December 2011
Beginner
312 pages
7h 11m
English
When I was an employee with Sumitomo in the mid-1990s, I learned that Japanese businesspeople often use the term “case by case” (keisu bai keisu) when discussing details of future events or strategy. This frustrated me because I was accustomed to concrete plans, absolutes, and quick decision making. I learned, however, that context, circumstance, and a kind of “particularism” were very important to the Japanese with whom I worked.
Today, I might use Japanese expressions such as jyoukyou ni yotte (judgment depends on circumstance) or toki to baai ni yotte (depends on time and circumstance) when ...
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