The Naniwabushi Strategy

Naniwabushi would be the most typical Japanese way of resolving or avoiding disputes . In business it will go as follows , suppose you  wish to negotiate revised payment terms for your contract due to the real sad business climate . Then you would approach your Lender or Customer by giving a "Kikkake"

Kikkake is setting the base , give a background ,how good a partner you have been through the thick and thin talk about all the good points of the relationship both of you have enjoyed etc etc.

Once the Stage is set move towards "Seme" talk about the disastrous effects the recession is doing on your business , how u have been cutting costs , how you are making your ends meet etc . But despite all the cost control , you will be able to survive only if some more leniency is given to your payment terms etc .

In the "Urei"  , you will need to explain what will happen if the request is not granted ... you and your family will be on the streets .. make it as melodramatic as possible ... Pleading is ok 

Naniwabushi is artful , premeditated , calculated and in Japan it will work . The  more tragic and melodramatic , it is easier for Japanese listeners to forget contracts or commitments . People who do not show compassion in such circumstances will be condemned as being cold hearted or mercenary .

"Nemawashi" : This is a practice of preliminary and informal sounding out of people's ideas or course of action before a formal proposal is drawn up .  Nemawashi is more akin to binding the roots before re-planting the tree. If people have strong objections to a proposal , nemawashi enables this to be discovered in advance and there by making the acceptance of the formal proposal more certain.