Japanese Culture Course Online
Three online formats for learning Japanese business culture: self-paced Udemy course (4.4★, 13,000+ students), live half-day virtual workshops for teams, and multi-session virtual programmes with real-deal practice. Delivered by Takashi Kawatani (Diversity Management Institute, 35+ years).
Affiliate link, Silkdrive may earn a commission if you enrol, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.

Silkdrive is the preferred European delivery partner of Diversity Management Institute (Tokyo). Takashi Kawatani-sensei leads the Japan-side curriculum and trains directly; Silkdrive scopes engagements, contributes European-side context, and runs delivery. Co-delivery in Europe began in 2023. More on the partnership →
Self-paced, live, or multi-session, all online
Pick the format that fits the learner. Most companies use the self-paced course as a baseline and commission the live workshop or multi-session programme for the engagement that matters.
Self-paced Udemy course
How to Speak Japanese Cross-culturally
Takashi Kawatani's flagship online course. Covers the cultural foundations of Japanese business communication, recognition, trust-building, and the 5 Golden Rules for navigating Japanese corporate culture. 4.4★ average from 79 course reviews; 13,000+ students across Kawatani's Udemy courses.
View on UdemyAffiliate link, Silkdrive may earn a commission if you enrol, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.
Live virtual workshop
Half-day virtual workshop
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.
Book a workshopMulti-session virtual programme
2-4 sessions across 2-4 weeks
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.
See the programme detailThe self-paced Udemy course
The most common entry point for individuals and a fair preview of the depth and style for teams evaluating the corporate programmes.

How to Speak Japanese Cross-culturally
Taught by Takashi Kawatani. Covers cross-cultural communication, recognition, trust building, and the Japanese decision-making patterns European teams keep tripping on.
Affiliate link, Silkdrive may earn a commission if you enrol, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.
“Provides excellent guidance to interacting with colleagues, clients and superiors in a Japanese work setting. Concise and practical, yet also rewarding at a deeper level.”
Maria Barbara, on Udemy
“Insightful for understanding the phrases and concepts used in Japanese business conversations and the idea behind them. The 5 Golden Rules are really helpful to navigate Japanese corporate culture.”
Aneesh, on Udemy
“Highly innovative and one of a kind. Focuses on the cross-cultural aspects of learning a language, which is most needed for understanding the Japanese mindset and behaviour patterns.”
Parul, on Udemy
Meet Takashi Kawatani, 河谷隆司
35+ years helping professionals succeed in Japanese business culture, in partnership with Silkdrive on the EU↔Japan corridor.

Today
- President, Diversity Management Institute (1989 to present)
- Founder, Success Japan Initiative
- Host of 'Japan Spirit', English-language internet show
- Trains Fortune 500 clients, business associations, and government bodies across 20+ countries
Publications & Recognition
- Author of 13 books, incl. Winning Together at Japanese Companies (Beyond-Global, 2015) and titles published by Nikkei, PHP, and SANNO
- Creator of 10 e-learning products on Japanese business culture
- 13,000+ students enrolled across Udemy courses, 4.4★+ ratings
- Global HR Excellence Award, World HRD Congress 2011
Background
- Lecturer in international business, Sanno Institute of Management
- Special Advisor, Japan Overseas Enterprises Association
- Visiting researcher, ISIS Malaysia (Institute of Strategic and International Studies)
- Doctoral studies, Human and Organizational Development, Fielding Graduate University (USA)
Published Pricing
Priced per group session, never per participant, so the per-person figure follows from the group size rather than being a rate. Sessions cap at ten because they are interactive; a larger team runs as more groups. Starting figures, excluding VAT, with travel and accommodation billed separately, and the final amount confirmed in writing after the intake call.
- €380 per person for the whole programme
- Typical engagement €11,400 to €19,000, three to five groups of ten
- Online, the format most programmes run in
- The sum of its sessions, with no separate minimum
- €350 per person
- Travel and accommodation separate
- €270 per person
- Travel and accommodation separate
- €190 per person
Frequently Asked Questions
Related
- Japan Cross-Cultural Workshop , the live virtual format detail.
- Cross-Cultural Training for Japan , full programme catalogue including multi-session formats.
- Japanese Cultural Awareness Training , lighter introductory format for whole-company cohorts.
Pick the Right Online Format
Individual learner? Start with the Udemy course. Team that needs customisation? Book the live virtual workshop. Engagement at stake? Commission the multi-session programme.
From our insights
Deeper reading on this topic from the Silkdrive team.


