Japan’s Message to the United Kingdom and the European Union

When connecting this week’s lesson to current events I came across and interesting article talking about a letter Japan wrote to Britain and the EU about Brexit. The author described the letter as a “brutal, lengthy, detailed dissection of all the potential economic damage leaving the EU will do to the UK”, (Edwards, 2016). Interestingly enough I feel the Brexit situation and Japan’s letter to Britain in some ways reflect their cultural values.

Britain’s culture can be described as having a small power distance, weak uncertainty avoidance, and is individualistic, (Moran et al, 2014, pgs. 20-21). The goals of Brexit include exiting the EU, restricting immigration, and Britain’s economic independence. Brexit’s goals are a reflection of some of its cultural attributes. For example, from an international view, exiting the EU in pursuit of economic independence can seen as individualistic, as leaving the EU can have negative effects  on EU members as well as Britain’s trading partners. Furthermore leaving the EU will place Britain in a position of economic uncertainty and the people of Britain’s support for Brexit represent their weak uncertainty avoidance.

In contrast, Japan’s culture has a large power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance, and is collectivistic, (Moran et al, 2014, pgs. 20-21). Brexit has had negative impacts on Japan. For example, Brexit has led to the increase of the value of the yen when Japan’s economy depends on the devaluation of the yen. In turn Japan’s letter to Britain reflects its cultural values, primarily its strong uncertainty avoidance and its collectivism. Japan’s collectivism, which refers to the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it, is reflected in the letter when they say “We expect to continue cooperating and collaborating closely for international peace, stability and prosperity. It is in the interests of the world including Asia that an open Europe be upheld”. Japan’s strong uncertainty avoidance is demonstrated when they say “Uncertainty is a major concern for an economy; it evokes a sense of anxiety, causing volatility in markets, and results in the contraction of trade, investment and credit”.

Although Britain and Japan are nearly opposites according to Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture, they were both able to business with each other. This is evident when Japan states that it “enjoys strong partnerships with the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) in various fields including politics, the economy and security”. Furthermore, Japan stated that “There are numerous Japanese businesses operating in Europe, which have created 440,000 jobs. A considerable number of these firms are concentrated in the UK”, (as cited in Edwards, 2016).  With that being said, hopefully moving forward Britain, Japan, and the EU can continue working through their cultural differences.

 

 

References:

Edwards, J. (2016, September 05). You should read Japan’s Brexit note to Britain – it’s brutal. Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-brexit-note-to-britain-2016-9

Japan’s Message to the United Kingdom and the European Union. Retrieved from http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000185466.pdf

Langley Esquire. (2016, July 04). The Elections & Brexit | Tokyo on Fire. Retrieved September 05, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpaYUvsCqDw

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). New York, New York: Routledge.