In late February 2022 Japan finally announced that they will open the borders again for new arrivals and for short term business travelers. That means, many students, researchers and of course business travelers are expected to enter the country in the coming months. It also means that a lot of foreign executives and other professionals can finally start their assignment in Japan. With so many people starting new chapters here in Japan, it’s a great opportunity to look at differences in communication styles and 4 tips to overcome the communication gap.

High Context vs. Low Context Communication

We have to get a little bit theoretical here but we will keep it short. One fundamental model around communication is the model of high context/low context communication. It was established by American anthropologist Edward T. Hall in the 1930s to measure communication differences across cultures using high context and low context. He examined factors that impede or enhance communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. 

It is important to understand the concept as it allows us to appreciate the differences and helps us reduce the communication gap. This is not about the language which is used but ow it is used. Even with languages that tend to be used for low context communication can be used for high context communication.

Let’s remind ourselves that there is no right or wrong here but they are simply different systems of communication. Even people speaking the same language can fall on different parts of the high/low context spectrum and both ends of the spectrum come with their own pros and cons.

Let’s start out with an example. John, an American sales representative on a business trip to Japan, had a business meeting in Kyoto. In the later part of the meeting the Japanese customer, Suzuki-san, mentioned that John had a nice watch. What do you think was the reason for the customer to mention the watch? Suzuki-san did not really care about John’s watch or tried to  compliment him. What he actually tried to achieve is bring John’s attention to his watch so he checks his time and realizes that the meeting is running over time. Granted, this is an extreme example that even some Japanese people do not realize. It’s a really extreme case of high context communication.

Low Context Communication

Low context communication is characterized as follows:

• effective communication must be clear, simple and explicit
• repetition is appreciated if it helps clarify the communication
• “tell them what you’ll tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them” – a lot of us will have heard this one before
• the more educated, the more clear and explicit the communication
• low level of shared context, few shared references between speaker and listener
• little implicit knowledge

In short, all relevant information is explicitly stated. There is close to no ambiguity to avoid any form of misunderstanding. Making sure that the message gets across is the most important aspect.

High Context Communication

High context communication is on the other end of the spectrum.

• seen as sophisticated, nuanced and layered
• messages are both spoken and read between the lines
• implied but not explicitly expressed
• tend to rely heavily on networks and connections passed down from generation to generation
• common reference points and shared knowledge
• the more educated and sophisticated, the greater your ability to both speak and listen with an understanding of implicit layered messages

Classic examples of high context cultures are Japan, India, China and Korea.

Low context communication can be often found in cultures that have historically a high number of inbound immigrants. There was little shared knowledge and experience to build on and in order to avoid miscommunication, communication had to be very clear and simple. Now, the US is by far the culture with the most low-context communication. This is in part due to the history of immigrants from different countries. You could not rely on people having the same shared context, understanding and values. So in order to avoid any kind of miscommunication, communicating precisely and clearly became top priority. Other classic examples here are Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Germany and the UK. As you can see in the graph, the US and the UK are relatively far apart despite both using primarily English as their main language. That shows it’s not about the language itself but the cultural context in which it is used. On the other end of the spectrum you see Japan which is historically a very homogenous society. People share the same background, culture and similar values. A lot of things are left unsaid.

Now that we understand the basic framework, how do we put it to work? Let’s look at ways to apply this.

Strategies For Working With People From Higher Context Cultures

Identify Your Style

As a first step, it’s important to identify our own communication style. Take a moment and think about it. Where do you think you would fall on the spectrum? Where does your country fall? What kind of communication style do you prefer? If you reflect and think back at past communication issues, are there any cases that might have been caused by differences in communication style?

Agree On A Communication Framework

When managing teams or working with stakeholders from different cultures, it is helpful to establish what works best for everyone. Even the topic itself of high context versus low context communication can be discussed at team meetings for example to establish a framework for everyone. Learn to listen to what is meant instead of what is said.

Also, if you are coming from a low context background, be open about it and explain that you struggle to read between the lines. Ask the people you work with to be explicit to avoid miscommunication as you otherwise might not understand it correctly. 

In low context communication, ideas, thoughts and opinions are not clearly stated so it is important to listen extremely carefully; not only to what is said but also to what is meant. Ask open and clarifying questions and search for implicit cues. Paraphrase and ask for confirmation to make sure you correctly understood.

Now, a lot of us will be managing mixed teams with people from all kinds of backgrounds. How do we find a common denominator here? For multicultural teams, the safest bet is low context communication. You are not speaking the same language, you are not sharing the same culture, so in order to avoid any miscommunication, try to establish a way of communication that is low context but again, openly discuss it with the team first.

Language Does Not Equal Communication Style

We experience this very often in Japan where expats expect someone to communicate their way when speaking English. However, just because someone speaks English, does not mean that they are able to switch their communication style from high context to low context. That is a rather difficult task.

That being said, what you do experience sometimes is that foreigners who have lived in Japan for a while take on a more low context communication style even when speaking English. That can appear as less confident or unsure at times but is basically a habit from switching between Japanese and English for an extended period of time. You will notice they use expressions like “definitely”, “absolutely”, “always” or “never” a lot less frequently. You’ll hear a lot more “maybe”, “perhaps”, “more often than not”, “generally speaking”. They tend to avoid absolutes and extremes.

Humor: Avoid Sarcasm!

One last point we need to cover. Humor is often deeply embedded in culture. Sarcastic comments, regardless of if delivered in Japanese or English, rarely land well. The cultural context is missing and there is no strong culture in Japan for sarcastic jokes or comments. They will rather lead to confusion or miscommunication so it is better to avoid it all together.

On a similar note, a lot of jokes or references are based on pop culture, predominantly movies, celebrities, sports. Because of that, even if the other party speaks fluent English but you make a reference to a movie that maybe everyone in your home country has seen but no one in Japan has, your joke will land flat. That can be disappointing because it is one of the ways we bond and build a connection with people. 

I have studied the language, the culture etc. and have lived in Japan for over a decade. I can have meetings in Japanese without any problems. Yet, there are still enough instances where I miss important details, fail to read between the lines or fail to read the air. If you are new to Japan and not that familiar with the country and culture, it is more or less guaranteed that you will encounter communication issues.

However, familiarizing yourself with this framework really helps and can be a powerful tool when dealing with people from various backgrounds.

What kind of communication challenges have you encountered and what are your best practices for ensuring smooth communication with international teams or counterparts?