Question 1

How is this different from /cross-cultural-training-japan?

Accepted Answer

Same body of knowledge, different framing and entry point. Cross-Cultural Training for Japan is the commercial conversion lander, programme catalogue, seven-criteria provider checklist, pricing, RFP-ready content for procurement teams. This page is the methodology lander, the four-dimension competence model, the underlying frameworks (Hofstede, Hall, Bennett DMIS, Trompenaars), and formal assessment options. If you are ready to buy, start with Cross-Cultural Training. If you are mapping the methodology before procurement, you are in the right place.

Question 2

What is intercultural competence and how does training develop it?

Accepted Answer

Intercultural competence is the ability to interact effectively and appropriately across cultural boundaries. It is typically modelled as four dimensions: cognitive (knowing the cultural concepts), perceptive (reading the signals correctly), affective (managing the emotional reality), and behavioural (adapting your operating style). Training develops all four through framework input, real-deal practice, and post-training reinforcement. For Japan specifically, this is the work of understanding nemawashi, ringi, honne and tatemae, wa, and the operational implications of Hofstede's high uncertainty avoidance and masculinity scores.

Question 3

Why anchor the training in academic frameworks at all?

Accepted Answer

Two reasons. First, frameworks travel better than anecdotes, participants can apply Hofstede or Bennett to the next country they work in, not just Japan. Second, frameworks make the training measurable: pre/post movement on validated instruments (IDI, GlobeSmart, CQS) gives the commissioning side hard data that anecdote-driven training cannot. We use the frameworks as scaffolding, not as the deliverable. The deliverable is behaviour change in real Japanese engagements.

Question 4

Can intercultural competence be assessed formally?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The three established tools are the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), Aperian's GlobeSmart Profile, and the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). On request we incorporate one of these as a pre/post measurement in the programme. The assessment is most useful when paired with structured training and post-training reinforcement, not as a standalone measurement. Assessment is priced separately by the provider; we charge for facilitation and integration.

Question 5

How do you measure development in the absence of formal assessment?

Accepted Answer

Three layers when no formal instrument is used: pre-training intake captures the specific behaviours and friction points line managers want to see change; post-session reflection captures participant-side learning across the four dimensions; 90-day check-in with line managers captures whether behaviour actually changed in real Japanese engagements. Reports back in a format suitable for sharing with leadership.

Question 6

Who delivers the training?

Accepted Answer

Takashi Kawatani, President of the Diversity Management Institute since 1989. 35+ years on Japanese cross-cultural management. 20,000+ alumni across Asia, Europe, and North America. Author of 13 books on global leadership and Japanese communication. Recipient of the Global HR Excellence Award (World HRD Congress 2011). Doctoral researcher in Human and Organizational Development at Fielding Graduate University. Silkdrive's founder Patric Sawada (EU-Japan Centre expert) co-facilitates the European-side context.

Question 7

Indicative pricing?

Accepted Answer

Published so you can budget before booking a call. Most engagements are a multi-session programme: from EUR 7,600 for four sessions, two groups of ten, over two to four weeks, which is EUR 380 per person. Single sessions are a full in-house day from EUR 3,500 (6 to 7 hours), a half-day on-site from EUR 2,700 (4 hours), or a half-day online from EUR 1,900 (3 hours), each for one group of up to ten. A programme is the sum of its sessions plus any follow-up, with no separate minimum. Ten is the ceiling because the sessions are interactive and everyone has to be able to speak, so a larger team runs as more groups rather than a bigger room. The price per person therefore does not fall with headcount: fifty people is five groups. We price per group session and never per participant; the per-person figure is the session divided by the group. These are starting figures. What moves them is scope: more sessions, more groups, deeper customisation. What does not move them is our side of the work. If preparation runs long, the scheduling turns out to be more complex, or we have to bring in a different trainer, that is our risk and it is already in the price. 1:1 executive coaching is a separate engagement, typically 3 to 6 months, scoped individually. All figures exclude VAT, travel and accommodation are billed separately, and the final amount is confirmed in writing after the intake call.

Japan Intercultural Training

What intercultural competence actually is

Cognitive

Perceptive

Affective

Behavioural

The four frameworks the programme is anchored in

Hofstede's six dimensions

Hall's high-context vs low-context

Bennett's DMIS

Trompenaars' seven dimensions

Pre/post measurement that survives a procurement review

Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

GlobeSmart Profile

Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS)

Meet Takashi Kawatani, 河谷隆司

Today

Publications & Recognition

Background

Published Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Related

Map the Methodology Before You Procure

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