sneakyjapan said:
two words when dealing with the Japanese...honne and tatemae...if you can tell which you`re getting, then you are better than I, after 14 years here I`m not any closer to knowing which I`m getting at any given time. Keeping secrets here is the national sport...along with hiding money from the gov`t but thats another story. As stated, I doubt anybody affiliated with Tokai is giving anyone outside the company the entire truth...not calling anybody a liar, just have to spend time in the country to really get a grasp maybe.
Accepted business practice in Japan is not to Lie...but to not disclose the entire truth about a subject.
I work for CANON Australia.
We're having some issues right now with a few problems that have been escalated to CANON Japan.
CANON Japan will NEVER answer that they don't know what's causing a problem.
WE as Technicians know EXACTLY what the problem is...when it started and why it started but Japan won't admit it.
Basically they modified a drum for a color copier trying to squeeze a few Yen more out of the digital color photocopier market and stuffed up big time...we now have a certain model of digital color copier worldwide that kills drums almost as soon as they are put into the machines.
At $1200x4 for a set of drums it's becoming a massive embarrassment for them and a huge expense.
So many business models in Japan run along this manner...good luck trying to get a straight answer from a Japanese executive guys...you get told what THEY want you to know and nothing more.....I will guarantee that TOKAI are using a few more Korean and Chinese plants to manufacture for them than they have admitted.