed to botch some presentations because of bad preparation and lack of checks.

When you’re still new and don’t really know your co-workers, it can be hard to work up the courage to ask for advice. But there’s no need to be afraid. Most companies that hire foreigners are aware of the language barrier and are willing to assist. If you’ve entered the company as a fresh graduate (新卒), the company fully expects you to not know stuff. In your first and second year, asking for help frequently is likely to leave a positive impression than a negative one.

Make it easier for people to ask questions

Japanese people tend to be less aggressive with feedback and questioning. If you just end your presentation with “any questions?”, you run the risk of filling the room with awkward silence. To prevent this, transition into the Q&A section in a way that lowers the hurdle for asking questions. For example…

Keep your humor subtle

A typical “western” thing to do is trying to brighten up the mood and “break the ice” with some jokes. When you’re holding a presentation in Japanese, you want to be careful with this. Japanese office and business culture is rather formal, certainly more so than that of English-speaking countries.

It’s still OK to use some humor here and there. That being said, it’s best to keep it subtle and use it even more sparingly than you would when holding a presentation in English. My personal recommendation is some light Japanese wordplay, no more than 1-2 times per presentation. It lightens up the mood and is an easy way to rouse interest (“did that foreigner just make a joke in Japanese?”).

Vocabulary for your presentation

Just like with presentations anywhere else in the world, your focus should be on delivering information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. When in doubt, fall back on general-purpose Teineigo (です・ます-Forms) instead of twisting your tongue with Keigo monstrosities.

Below, you can find some vocabulary and phrases commonly used in presentations.

Improving step by step

I still remember the uneasiness and sweat running down my neck that I felt during my first few “professional” presentations. Preparation is important, but in the end, it’s completely natural to stumble a bit at first. Your Japanese coworkers won’t expect a perfect performance on the first try. Keep asking for advice and learn from your mistakes, and before long presenting something in Japanese will become a routine task.

If you don’t like being thrown into cold water, you can train your presentation skills at a language school. Linguage Japanese Language School specializes in Japanese language education for people whose goal is to work in Japan. Located in central Shinjuku, it’s the ideal place to prepare for work in Japan. For more info, check out our feature article or click the button below to visit the school’s official website.

Linguage Japanese Language School

Others also read

My love for ninjas and interest in Chinese characters (kanji) were what first made me come to Japan, as a high school student. Over ten years and many visits later, I’ve found a job here and have chosen it as my new home.

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• Country Guide

Meetings And Presentations In Japan

Before a meeting with Japanese business partners, you should coordinate an agenda. Do this as early as possible, so that your partners have enough time for nemawashi . (Pronounce: Nemawoshi)

Nemawashi refers to the practice of clarifying all possible questions internally with all persons or groups concerned in advance in order to make more rapid progress in subsequent meetings. The goal is to build consensus. Any necessary conversations take place face to face. The process can therefore take some time. If you do not give your Japanese business partners enough time for nemawashi , you run the risk of upsets and misunderstandings.

Participants

In Japan, meetings are not usually held to make decisions, but only to prepare for them. Adjust your expectations in advance if necessary. Also, it is crucial to talk to business partners on a comparable hierarchical level. If you communicate with Japanese people at a lower hierarchical level than yourself, you will lose respect. So make sure that the partners present at a meeting are at a hierarchical level that is equivalent to yours.

The highest-ranking representative will enter the conference room first, followed by their team. Seating arrangements continue along hierarchical lines. When a foreign delegation visits a Japanese company, both delegations sit opposite each other on the long sides of a conference table. The respective bosses sit in the middle and the other participants will be placed on both sides in descending hierarchical order.

Who is talking?

High-ranking Western company representatives tend to hold meetings actively and talk a lot. High-ranking Japanese, on the other hand, primarily let their subordinates talk and quietly observe the behaviour of the participants during the course of the meeting.

However, at the beginning of an important meeting, the highest-ranking Japanese representative in his role as host will speak some welcoming words or give a short opening speech. The highest-ranking foreign guest should formally reply to the welcoming words in a very short speech.

Introductions

The respective delegation leaders will then introduce their staff in hierarchical order with their names, titles and functions and state the reason for their presence. If necessary, a few additional personal words will be spoken, such as: “He is our best soccer player in the company team.” A more casual introduction by the individual employees themselves is rather inappropriate in Japan.

Conversation style

In Japan, a holistic approach is used in meetings, i.e. agenda points are not necessarily worked through one after the other. If it is difficult to reach an agreement on a topic, people temporarily switch to another, easier negotiating point. After this “cooling off phase,” you can return to where you left off.

Communication In Japan

Inductive presentations.

The Japanese presentation style is inductive, which means that the most important thing comes at the end. Foreign businesspeople, on the other hand, are quite often used to deductive presentations. That is, they expect the core statement right at the beginning. This inductive style of a presentation, therefore, comes across as lengthy and not target-oriented. Even if you get impatient with a Japanese presentation, please do not interrupt.

Japanese audience

If you give a presentation in English in front of a Japanese audience, you should speak slowly and clearly. Avoid terms and in-house terminologies that might not be understood. Be aware that constant polite nodding does not necessarily mean approval, but only that you are being listened to. Also take plenty of time for explanations and subsequent questions.

You should prepare your handouts at least in English. If you want to earn brownie points, you can also create and distribute a Japanese version.

Japanese listeners often talk to each other, e.g. to coordinate their positions internally. It’s best if you just ignore this. The Japanese just believe that foreign interlocutors do not understand the whispering in Japanese and thus do not find it disturbing.

Be prepared that cell phones often ring in meetings and appear to have priority.

It is also not unusual for a Japanese listener to nod off during a meeting with a lot of participants. Don’t get irritated by that! And please: Avoid blowing your nose. If you need to, you better sniff it up than blow your nose in public.

Food breaks and the quality of food are very important in Japan. Meetings are therefore often interrupted for a joint business lunch. For Japanese business partners, sandwiches are not an alternative to lunch in a restaurant or canteen.

Ending a meeting

At the end of a meeting, a high-ranking Japanese person who has held themselves in the background so far will often summarize the contents of the meeting and praise the good cooperation, even if there has been disagreement on some points just before.

Mutual words of appreciation and short closing speeches follow the same pattern as the opening speeches.

A summary of the results at the end of a meeting, preferably in the form of a written memo, provides an opportunity to identify and clarify different views or misunderstandings. Be careful, however, not to list a whole lot of problems or unresolved issues. This will disturb harmony.

Excerpt from Business Culture Japan Compact by Gerd Schneider. Courtesy of Conbook Verlag

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Make Your Presentation a Success

The goal of a presentation is to impress the listeners with your product or plan and give them an opportunity to air any questions up front so that they leave the room confident that all problems can be handled smoothly. This can be a challenge when presenting across cultural and language gaps.

Take an American who has customized a product for his company’s Japanese customer. Typically, he will give an energetic, enthusiastic presentation, demonstrating the various bells and whistles his firm has added to the product. He may rely on verbal explanations as he points out key features, rather than using highly detailed slides. The Japanese engineers who are listening will watch intently and may raise no questions or concerns, even saying it all looks “fine.” Understandably, the presenter will think he was a success!

Quite likely, though, his Japanese counterparts will leave the meeting and go on to talk over what was presented. Possibly they were left with concerns they had not raised and were confused about some of the features. All this uncertainty would only come out later, leaving the American presenter disappointed and perplexed.

This can be avoided with some simple forethought:

• Tone down the energy, speak more slowly, and pause between sections of your presentation to sum up what you’ve just said. Many people tend to speed up when they get excited, which makes a presentation even harder to understand.
• Distribute written materials, even a simple agenda, outline or list. Japanese generally understand written English better than spoken English, so a document can help them follow along. Written materials can also be studied later.
• Make time for an informal discussion after the presentation. It can be more comfortable to raise concerns in a more relaxed setting.
• Don’t expect an immediate answer. The Japanese team will need to mull over the information and discuss it further. Schedule a follow-up meeting specifically to hear the formal reaction to the ideas put forth in the presentation.

Japanese business etiquette training and seminars are a specialty of Japan Intercultural Consulting. Please contact us for more information on how we can help you prepare for successful interactions with Japanese clients, customers, and business partners.

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For Your Japanese Speech; Imitate Great Speakers II

Introduction

*The target readers are those who are going to make a Japanese speech or presentation

This article is a continuation of “ For your Japanese Script; Imitate Great Speakers ”. As we mentioned in the previous article, imitating native speakers is one of the best ways to make your Japanese speech sound as natural as possible. It can be utilized not only for the words you write, but also for when you give your speech to an audience. Thus, I recommend that before you start practicing your Japanese speech with your own words, you should practice reading other ones written by native speakers. It may feel like you are taking many routes to get to the same destination, but by getting a sense of what others have done successfully, in turn you will also become more successful.

The Most Effective Way to Practice Your Japanese Speech

Material for practicing your japanese speech.

You can refer to TED Talks and look for presentations spoken in Japanese via Wasabi, Discussion Practice . If you don’t have a particular preference, I recommend, “ Shimpei Takahashi, Play this game to come up with original ideas ” which we saw as an example in the previous article. This example was chosen for its well designed structure, its availability in multiple languages, and its accessibility. (*you can download the video and the audio file easily). In this article we will proceed with the same example.

Imitate Great Speakers for Your Japanese Speech

I am going to show you an ideal way of practicing, which by you literally imitate the native speaker. It may be tough and take a lot of time, but this method can make your Japanese speech dramatically more colorful, natural and lively. Let’s give it a try.

1. Understand your chosen presentation

Firstly, you are going to read and fully understand the script of your choice for presentation. Since the speech is, of course, being spoken, you may have difficulty completely understanding its entire meaning just by listening to it. If that is the case, you can refer to the translation.

2. Get accustomed to the sound of Japanese

Secondly, you are going to watch the video or listen to the audio file over and over without the script or the translation. You should make the best use of your mobile devices by listening to or watching the speech on the go. Since you have already read and understood the script, you will be able to understand what the speaker says more easily at a natural speed. Continue to watch or listen until you can understand almost everything.

3. Start imitating native speakers

Thirdly, you are going to repeat each sentence. After the speaker says one sentence, please pause the video or the audio file and repeat the sentence in its entirety. Please try at least three times and be conscious of the intonation, accent and pronunciation.

4. Read the script out loud to yourself

Next, you are going to read the script out loud to yourself. I recommend you to do so in imitation of the speaker, that is to say, you should stand up, make gestures and look at your virtual audience.

5. Try shadowing with the video

The origin of the name: shadowing comes from the method of practice by which a learner follows an audio file 2 or 3 seconds later than the actual recording time. Again, please try shadowing in imitation of the speaker as you did in the previous section.

*This is how shadowing works.

The method of practice is the most ideal way to improve your Japanese speech to the best of our knowledge. Needless to say, when you make your Japanese speech or presentation, your audience will be Japanese people. In such a situation, the best way of conveying what you want to say is to speak like native speakers as much as possible. This practice will enable you to acquire that ability.

Recommended Link

For Your Japanese Script, imitate Great Speakers

A Body Language for Your Japanese Speech

Big Key for Your Japanese Speech; 間 (Ma) Timing

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60+ Useful Conversation Starters in Japanese

Many people wonder how to start a conversation and what to talk about when meeting new people. Good communication skills are often expected and welcomed in society; indeed, it’s a useful and necessary skill to keep a fun conversation going and familiarize yourself with new people or the environment. 

Starting a conversation in Japanese, however, is a bit tricky. There are various patterns of speech in Japanese that express different levels of formality, politeness, intimacy, and friendliness. Even for honorific speech in Japanese, 敬語 Keigo , have different levels of politeness, ranging from casually polite to extremely respectful. Using the right choice of speech and how you talk is the key to starting a good conversation in Japanese, and it all depends on what situation you are in and whom you are talking to.

Whether you are at a bar or friend’s party, on your first day at school and work, or on a date with someone new, don’t worry! Here we will introduce you to useful conversation starters in Japanese by situations. Let’s start Japanese conversation practice at JapanesePod101.com!

• What is A Conversation Starter?
• Conversation Starters for Parties and Socializing
• Conversation Starters for First Day at School
• Conversation Starters for First Day at Work
• Conversation Starters for a First Date

1. What is A Conversation Starter?

1. open-ended questions and close-ended questions.

A conversation starter is a phrase or question that is used to enter into a conversation with another person(s). 

Good conversation starters, or as some might call them, conversation openers , are often considered effective with open-ended questions that require longer responses with further statements and opinions. They can naturally lead to other questions and comments to develop a conversation ( e.g. “What do you think of this party? Why do you think so?” “How did you learn the 3rd language?”).

Closed-ended questions , on the other hand, are regarded as questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” or a very short response  (e.g. “Do you like this music?”, “What time do you usually get up?” ). Such questions could easily end a conversation after one responded with his/her answer, so balance and use both open-ended questions and closed-ended questions effectively to make your conversation going.

2. Good Topics and Tips

What are good topics to talk about with someone new? In general, in order to avoid getting awkward or offending others, the following topics are considered “safe” and easy to talk about: climate, recent news, food, entertainment (TV, movies, hobby, sports, etc.), travel and leisure, school, work, family, and etc. Too private matters and one’s physical characteristics should be avoided as they are regarded as rude and inappropriate.

“和 wa (“harmony”)” is one of the most important values of the Japanese culture, and avoiding conflicts with others is highly expected in Japanese society. Because of this, Japanese people may feel uncomfortable or feel they’re rejected when you express your opinion clearly if it is different from theirs. Telling your opinion is still a good thing, but just keep a few tips in mind when you talk with new people in Japan: 

   1. Talk about yourself first to familiarize yourself and then ask about them    2. Find common points, such as background, experience, favorites, etc.    3. Be interested in them, talk positive, and never deny (rather empathize)

In addition, using polite language is the norm and expected courtesy in Japan when talking to strangers or meeting new people unless they are very close friends of your best friend at a very casual occasion. Paying attention to honorific speech in Japanese (敬語 Keigo) will deepen your Japanese language learning and understanding of Japanese culture.

2. Conversation Starters for Parties and Socializing

Whether you are at a bar, friend’s party, or social event, it’s likely that there are other people you don’t know. Here is the list of Japanese conversation starters useful for such fun and laid-back situations. Casual atmosphere, yet keeps in mind that you use polite language to talk to strangers.

• このパーティー/イベントの主催者を知っていますか。 Kono pātī / ibento no shusaisha o shitte imasu ka. (“Do you know the host of this party/event?”)
• 主催者とどういう知り合いですか。  Shusaisha to dō iu shiriai desu ka. (“How did you know the host?”)
• このイベントをどうやって知りましたか。 Kono ibento o dō yatte shiri mashita ka. (“How did you know about this event?”)
• [name] さんの友達ですか。 [name]-san no tomodachi desu ka. (“Are you a friend of [name]?”)
• ここへよく来るんですか。 私は月に１、２回来ます。　  Koko e yoku kuru n desu ka. Watashi wa tsuki ni ichi, ni-kai kimasu. (“Do you come here often? I come here once or twice a month.”)
• 前にどこかでお会いしたことありましたっけ？　  Mae ni dokoka de o-ai shita koto arimashita kke? (“Did we meet somewhere before?”)

•  パーティは楽しいですか。私はここの音楽が好きです。  Pātī wa tanoshii desu ka. Watashi wa koko no ongaku ga suki desu. (“Are you enjoying the party? I like the music here.”)
•  どんな音楽が好きですか。J-pop は好きですか。  Donna ongaku ga suki desu ka. Jei-poppu wa suki desu ka. (“What kind of music do you like? Do you like J-pop?”)
• 何を食べて/飲んで いるんですか。 それはおいしいですか。　  Nani o tabete / nonde iru n desu ka. Sore wa oishii desu ka. (“What are you eating/drinking? Is it good?”)
• 何か食べ物/飲み物 を取ってきます。何かいかがですか。  Nani ka tabemono / nomimono o totte kimasu. Nani ka ikaga desu ka. (“I’m going to get some food/drink. Would you like something?”)
• お名前は何ですか。私はOOOと言います。 O-namae wa nan desu ka. Watashi wa OOO to iimasu. (“What is your name? I’m OOO.”)
•  仕事は何をしていますか。 私はOOOをしています。　 O-shigoto wa nani o shite imasu ka. Watashi wa OOO o shite imasu. (“What do you do for a living? I’m OOO.”) ➢ Put a name of your occupation in OOO, such as;     会計士 kaikeishi  (“accountant”)     ITプログラマー  ai tī puroguramā  (“IT programmer”)     看護師 kangoshi   (“nurse”)     デザイナー  dezainā  (“designer”)     教師  kyōshi  (“teacher”)     シェフ  shefu  (“chef”)
• SNSは何か使っていますか。友達申請してもいいですか。　  Esu enu es wa nani ka tsukatte imasu ka. Tomodachi shinsei shite mo ii desu ka. (“Do you use any Social Networking Services? Is it ok if I send you a friend request?”)

When you see someone you already know, like close friends, you can start a conversation casually with informal language. Here are useful Japanese conversation starter phrases for friends.

• 久しぶり！ 最近どうしてた？　 Hisashiburi ! Saikin dō shite ta? (“It’s been a while! How have you been?”)
• 元気にしてた？　 Genki ni shite ta? (“Are you doing well?”)
• ここで会うなんて偶然だね！イベントの主催者を知ってるの？　 Koko de au nante gūzen da ne! Ibento no shusaisha o shitte ru no? (“What a coincidence to meet you here! Do you know the event host?”)
• [name] は今日一緒に来なかったの？　 [name] wa kyō issho ni konakatta no? (“[Name] did not come with you today?”)
• 今日ここに来るとは知らなかったよ。一緒に飲もう！　 Kyō koko ni kuru to wa shiranakatta yo. Issho ni nomō! (“I didn’t know you come here today, let’s have a drink together!”)
• 新しい彼氏 / 彼女と一緒に来たの？私に紹介してよ！　 Atarashii kareshi / kanojo to issho ni kita no? Watashi ni shōkai shite yo! (“Did you come with your new boyfriend/girlfriend? Introduce him/her to me!”)

To learn about how to introduce yourself in Japanese, please check out How to Say “My Name is,” in Japanese + More !

3. Conversation Starters for First Day at School

The first day at school is exciting thinking about new friends and new school life, but as well as it’s a bit nervous and anxious about if you can get along with new friends or how well you can cope with studying, etc. But don’t worry, most people feel the same way as you. Just relax and become the first person to start a conversation with the phrases below in mind!

It would be ok to talk in a casual way (タメ口 tameguchi “casual language for talking like equal friends”) from the first day at school if it is obvious that a person you are talking to is the same age or younger and he/she seems very friendly. However, using polite language is safe for the first meeting, and you can change how you speak later as you get closer to your friends. Here are Japanese words and phrases for conversation starters at school. 

• こんにちは、私はOOOです。どうぞよろしく。このクラスを取っているんですか。 Kon’nichiwa, watashi wa OOO desu. Dōzo yoroshiku. Kono kurasu o totte iru n desu ka. (“Hello, I’m OOO, nice to meet you. Are you taking this class? “) ★ “ よろしく yoroshiku” (casual) , or “よろしくお願いします yoroshiku onegai shimasu” (polite) is one of the Japanese untranslatable words. It is literally translated as “suitable favor please”, but it can be used as “Nice to meet you,” “Best regards,” “Favorably please,” etc., depending on the situation. This is a very useful phrase used in various situations to express your humbleness and wish to have a good relationship from that point forward. ➜ To learn more about Japanese untranslatable words, please see Japanese Untranslatable Words: Let’s Talk like a Native!
• 何を専攻していますか。何の学部ですか。　 Nani o senkō shite imasu ka. Nan no gakubu desu ka. (“What do you study? What department are you in?”)
• この学校で誰か知り合いはいますか。 Kono gakkō de dare ka shiriai wa imasu ka. (“Do you know anyone in this school?”)
• すみません、私は新入生でこの辺りをよく知りません。研究室はどこにありますか。 Sumimasen, watashi wa shinnyūsei de kono atari o yoku shirimasen. Kenkyūshitsu wa doko ni arimasu ka. (“Excuse me, I’m new, and I don’t really know my way around here. Where can I find the laboratory room?”)
• 経済学のクラスはこの教室ですか。　 Keizaigaku no kurasu wa kono kyōshitsu desu ka. (“Is this classroom for an economics class?”)
• 図書館はどの建物ですか。 Toshokan wa dono tatemono desu ka. (“Which building is the library in?”)
• 私はここの新入生で、ダンスクラブに入るのを楽しみにしています。あなたは？ Watashi wa koko no shinnyūsei de, dansu kurabu ni hairu no o tanoshimi ni shite imasu. Anata wa? (“I’m a freshman here, and I’m looking forward to joining the dance club. What about you?”)
• 一緒にお昼を食べてもいいですか。 Issho ni o-hiru o tabete mo ii desu ka. (“Can I join you for lunch?”)
• この学食でおすすめのメニューは何ですか。 Kono gakushoku de osusume no menyū wa nan desu ka. (“What is the recommended menu in this school cafeteria?”)
• よかったら、連絡先を聞いてもいいですか。 Yokattara, renrakusaki o kiite mo ii desu ka. (“Can I ask for your contact info if you don’t mind?”)
• このクラスが終わったら、後で一緒にお茶しませんか。 Kono kurasu ga owattara, ato de issho ni o-cha shimasen ka. (“Would you like to have tea later after finishing this class?”)

Here is the most useful list of Japanese question and answer phrases you need to know;  The 10 Most Useful Japanese Questions and Answers .

4. Conversation Starters for First Day at Work

Unlike at school, the first day at work is probably not as exciting or nervous because a workplace is not a place to find friends and what is expected from you is very clear.

Acting like a role-model business person would be safe for the first day at work in most cases in Japan, that is, being punctual, polite, and sincere to give a reliable and good impression. Show your humor and friendliness as you get used to the environment and people around you.

Here is a useful list of Japanese conversation starter examples for work.

• 今日は私のここでの初日です。どうぞよろしくお願いします。　 Kyō wa watashi no koko de no shonichi desu. Dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. (“Today is my first day here. Nice to meet you.”)
• 私はOOOと申します。営業部の新しい社員です。 Watashi wa OOO to mōshimasu. Eigyōbu no atarashii shain desu. (“I am OOO, I’m a new employee of the sales department.”)
• 何のお仕事をされていますか。私は新しいプログラマーです。 Nan no o-shigoto o sarete imasu ka. Watashi wa atarashii puroguramā desu. (“What kind of work do you do? I’m a new programmer.”)
• ここでどの位働いていますか。 Koko de dono kurai hataraite imasu ka. (“How long have you been working here?”)
• この部署のキーパーソンはどなたですか。 Kono busho no kī pāson wa donata desu ka. (“Who is the key person in this department?”)
• すみません、コピー機はどこにありますか。 Sumimasen, kopīki wa doko ni arimasu ka. (“Excuse me, where can I find a copy machine?”)
• コンピューターの社内システムについては誰に聞けばいいですか。 Konpyūtā no shanai shisutemu ni tsuite wa dare ni kikeba ii desu ka. (“Whom should I ask about the intra-computer system?”)
• コーヒーマシンの使い方を教えていただけますか。 Kōhī mashin no tsukaikata o oshiete itadakemasu ka. (“Would you mind showing me how to use the coffee machine, please?”)
• ランチをご一緒してもいいですか。 Ranchi o go-issho shite mo ii desu ka. (“Would you mind if I join you for lunch?”)
• ここは社員の懇親会はよくありますか。 Koko wa shain no konshinkai wa yoku arimasu ka. (“Are there social gatherings for employees here often?”)

To learn more about useful phrases for business situations, please see Essential Business Japanese: Learn the Most Useful Phrases and The Most Useful Japanese Phone Phrases .

5. Conversation Starters for a First Date

A first date can be awkward and uncomfortable when you really don’t know the other person and conversation develops in the wrong direction. A conversation is, as it is often expressed, a catch-ball. You throw a ball, and the other catches it and passes it back to you. Especially for dating, where the primary purpose is to get to know each other better, the conversation should be mutual communication. 

Avoid continuously talking about yourself or asking too many questions to the other person without telling about yourself. A tip for making a natural catch-call is to effectively use “and you?” phrases to ask the other person’s opinion after mentioning your story.  

Break the ice and have a fun date conversation with the following Japanese conversation starter phrases. 

• 今日は来てくれてありがとうございます。お会いするのを楽しみにしていました。　 Kyō wa kite kurete arigatō gozaimasu. O-ai suru no o tanoshimi ni shite imashita. (“Thank you for coming today. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”)
• 素敵ですね！とてもお洒落ですね。 Suteki desu ne! Totemo oshare desu ne. (“You look great! You have a very nice sense of fashion.”)
• 何の香水をつけてますか。とても良い香りですね。 Nan no kōsui o tsukete masu ka. Totemo ii kaori desu ne. (“What perfume are you wearing? It’s a very nice smell.”)
• 今日はこのレストランでよかったですか。ここの30階からの景色はとても綺麗なんです。 Kyō wa kono resutoran de yokatta desu ka. Koko no san-jukkai kara no keshiki wa totemo kirei nan desu. (“Do you like this restaurant today? They have a very beautiful view from the 30th floor.”)
• 私はイタリア料理が大好きです。[name] さんはどんな料理が好きですか。 Watashi wa Itaria ryōri ga daisuki desu. [name]-san wa donna ryōri ga suki desu ka. (“I love Italian cuisines. What kind of food do you like, [name]?”)
• お酒を飲むのは好きですか。私はお酒が強くないので、ワイン１、２杯で十分です。 O-sake o nomu no wa suki desu ka. Watashi wa o-sake ga tsuyokunai node, wain ichi, ni-hai de jūbun desu. (“Do you like drinking? I’m not a strong [alcohol] drinker, so one or two glasses of wine is enough for me.”)
• 私は OOOで働いています。何のお仕事をしていますか。 Watashi wa OOO de hataraite imasu. Nan no o-shigoto o shite imasu ka. (“I work for OOO. What do you do for work?”)
• 職場はどんなところですか。仕事は楽しいですか。 Shokuba wa donna tokoro desu ka. Shigoto wa tanoshii desu ka. (“What is your workplace like? Do you enjoy working?”)
• 時間のある時は何をするのが好きですか。趣味はありますか。 Jikan no aru toki wa nani o suru no ga suki desu ka. Shumi wa arimasu ka. (“What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?”)
• 一番好きな映画 /音楽のジャンルは何ですか。 Ichi-ban suki na eiga / ongaku no janru wa nan desu ka. (“What is your favorite movie/music genre?”)
• 週末は何をしていますか。私はよくサイクリングやハイキングに行きます。 Shūmatsu wa nani o shite imasu ka. Watashi wa yoku saikuringu ya haikingu ni ikimasu. (“What do you do on weekends? I often go cycling and go hiking.”)
• 旅行は好きですか。私は海外旅行が好きで、今まで20カ国行ったことがあります。 Ryokō wa suki desu ka. Watashi wa kaigai ryokō ga suki de, ima made ni-jukkakoku itta koto ga arimasu. (“Do you like travelling? I love traveling abroad, and I have been to 20 countries so far.”)
• 地元はどこですか。私は北海道出身です。 Jimoto wa doko desu ka. Watashi wa Hokkaidō shusshin desu. (“Where is your hometown? I’m from Hokkaido.”)
• 私には姉と弟がいます。兄弟はいますか。 Watashi ni wa ane to otōto ga imasu. Kyōdai wa imasu ka. (“I have an older sister and younger brother. Do you have brothers and sisters?”)
• 私は友達からOOOと呼ばれています。ニックネームはありますか。 Watashi wa tomodachi kara OOO to yobarete imasu. Nikku nēmu wa arimasu ka. (“I’m called OOO by my friends. Do you have a nickname?”)
• もっとあなたのことを教えて。 Motto anata no koto o oshiete. (“Tell me more about you.”)
• 自分を一番表現する５つの言葉は何ですか。 Jibun o ichi-ban hyōgen suru itsutsu no kotoba wa nan desu ka. (“What are five words that describe you the most?”)
• 人生で一番面白くて笑った経験は何でしたか。 Jinsei de ichi-ban omoshirokute waratta keiken wa nan deshita ka. (“What was the funniest and most laughing experience in your life?”)
• もし何でも願いが叶うとしたら、何をお願いしますか。 Moshi nan demo negai ga kanau to shitara, nani o onegai shimasu ka. (“If any wish would come true, what would you do?”)
• 最も大事な３つの価値観は何ですか。私の場合は、正直で思いやりがあって勇敢であることです。 Mottomo daiji na mittsu no kachikan wa nan desu ka. Watashi no bāi wa, shōjiki de omoiyari ga atte yūkan de aru koto desu. (“What are the three most important values to you? For me, it’s being honest, caring, and brave.”)

To get closer to someone special, check out Say “I Love You” in Japanese with These Love Phrases .

6. Conclusion

In this article, we introduced 60+ Useful Conversation Starters in Japanese for various situations, such as at parties and social events, on the first day at school and work, and on the first date, together with the tips for conversation starters in Japanese. You will never get lost on where and how to start a conversation in Japanese once you master our guide!

You’ll find a lot of useful content on JapanesePod101.com when you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and practical Japanese phrases for different situations. We provide a variety of free lessons designed to help improve your Japanese language skills. 

These articles are also very useful for making a good conversation, please check out: 

• The 10 Most Useful Japanese Sentence Patterns
• Learn the Most Useful Compliments in Japanese
• The Top 10 Japanese Filler Words

Also, if you need to brush up on your Japanese grammar, please review:

• An Easy Guide to Japanese Grammar
• Japanese Tenses: Simple Yet Unique
• Japanese Negation: How to Make Negative Japanese Sentences

And there’s so much more! Learn faster and enjoy studying Japanese online at JapanesePod101.com !

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in a future article. What words, phrases, or cultural topics would you like to learn more about? We’d be glad to help, and we look forward to hearing from you!

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Secrets of Japanese business meetings

So far in this Japanese business culture section, we mentioned the role of service, the role of the Japanese company, and the role of the Japanese salaryman. Now we’ll consider how these facets of Japanese business culture interact at one of the first challenges for foreign company executives starting business in Japan, the Japanese business meeting.

In over two decades of international business, I don’t recall hearing a Western executive sounding nervous, and I certainly haven’t seen one in outright panic, when faced with traveling to the UK, the US, continental Europe, Australia, etc, for a business meeting. I have however, met many of executives, including some very seasoned executives, who were very nervous when faced with coming to Japan for the first time for business meetings. Maybe they had heard those myths of Japanese business, but for whatever reason, they felt compelled to understand and rehearse every aspect of meeting with Japanese businesspeople, even though they never did so for first-time meetings they attended elsewhere. So let’s look at business meetings between Japanese and foreign executives from both sides of the table.

The first secret of a successful Japanese business meeting is to arrive 10 minutes before the meeting time. Arriving 10 minutes early shows consideration for the people meeting with you, first because it means you will already be seated in the room when they enter, and second because it shows you value their time in not making them sit waiting for you to arrive. In many countries, businesspeople seem to accept being 20 minutes, 30 minutes, even one hour late for a meeting; in Japan that’s a serious mistake. Japan is a relatively small country with excellent infrastructure. Most major cities have subway lines, all have surface lines, all have excellent and relatively uncrowded roads with many buses and taxis, most have modern airports with many daily flights, Sapporo, Aomori, Morioka, Akita, Nagano, Sendai, Fukushima, Omiya, Tokyo, Yokohama, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Wakayama, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, are all on the high-speed shinkansen (bullet train) lines. Other than inclement weather in winter or the typhoon season (usually August until October), occasional earthquakes causing temporary system shutdowns, and the sad occurrence of railway suicides in Tokyo that sometimes cause hour-long delays, there is often no excuse for arriving late for a business meeting anywhere in Japan. If a Japanese salaryman thinks he might be late for a business meeting, he calls to tell his counterpart at least 45 minutes in advance. In 2004, before smartphones arrived, I wrote that one of the most important uses of the mobile phone in Japanese corporate selling was to give a customer 45 minutes’ advance notice of being late for a meeting; that has not changed.

If a foreign executive’s first business meeting in Japan is with a Japanese distributor or trading company used to dealing with foreign companies, or with the international division of one of Japan’s large multinational corporations, then the chances are that at least one of the Japanese on the other side of the table, speaks English, possibly very fluent English at the TOEIC 900 level or above. The employees of such companies deal daily with foreigners, so a foreign executive will soon feel very comfortable, maybe too comfortable, dealing with them. If that first business meeting is with a smaller domestic distributor, a smaller company, or an internal division of a major corporation (even of one of Japan’s multinational corporations), the entire meeting might be in Japanese with English restricted to “Good morning., “Good afternoon.”, “It’s nice to meet you.”, “My name is Tanaka.” etc. at the outset.

In the first of the above scenarios, a foreign company executive will soon forget he or she is in Japan; neither Japanese business culture nor Japanese business etiquette will seem an obstacle to success. Sometimes, foreign executives might move quickly to a profitable business relationship in such a situation, but more often they do not, even after months of traveling to and from Japan for meetings with the same group. The problem is usually that despite speaking English, the other side of the table is thinking in Japanese: being polite (remember this section is about Japanese business culture), they probably won’t want to seem rude by outright rejecting a proposal. Japanese salespeople realize when their proposal is falling on deaf ears, or the timing is wrong; they politely withdraw and save their corporate face for another day. Sadly, many foreign executives, especially in the euphoria of finding a prospective customer or business partner that speaks fluent English, do not realize the Japanese side is not interested. Months, and tens of thousands of dollars in wasted travel budget, later, the executives get frustrated and at last give up chasing an opportunity that never existed.

I have seen Japanese employees of distributors and prospective customers shower abundant praise on a foreign executive team, their company, and their products and services, and yet all the while have absolutely no intention of ever doing a deal. I have seen second meetings, third meetings, expensive dinner meetings (including one the Japanese side hosted, and which probably cost more than $2,000) but throughout, the Japanese side did not intend to do a deal: they were just being polite and waiting for the foreign executive to lose interest. After such meetings, I have seen foreign company executives convinced they were on the verge of multi-million dollar deals, deals which of course never emerged. The problem was the foreign company executives assumed that because the Japanese side was talking fluent English, the differences in business culture were irrelevant.

Many Japanese businesspeople are far more polite when speaking in English with foreign company executives, than when speaking in Japanese. When speaking in Japanese, they will often talk more directly, but even when speaking Japanese, they tend to avoid the word “No” because it’s too definite. Instead of “No”, a Japanese will say something which translates to English as “It’s a bit difficult.”. A Japanese salesperson knows the buyer means “No” and so should a good Japanese interpreter, but a foreign executive hearing those words in English, will consider there’s still a chance and keep returning for more.

The second secret of a successful Japanese business meeting, is to use an interpreter. With few exceptions, or unless a foreign company executive is fluent in oral Japanese, he or she must use an interpreter. In the second of the above first meeting scenarios, it’s obvious the foreign company executive needs an interpreter because without one, communication would be impossible. Moreover, a good interpreter, especially one who understands the foreign company’s business and aims, can help the foreign executive understand what the Japanese side really thinks of the proposal. In fact, the Japanese will often tell the interpreter things they would otherwise not divulge to the foreign executive. One of the finest foreign executives I have met in Japan, was the former President of a US household-name clothing company’s Japanese subsidiary, that he lead from around US$12million to US$600million annual sales in around 10 years. One of his best kept secrets, even from his staff, was that he is fluent in Japanese. He once told me that I made a serious business mistake by talking Japanese in meetings, which put the Japanese side on alert. His strategy in meetings was to play dumb, talk through his very talented executive assistant, and listen. He found, as I later have, that the Japanese side would treat his executive assistant (Japanese) as if she were on their side of the table. They would explain objections to her in detail, even to the point of “This is the problem, so if you could do this, then maybe we could do something.”. In fact, I now always attend meetings with one of Venture Japan’s bilingual staff, even though I usually speak Japanese, because they have developed the skill of encouraging the Japanese attendees to bond with them so strongly.

To further understand why a foreign company executive should always use an interpreter, let’s look at how a typical meeting with Japanese, regardless of whether there is a fluent English speaker on the other side of the table, flows:

• The Japanese receptionist calls the foreign company executive’s contact person, then she, or the contact person, takes the executive to a meeting room.
• Depending on the Japanese company’s size, up to six of the Japanese company’s employees, likely including a middle-manager to add credibility, enter the meeting room and politely exchange business cards with the foreign company executive.
• After some brief small-talk, the Japanese team politely sits through the foreign company’s presentation, all the time taking copious notes.
• After asking some questions, the Japanese team bow politely, thank the foreign executive, and except for the contact person, leave the room.
• The foreign company executive is usually concerned that the Japanese side didn’t seem very enthusiastic about the presentation and is desperate for feedback.
• The contact person assures the foreign executive that it’s just the way of Japanese business meetings, there is no need to worry, and of course the team looks forward to receiving the promised follow-up information.

How can any foreign company executive, especially one unused to business in Japan, know what to do next? The above flow can occur regardless of the Japanese team’s English ability; it happens because many Japanese businesspeople such as our salaryman Tanaka-san in the previous pages, do not want to take risks early in their career, or do not do not want to make a career-breaking mistake as did Yamaguchi-san, but also want to respect the visiting executive’s feelings. If the foreign executive had used an interpreter at the meeting, and had briefed the interpreter in advance, the meeting’s result could have been very different. A good interpreter would help the executive to engage the Japanese team, to understand their objections and needs, and to verify whether there is, or is not, a real opportunity for business. Allowing the Japanese side to talk in Japanese, and to see a Japanese on the foreign company’s side of the table, encourages interaction. They will often be more forthcoming because they are talking to the interpreter. If the Japanese team have a genuine interest in the foreign company’s proposal, the executive can move to the next step; if not, then the executive will saved a lot of time, energy, and cost, and can move on to more profitable prospects.

The third secret of a successful Japanese business meeting, is always use a written presentation translated into Japanese. A written presentation adds structure to a meeting and, properly translated, ensures the Japanese side understand the presentation’s purpose. Take several printed copies of the presentation to the meeting to handout to the Japanese side. Many foreign company executives doing business in the US, Europe, and elsewhere, follow the ‘keep attention on the speaker’ doctrine using presentations with minimal slides each with minimal content. The logic is that if the information is not on the slide, the audience must stay focused on the speaker if they want to understand the content. Japanese business presentations follow the ‘don’t say anything that’s not on the slide’ doctrine using presentations with lots of slides each with as much information as will fit. When accompanying Japanese businesspeople to business meetings overseas, I almost always need to cut their presentation by 30, 40, sometimes 50 slides. When accompanying clients to business meetings in Japan, I almost always need to add more slides to the client’s presentation. From the Japanese side’s perspective, if a point is on a slide it’s important, if it’s not on a slide it’s probably not important. Also consider this: Few Japanese will admit they didn’t fully understand a presentation given in English because the speaker was too fast, but they can still understand it by using the slides and speaker’s notes.

Using the Japanese PechaKucha Style for Presentations

While there are more and more presentation tools that have sprouted up, with PowerPoint in the lead with its new features and capabilities, the problem still remains. Many people still commit the biggest presentation sins of putting too much information and too many elements in every slide, and using up too many slides. The result remains the same: dull and time-consuming presentations that give slideshows a bad name. However, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. A new presentation technique is taking over the world of presentations and has got speakers and educators excited. And we’re talking about the Japanese-inspired presentation technique called PechaKucha .

PechaKucha, which means “chit chat” in Japanese, was created in 2003 by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, two Tokyo-based architects. They have created it to deliver a simple message: the more valuable your presentation becomes when you say less .

The idea behind PechaKucha works on a simple rule known as “20 x 20” . This means that an ideal presentation should have 20 slides that are to be shown for only 20 seconds each. That makes your presentation concise and yet more powerful. Ever since it was unveiled, millions all over the world have used it, across various industries and by various kinds of presenters. From board rooms to classrooms, the PechaKucha style for presentations is widely accepted and used to make presentations not just shorter, but most importantly, more effective.

Why PechaKucha Works

Because of the 20×20 format that PechaKucha enforces on presentations, it forces you to change the way you present. It even turns around how you talk and think, so that you as a presenter will change how your own slideshow will flow.

With PechaKucha, you make your presentations concise by taking a look at each of your slides. You are forced to follow the 20×20 rule and therefore must remove any unnecessary items or elements that don’t help your presentation.  It forces you to also become more creative in your presentation on each slide, since you don’t have a lot to work with and yet have to get your message across.

Still confused? Let’s break down PechaKucha even further with these five rules.

5 Rules of PechaKucha

Make each slide count. You only have 20 slides to work on, regardless of your topic. So for every slide, ask yourself, “What will the audience learn from this single slide?”

Make the most of 20 seconds for each slide. You don’t have to speak so much to get your point across. Oftentimes, this is what makes the presentations drag on unnecessarily. However, when you’re now more aware of the timeframe you’re supposed to give each slide, you learn to make full use of it.

Make it visual. Choose words with high imagery value. Avoid corporate jargons and instead, make sure that your audience will easily understand what you’re talking about.

Avoid complex diagrams and text-heavy bullets. Keep text to a minimum and your text and visuals should complement each other instead of simply being redundant.

It takes practice. Remember, it always helps to practice before you go out in front of an audience, and the same can still be said with PechaKucha. The more you apply these rules, the better you’ll become.

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Metal detectors to be installed at high schools around Brevard beginning in October

Metal detectors will be installed at all high schools around the district, beginning with melbourne high school in october..

In an effort to increase security, Brevard Public Schools will install metal detectors at high schools throughout the district starting in October.

Melbourne High will be first up, with the metal detectors, operated by OpenGate systems, going in on Oct. 8 and 9, according to a Friday press release from the district. Other schools will follow throughout the year.

The announcement came a little over a week after the Sept. 4 shooting by a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where four people were killed and nine were injured. Colt Gray, the shooter, was charged with four counts of felony murder, and his father, Colin Gray, was charged the next day with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of second-degree murder. Colt Gray had brought a gun to school in his backpack and hid in a bathroom before he took it out and  opened fire , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Adding metal detectors at high schools is the latest move by the district to increase security measures this year, following the expansion of the guardian program that allows certain staff members to volunteer to carry guns on school grounds.

The school board heard a presentation from OpenGate in the spring, and Superintendent Mark Rendell expressed his gratitude to board members for opting to go with the security system.

"I’m thankful to the School Board for providing this additional layer of security and to our partnership with the Sheriff’s Office for working to get this state-of-the-art weapon detection system into our schools," he said.

How do the metal detectors work?

The metal detector systems are designed to "quickly and non-intrusively scan individuals for dangerous or prohibited items" as they come into the building, the district said, adding that the metal detectors will "help maintain the flow of foot traffic" and "(minimize) delays" at the start of the school day.

As they enter the building, students will be required to remove laptops and similar items from their backpacks to avoid setting off the metal detectors, the district said. If an alert is triggered, the person who triggered it will be searched.

The district did not say who would operate the metal detectors.

When and where will metal detectors be used?

Metal detectors will be installed at all high schools throughout the district, starting at Melbourne High School.

Schools are also allowed to use them for events outside the school day.

"The OpenGate Weapons Detection System can be utilized, at the school's discretion, in school activities, including sporting events," said Caitlin Butler, a spokesperson for BPS.

What other districts use metal detectors?

Metal detectors have been added throughout several Florida districts recently, including Orange, Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Palm Beach implemented a pilot program for the OpenGate metal detectors at four high school last school year and expanded the program to all high schools this year .

Broward County installed metal detectors at their high schools this year, according to district officials. While they experienced "significant challenges due to a calibration issue" on the first day of classes, kids have since been able to get through the metal detectors efficiently before class, said Keyla Concepción, a spokesperson for the district.

"Students and staff have expressed a greater sense of safety and protection with this added layer of security on school campuses," she said.

Orange County Public Schools used OpenGate metal detectors at four high schools during the 2023-2024 school year, according to Michael Ollendorff, a spokesperson for the district. But the district opted not to implement the program because of the cost and number of staff members required to operate the system every day.

Instead, instead of being used throughout the school day on a regular basis, the existing units are being used as part of random security screenings and during "major events," Ollendorff said.

"The pilot program resulted in NO weapons being recovered," Ollendorff said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at [email protected]. X: @_finchwalker.