At my last job, I worked as a warehouse specialist at Aisin Brake & Chassis, a Japanese-owned automotive parts manufacturing company in Indiana. And as a consequence of this ownership, the vast majority of company high management positions were held by Japanese nationals who, more often than not, knew little about our language and customs.
To bridge this gap, Aisin held unique diversity classes that taught special but simple Japanese expressions and customs. These classes were open to everyone employed at the factory. Also, for some fortunate American workers who were being considered for management, Aisin offered an intensive diversity course where the candidate spent a week in Japan itself with all expenses paid.
I always thought that it was telling that the Japanese placed an emphasis on the American workforce learning their ways, and not the other way around. But, hey, it was their company.
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