presentation in japanese

How to Prepare for a Business Presentation in Japanese

5月 11, 2021

In japanese, コメントはまだありません.

You just started your job in Japan, and it’s time for your first presentation – all in Japanese. Even if you don’t have trouble speaking in front of people in general or have had some practice, this can be quite a challenge. In this article, we give you some tips for acing your presentations right off the bat.

Presentation structure and style

For structure and style, presentation rules and guidelines are virtually the same as outside of Japan – there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

A structure for a presentation is called 構成 こうせい in Japanese. There are multiple ways for structuring a presentation, such as…

• – Introduction – Main Part – Conclusion ( 序論 じょろん ・ 本論 ほんろん ・ 結論 けつろん )
• – PREP (Point 結論 けつろん – Reason 理由 りゆう – Example 例 れい ) – Point 結論 けつろん )
• – DESC (Describe 説明 せつめい – Express 表現 ひょうげん – Suggest 提案 ていあん – Consequence 結果 けっか )

Pick a structure that suits your topic and go from there. In business settings, it’s common to start with the conclusion ( 結論 けつろん ファースト), PREP style.

As for style, keep to the basics. Don’t put too much text on the slides, add graphs and pictures to visualize information, use color sparingly and with purpose … you know the drill.

Making your presentation “Japan-proof”

Aside from the universal basics, there are some points where you have to provide for cultural differences. Here are our tips.

Check with a native Japanese beforehand

The last thing you want to do is miss the topic or point of your presentation. To eliminate the risks of miscommunication, check with a Japanese senpai or your boss beforehand (ideally, the person will also be attending the meeting and is “in the know”).

Show them the structure of your presentation and explain what you want to talk about. If you’ve already made some slides, you can also ask them to do a quick Japanese check (non-standard expressions, typos). I recommend this even for people who are confident in their Japanese ability! When I got my first job in Japan, I had already passed N1 but still managed to botch some presentations because of bad preparation and lack of checks.

When you’re still new and don’t really know your co-workers, it can be hard to work up the courage to ask for advice. But there’s no need to be afraid. Most companies that hire foreigners are aware of the language barrier and are willing to assist. If you’ve entered the company as a fresh graduate (新卒), the company fully expects you to not know stuff. In your first and second year, asking for help frequently is likely to leave a positive impression than a negative one.

Make it easier for people to ask questions

Japanese people tend to be less aggressive with feedback and questioning. If you just end your presentation with “any questions?”, you run the risk of filling the room with awkward silence. To prevent this, transition into the Q&A section in a way that lowers the hurdle for asking questions. For example…

Keep your humor subtle

A typical “western” thing to do is trying to brighten up the mood and “break the ice” with some jokes. When you’re holding a presentation in Japanese, you want to be careful with this. Japanese office and business culture is rather formal, certainly more so than that of English-speaking countries.

It’s still OK to use some humor here and there. That being said, it’s best to keep it subtle and use it even more sparingly than you would when holding a presentation in English. My personal recommendation is some light Japanese wordplay, no more than 1-2 times per presentation. It lightens up the mood and is an easy way to rouse interest (“did that foreigner just make a joke in Japanese?”).

Vocabulary for your presentation

Just like with presentations anywhere else in the world, your focus should be on delivering information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. When in doubt, fall back on general-purpose Teineigo (です・ます-Forms) instead of twisting your tongue with Keigo monstrosities.

Below, you can find some vocabulary and phrases commonly used in presentations.

Improving step by step

I still remember the uneasiness and sweat running down my neck that I felt during my first few “professional” presentations. Preparation is important, but in the end, it’s completely natural to stumble a bit at first. Your Japanese coworkers won’t expect a perfect performance on the first try. Keep asking for advice and learn from your mistakes, and before long presenting something in Japanese will become a routine task.

If you don’t like being thrown into cold water, you can train your presentation skills at a language school. Linguage Japanese Language School specializes in Japanese language education for people whose goal is to work in Japan. Located in central Shinjuku, it’s the ideal place to prepare for work in Japan. For more info, check out our feature article or click the button below to visit the school’s official website.

Linguage Japanese Language School

Others also read

My love for ninjas and interest in Chinese characters (kanji) were what first made me come to Japan, as a high school student. Over ten years and many visits later, I’ve found a job here and have chosen it as my new home.

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Ten Tips for Giving Presentations to Japanese

So you have an awesome presentation. But what can you do to impress your Japanese audience?  Try these:

• Create a “story.” As you are designing your presentation, conceive of it as a story . In your mind think, “Once upon a time there was...” and begin laying out all the contextual information.
• Start with the big, BIG picture. Never start with the point of the presentation. That's confusing. The Japanese will be thinking, "Is she trying to trick us?" "Does he think he can just spoon-feed us the conclusion?" Instead, start with the background (way back), the full context, your methodology, the theory behind your reasoning, the "why" behind everything. In other words, lay the foundation for the conclusions you will give later -- much later.
• Send materials in advance. You should have bilingual materials that you can give in advance of the presentation so they have a chance to process the information.
• Be formal. The type of presentation will shape many of its features, but chances are a little more decorum would be usual in Japan. For example, you might consider having another person set up for you and a high-level person introduce you. Japanese also prefer that your materials be handed with care, rather than plopping them in a lump for attendees to "Take one and pass them on."
• Lose the hype - keep the data. Slick presentations designed to "wow" or "woo" do not generally impress a Japanese audience. Japanese want to have everything necessary to come to a conclusion for themselves. If your conclusion is correct, the data should prove it. Convincing facts, with lots of supporting data, and zero pressure are your best bets.
• Skip the joke. You’re not a standup comic, and you don’t need to “break the ice.” They’re ready to hear the “story” and understand the information because they are going to have to convince others.
• Emphasize visuals. Japanese appreciate graphic illustrations to clarify, amplify, and connect the contents . Slides that they design will often be packed with information and visuals, making it hard to "see the forest for the trees." For Japanese, however, this helps to show the relationship between different facets of a project and provide a more complete picture.
• Show alternatives . Yes, you have your desired approach, but they want to see that you have explored options and can show the pros and cons of each . You can let your passion and dedication show through. Passion, but not prejudice.
• Leave room for questions. Talk slowly and take "breathing" breaks to allow your audience to interrupt without being impolite. Practice your listening skills and your comfort with silent pauses. Be ready answers to questions that might seem to be far on the periphery to you, but to them, holistically connected to the subject.
• Keep in mind that Japanese will rarely raise their hands. If you ask for questions, those without questions will generally just look down. Those with questions, on the other hand, will look directly at you. It's up to the presenter to notice this and ask those persons, "Would you like to ask something?" This is very important for getting feedback and supplying the information they need before they can support what you're presenting.

In some countries, we’re trained to get straight to the point and to wow our audience with a killer presentation. But in Japan, a better approach would be to think of your audience as partners to whom you want to present something solid.

by Diana Rowland, author Japanese Business: Rules of Engagement

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Rowland & Associates is a premier cross-cultural consulting firm, providing essential international business skills since 1985. Our passion is bringing intercultural business success through heightened insight and agility. We believe that bold steps with exceptional preparation can create dynamic solutions.

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Road-Map: How to Make Your Japanese Speech

Introduction

Each language has own manner when making a speech. Although a Japanese speech is not an exception, it is difficult for learners to get a feel of this style. It may not be necessary to follow it correctly, but, on the other hand, if you can make your Japanese speech in this way, it would make a huge difference in the effect on the audience. In this article, you will learn how you can perfect your Japanese presentations.

Complete Map: How to make a Japanese Speech

Target readers.

People who are going to make a Japanese speech or presentation.

Step 1 Selection of Japanese Script Structure

• Ki-Sho-Ten-Ketsu Structure
• Jo-Ha-Kyu Structure
• Introduction-Body-Conclusion Structure

Step 2 Writing Your Japanese Script

• Imitate Great Speaker; How to Write Your Japanese Script
• The Best Length of Sentence for Your Japanese Script
• Avoid Being Monotone, the End of Japanese Sentences
• Japanese Conjunction, Informal VS. Formal
• Six Quotes from Great Leaders for Your Japanese Script
• Proofread Your Japanese Script by Native Speakers

Step 3 Practicing Your Japanese Speech

• For Your Japanese Speech; Imitate Great Speakers II
• Big Key for Your Japanese Speech; 間 (Ma) Timing
• With Pictures: How Japanese Body Language Works
• During a Japanese Speech, With Vs. Without Your Script

After you completed the above tips and practices, you just need to have some rehearsals. Please be confident, you have made great efforts so far.

I hope you have understood them and you are in the process of following them already. Although I have written down a lot of tips, the most important thing is just to enjoy your Japanese presentation. Yet, in order to do so, you need to practice a lot. Needless to say, the more you practice, the better you will be. Please try to do your best when preparing. What you have done will bring you to where you want to go. Good luck.

Post Script

People can be divided into two groups; people who love and those who hate making a Japanese speech in public. The reason is clear. If you have confidence in your presentation, it is very likely that you will belong to the former group, if not, you will belong to the later group. Then, how can we attain such confidence? This way is also clear. If you have prepared well and practiced enough times, then it is very likely that you will have the confidence. Well, how can we accomplish it for the first time? In order to answer the question, I made this very road-map. I hope a lot of people will succeed in their Japanese presentations and come to love doing so. Thank you very much.

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