How to do Business with the Japanese [antikvár]

FOREWORD Not long after I received the sad news of Mark Zimmerman's death, his wife, Susan, wrote to ask if I would write the foreword to his second book. I immediately agreed, telling her that I considered it an honor to be able to contribute to the memory of a man so dedicated to cross-cultural understanding and communication between the United States and Japan. On many occasions I have said that the U.S.-Japan relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world—bar none. This is obvious when one looks at the breadth of our mutual concerns that encompass the trade, financial, political, security, and cultural realms. The list of shared interests is almost endless. For our two great countries to continue to progress and develop closer relations, communication and mutual understanding are absolutely vital. Although we have had problems in the past due to weaknesses in these areas on both sides of the Pacific, our knowledge and understanding of each other, and our ability to deal in an informed and sensitive manner with each other, are increasing rapidly and dramatically. Today more Americans than ever before are studying about Japan and learning the Japanese language. And the same can be said of Japanese interest in the United States. More and more people are crossing the Pacific, for tourism, business and study. I welcome and fully support these developments. Without such efi'orts, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.