Made in Japan, Sold on Britain

54,400 Japanese live in Britain: 12,000 are business people, 5,800 are students, most of the rest are their families. The Japanese like Britain. They find it strange, but they like it.

Masami Sato, one of only 70 office-ladies-junior women managers–in Britain, is happy. She says “most things are better here than in Tokyo–there are so many parks and green fields”.

As an office lady, she cannot be promoted above her present junior managerial position, but she thinks the UK is less male dominated than Japan. She is in London as part of a scheme to give office ladies overseas experience, and she does not want to go back to Tokyo when the time comes next year.

“When I go back to Japan, I have to live with my family, she says. “There are few amusements and we can not be relaxed because all Japanese are very busy”.

The Japanese appreciate the space, the more relaxed atmosphere and the longer holidays, but they also experience some difficulties: the most obvious is the language. Mr. Kojima has lived in Wales for two years, and still has problems. “The language is very difficult, but the staff is very experienced at explaining to the Japanese”, he says. “I can understand the explanations, but I can’t understand they talk with each other”.

Besides the language, there are also cultural differences which can make life difficult. Banker Kaoru Itoh says “the British like arguments, the Japanese don’t. They dislike raising the opposite opinion. In Japan everyone respects the opinion of the majority”.

Sue Robbins, First Insights into Business, Longman

Reading comprehension

I. Look through the text once again and fill in the charts below.

Cultural differences
The Japanese	The British

II. Answer the questions.

1. How many Japanese do live in Britain?

2. What is Masami Sato’s job title?

3. Does Masami Sato like living and working in London? Why/Why not?

4. Why is she working in London?

5. What are her job opportunities in London?

6. When is she going home?

7. Does she want to go home? Why/Why not?