Japanese Culture/Expert Profile


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Philip Lafeber

Netherlands
Available
Expertise

Are you doing business with the Japanese? Do you wonder how to approach them, what to do and what not to do? I am happy to provide some advice.

Experience in the area

I have worked for a Japanese company for 6 years and taught myself how to work with the Japanese and also some of the Japanese language. Also, my wife is Japanese, which is why I have also learnt about Japanese in private life.

Education/Credentials

None. All based on experience.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

One day, I will speak the language fluently. It will take a while, since this is a very peculiar language to learn with quite different rules. Also, I would like to be able to work as a liaison one day, for delegations to Japan or Japanese organisations. That will require serious knowledge of details about customs and culture.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Every culture known in the world has been influenced by others. For the Japanese culture, this has happened differently from any other culture in the world because of 200 years of closing the coutnry to the outside world. After this, it very worked very hard to become a Western type of country. This makes the Japanese culture to me the most special and interesting cultures in the world

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Recent Reviews from Users

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    K = Knowledgeability    C = Clarity of Response    T = Timeliness    P = Politeness
UserDateKCTPComments
Kristina10/08/09101010 
Janet01/12/0910101010Thank you! We did end up discussing .....
Ken10/27/0810101010 
Dal09/23/08Wow, thanks a lot! Those two points .....
Tomiah04/28/0810101010Thank you for replying to my question .....

Recent Answers from Philip Lafeber

2009-10-07 gift giving:

Hello Kristina, It is a nice question you are asking. I didn't know much about Okinawa (well, I still don't) but I just found out from my Japanese wife an interesting cultural aspect. It is particular

2009-06-12 JAPANESE THANK YOU GIFT:

Hello Larry, If it were me, I would give something that is particular to my own culture or region. It is somewhat more convenient to give Japanese people food rather than inedible things, because there

2009-04-17 Nursing Considerations:

Hello Leah, Though I do not know so much about this, there is a little personal experience that I can share. From a visit to a hospital that I made last year, I could see that they work very differently

2009-01-11 Gifts for a baby before the birth:

Hello Janet, There is no problem in giving the gift before the birth. As for what to give; I would suggest something that ties in with your own culture. The Japanese traditionally give money, gift-wrapped

2008-10-20 Modesty:

Hello Ken, It's true that I can't remember seeing a Japanese person blowing the nose. Then again, I am not into remembering something like that, so I just might have forgot. But I think you are right

 

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