o-tsu'-ki-ai (noun): the intricate process of building and cultivating all the business and social relationships necessary to one's business and personal life in Japanese society; also: getting along with or associating with others; association, social intercourse, friendship, etc.

The broad subject matter of the fascinating Japanese term otsukiai is often inadequately translated as "associating with" or "friendship." It actually describes the complex process of building and maintaining the business and social relationships that are necessary to one's daily life. Now in its third printing, Business Otsukiai has found itself in the hands of businessmen, professors, and students around the world.

Everyone performs a bit of otsukiai every day, without even thinking about it, whether socially or in business: when shaking hands, extend the right hand at waist level... if with a guest, hold the door open and let him or her go through before you... when offended by a gift, return it with a note. Otsukiai is usually identified most closely with the concept of "common sense," but this concept is cultural. What is common sense in Atlanta, is not always common at all in Adelaide, nor in Aomori! (Take the Business Otsukiai Quiz!)

Business Otsukiai is about how to get along within Japanese business society -- pleasing your superiors, motivating your subordinates, avoiding social and business faux pas, skillfully advancing your career without stepping on others' toes and handling emergencies with tact and decorum. Even Japanese do not always know everything associated with otsukiai, and are forced to learn by trial and error in their day-to-day business dealings.

Business Otsukiai is based on a series of formal and informal interviews conducted with 102 middle- and upper-level Japanese managers (identified anonymously, to encourage the most honest response), almost all of whom represent large companies. The views they express can be considered fairly typical of mainstream thinking in Japanese business.

Their frank opinions and unguarded observations make Business Otsukiai a valuable tool for the business person with a serious interest in penetrating the secrets of corporate Japan, as well as the general reader seeking insights into the human factors behind the extraordinary success of Japanese companies in the postwar era.