This paper is a general presentation which describes the tendency of Japanese-Chinese business communication research in Japan. Beyond summing up the research results, the author also points out some problems in present studies and discusses research projects that need to be conducted in the future.
After summarizing the current business situation for both countries and the profound meaning in bilateral business communication, this paper explores the following five issues: (1) Language and non-verbal communication; (2) Japanese-Chinese business negotiations; (3) Japanese-Chinese business management; (4) Cultural backgrounds of Japanese-Chinese business communication (i.e., a comparative research of the Japanese and Chinese cultures) and (5) Some existing problems and future research projects.
As the final conclusion, it is argued that the following elements are essential to deepen Japanese-Chinese business communication research in the future: a combination of business communication research and intercultural communication theories; a systematic comparative research on the Japanese and Chinese business culture; and a multidimensional comparative study for both cultures, incorporative interdisciplinary cooperative research.