Self-perception of Japanese identity and its perception by others

For many European companies it is still challenging to establish successful relations with Japanese business partners and clients in the long run. Albeit the Japanese government has reduced many trade barriers, foreign enterprises still seem to experience plenty of other hindrances. Some of these obstacles appear to be influenced by a stereotype thinking concerning Japanese moral concepts and cultural identity, not only from European, but also from Japanese side. This way of thinking often seems to be the result of assumptions emanating from the discourse of Nihonjinron (theories on the Japanese) which in many cases implicates a unique Japanese cultural identity and superiority to the rest of the world. By use of this discourse and Anthony Giddens' theory of structuration, the book elaborates on the history of ideas between Japan and the West as well as on the evolution of Japanese cultural identity in the course of the centuries, and backs up the results through a qualitative survey research with European and Japanese companies which focusses on how peculiarities of Japanese cultural identity are perceived in business matters. Finally, the purpose of this study is to display that common assumptions of Nihonjinron still appear to be widespread nowadays and also interfere with daily business routine, which lastly underlines the increasing importance of intercultural competence in country-specific marketing approaches and as key qualification for international business actors.