The Japanese have a reputation of being serious and meticulous in what they do. They are people of honor and their civilized life bears the mark of a people deeply rooted in tradition. However, these traditions have enabled them uphold a rare face in the Western communities, which can simple be termed as honesty. This is a key feature especially in a corporation that seeks to grow in terms of numbers and it is something every boss looks for in his employees.
In Japan, accounting stands out for the following reasons:
1. It is a History of Mathematics
Accounting in Japan is not an easy task; it calls for meticulous arithmetic and appropriate conclusions. For instance, you cannot accuse anyone before you re absolutely sure, it was their mistake or responsibility because if you dishonored the by mistake, traditionally you owed them your small finger. How do the Japanese do their accounting?
2. They Keep Correct Entries
They have mastered this art since accounting was discovered. Correct entries ensure that you get a fair look into the business, you will be able to see how everything is running, the things you need to do right and those you need to stop doing. Correct bookkeeping and record entries can help you do a survey on the average number of customers you meet every day compared to the number of sales you make. The results of this could reflect upon you customer service skills and other elements that you might have to check.
When doing the records, it is vital that you do your math well since any errors would reflect falsely upon the business and the management and could cause loss of jobs and most importantly loss of investor confidence. The Japanese used this system of computing ages before the invention of other methods of calculating used today. Some continue to use this ancient form of doing numbers even today.
Simple arithmetic can be done using handheld calculators but projection based on real data is done using computer software. However, for a people who practically invented the calculator, accounting is an important aspect of their businesses.
3. Thorough Audits keep their Standards Sky High
Unlike most companies that focus on the financial books when doing an audit, accounting firms in Japan ensure that they go through every aspect of the audit to ensure that not only the books are balanced but also that the efficiency of the company is enhanced or maintained depending on the present condition of the company. They give recommendations on what should be done so that the ultimate goal, which in this case is to make profit by spending as little as possible, is met.
4. Goal Oriented Business Habits
These habits are highly encouraged in Japan. This means if you want to achieve highly especially in business you need to make you goals clear. These goals include the profit you would like to have made in a specific time. Tour books of account will show these.
Out of survey conducted on the best business environments, the Japanese scored highly in areas of politeness, courtesy and honesty. This means that their cultural dispensation makes them who they are, and it is not something they do for the sake of it. It can be traced back to the Samurai who held honor and truth as very important tenets of their code; this has trickled down into their generations as the punishment for betrayal and dishonesty was to death.
Professor Okinawa is an American born Japanese who majored in accounting. He is an avid angler and a blogger on accounting Japan. He plans to open an accounting firm in the coming days.
