How to explain the culture of coordination with neighbors and the local government

My name is Hisamori, and I have had the opportunity to be involved in many projects for companies with a global presence.

When working on store design for foreign brands, you often encounter unexpected requests for specification changes one after another.

Just when you think you've addressed the height restrictions on furniture caused by interference with the fire extinguishing system's water spray, you might find that the materials used in the home country aren't approved as non-combustible in Japan, leading to yet another request for changes. It's not uncommon for these kinds of back-and-forth exchanges to pile up.

Each time, the amount of explanation and adjustments that were not planned increases, and the burden on the Japanese side tends to increase. On the other hand, the home country also becomes unable to make decisions because they cannot fully understand "why it cannot be done," and as changes pile up one after another, they are left without seeing the background.

Having witnessed many such situations, some of you may recognize instances where you felt, "If only this interaction could be handled a little better..."

Behind this situation lies a unique structure in Japan where various rules overlap. This structure isn't based on a single rule, but rather on the overlapping of multiple assumptions stemming from local circumstances and other factors.

 

Constraints are not made up of "one rule" but of "overlaps."

Even with something as simple as the Fire Service Act, its application varies depending on the local prefectural ordinances, as well as on-site judgments based on inspections by fire departments. Regarding signs, landscape regulations and other region-specific restrictions may also play a role.

Furthermore, the decision can vary depending on factors such as the building's structure, location, and whether it's underground. As a result, situations can arise where "it was fine at that store, but not here," meaning the premise of the explanation itself changes from case to case.

These are unavoidable as they are based on laws and regulations, and the person in charge needs to explain them to their home country while clarifying the underlying assumptions.

 

A method of sharing assumptions through "images".

These constraints are difficult to understand without knowing the background. There are differences in the underlying assumptions, such as the fact that Europe has a stone-building culture, while Japan has a history of densely populated wooden architecture.

A useful technique is to replace the problematic information with something concrete that the other person can easily visualize. For example, "Kyoto" is a city known internationally, and it's easy to picture a landscape densely packed with shrines, temples, and wooden buildings. The streets are also narrow, making it easy for fires to spread quickly. By sharing these premises, the strictness of fire safety regulations becomes more understandable.

Furthermore, Japan's underground passages and shopping malls, which often appear in movies and other media, are well-known overseas. There are famous jokes about tourists treating these underground malls as labyrinths. Japan experiences frequent earthquakes, and underground areas pose a risk due to limited evacuation routes. Therefore, different standards are in place for underground areas compared to above ground.

Explaining it with these specific scenarios makes it easier to understand "why that restriction is necessary."

What did you think? Of course, these are just specific examples and do not always occur. If you interpret this as "there are tons of detailed regulations that vary from case to case...!", you tend to get a negative impression.

On the other hand, it can be seen that the Japanese system doesn't impose strict, uniform rules, but rather establishes regulations on a case-by-case basis as needed. This, in turn, leaves room for flexibility, provided the conditions are met.

One way to look at it is that this kind of shift in perspective can be effective in aligning your understanding with the other party's.

Due to the local circumstances, there are some unique regulations. If we can convey these in a way that people can understand, it will surely lead to a smoother process.
I hope this perspective will help bridge the gap with our home country and move the project forward.