From Marketer to Cultural Student

Stepping into Tokyo for the first time, I was a marketer, but I left a student of international business culture.

This is how one visit changed my perspective and shaped my marketing agency's success in Japan.

When I got off the plane in Tokyo, I was just pumped to be there for the first time.

Everything was different.

There weren't many english speakers, and I was ok with that.

From the amazingly cheap and delicious conbini sushi, to the smoke filled izakayas.

This new world was just what I was looking for. I was there to visit a friend and connect with our first Japanese client.

Expectations were super high.

After a few days of settling in and seeing the city, it was time for my meeting with a potential client.

In America, first meetings are generally awkward and rushed.

That was the context I had going in.

Get in. Get out. Get on with it.

I was in for a new experience.

At just before lunch time, we showed up at their building.

Walking into their warehouse I was met with a sight I'll never forget:

Their team waiting to welcome us with a photo of me in hand.

The CEO himself, Taniguchi-san, and some of his c-suite were my tour guides.

The respect was tangible, and I was prepped to return it as best as I could. Business cards traded, each one a ritual.

I was careful to display them in the proper hierarchy.

We took our time meandering through their warehouses where I was formally introduced to each employee, and they explained what they do there(with the help of my interpreter).

After about 30 minutes we went up to the top floor.

As soon as I walked through the office door, a room of many employees in cubicles stood up and bowed in unison.

Impactful is an understatement.

This wasn't just courtesy; it was an art form.

Every gesture, every bow, spoke volumes to me.

The lesson hit hard:

Understanding culture is not just a part of business; it IS the business.

It’s the bridge between 'hello' and a signed deal.

This wasn't just about selling or stats.

It was about connection, respect, the dance of international relations.

From this Tokyo high-rise, I gained a valuable new perspective:

Learn the culture to earn the trust.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Now that marketing company has hundreds of Japan-based clients in our portfolio and we continue to grow.

Japan was more than a market; it was a masterclass in business etiquette, a lesson in humility and respect of the culture I still apply to this day.