Japan Inc.'s reputation rides on Toyoda

[Kablooie]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- As Akio Toyoda prepares to testify before a U.S. congressional committee in Washington on Wednesday, the midnight lights of television sets will glow in corporate offices and government halls in Tokyo.
...
Political leaders in Tokyo will be watching as the fate of Japan's premier brand falters in the market that Toyota --- and most Japanese exports --- depend most upon.
...
Yet also growing in Japan is an undercurrent of conspiracy theories: That the U.S. government, now the majority owner of General Motors, has an interest in bringing down the reputation of the company and its leader
...
"Considering that Toyota represents Japan's corporate identity, a loss in confidence would potentially affect all Japanese products," said a Friday editorial in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan's equivalent to The Wall Street Journal.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/02/24/toyota.toyoda/index.html?hpt=T1

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This may not go well.
Japanese culture is based on not speaking directly the way Americans do. It's a very different way of communicating and is famous for creating rifts between Americans and Japanese in business. They infer things and the listener has to fill in the gaps.
In an American trial where answers are expected to be stark and terse, the Japanese way of speaking could easily be interpreted as being devious or trying to hide things when this isn't really the case.

[dmallind]

1. Only in the minds of gullible idiots

Reputations depend on facts. Data. Objective evidence. Deciding whether one guy commits a convincing enough figurative hara-kiri in a hearing is irrelevant.

[Romulox]

2. In OUR culture, killing people with defective machines is considered embarrassing.

So I guess we're at an impasse!

[Mopar151]

3. I'm starting to feel bad for Mr. Toyoda

Only a little bit, mind you... The Japanese expect him to somehow "save face", and cover up for a company that is in trouble for covering up. And he's appearing before Congressmen who have developed a strong taste for bitch-slapping CEO's. His best outcome will be for another freak snowstorm to hit DC.

[jody]

4. The honorable thing for Toyoda is to commit Seppuku. n/t

[Mopar151]

5. He should line his American managers up

And institute "Assisted Seppuku"

[jody]

6. Makes sense.

:thumbsup:

[Kablooie]

7. Unless he says they they have a complete fix including the programming glitch ready to go he's...

pretty much screwed.

Even if he said that it will go hard.

But I'm sure he will say they are hard at work investigating the matter, which is exactly what people don't want to hear.