Japanese business communication in the COVID crisis: A study of horenso and its implications

Horenso is a widely known concept in Japan yet under-researched system of communication specific to the nation. It refers to a continual and collaborative communication process that involves frequent status updates for consultative decision-making. This study explores its significance in the context of Japanese business and its implications that may help gain insights for future use. The aim of this research is to envisage Japanese-style communication in the post-COVID era by investigating their current practice during the pandemic. This chapter will begin with a review of relevant concepts and position horenso as an attribute of the wider context of Japanese employment connected with the regional values of preference. The case examples and the subsequent discussions further develop the concept of horenso by bridging business studies, cultural studies, and Japanese studies and reveal that horenso can be perceived as part of the Japanese decision-making process in the nexus of the organizational systems. Distinguishing between culturally driven specificities and cultureless ones, this study predicts that horenso, which prefers face-to-face communication and continues to hold its importance through the pandemic, will remain in the post-pandemic era alongside the internet-based video conferencing platforms.