Situation
็ฐไธญ (Tanaka) is the purchasing manager at a manufacturing company. He has arranged a formal business meeting with ๅฑฑ็ฐ (Yamada), a sales representative from a parts supplier. They are negotiating the unit price and delivery schedule for a bulk order of 500 components. Tanaka wants a lower price for the larger volume; Yamada needs to protect his margins without losing the contract.
The conversation takes place in a formal business setting and uses polite Japanese (ไธๅฏง่ช). In Japanese business culture, how you negotiate matters as much as what you negotiate.
Dialogue
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใใซใกใฏใ็ฐไธญใใใๆฌๆฅใฏใๆ้ใใใใ ใใใใใจใใใใใพใใ
Yamada: Konnichiwa, Tanaka-san. Honjitsu wa o-jikan wo itadaki arigatou gozaimasu.
Yamada: Hello, Tanaka-san. Thank you for making time for me today.
็ฐไธญ: ใใกใใใใไปๆฅใฏไพกๆ ผใจ็ดๆใซใคใใฆ่ฉฑใๅใใใใจๆใฃใฆใใพใใ
Tanaka: Kochira koso. Kyou wa kakaku to nouki ni tsuite hanashiaitai to omotte imasu.
Tanaka: Likewise. Today I'd like to go over pricing and the delivery schedule.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใใใพใใใๅผ็คพใจใใฆใฏใใงใใใ ใใ่ฆๆใซๅฟใใใใจ่ใใฆใใใพใใ
Yamada: Wakarimashita. Heisha to shite wa, dekiru dake go-youbou ni kotaetai to kangaete orimasu.
Yamada: Understood. We'll do our best to accommodate your requests.
็ฐไธญ: ใใใใจใใใใใพใใๅฎใฏใไปๅใฎๆณจๆๆฐ้ใๅขใใไปฃใใใซใๅไพกใไธใใฆใใใ ใใใใฎใงใใใ
Tanaka: Arigatou gozaimasu. Jitsu wa, konkai no chuumon suuryou wo fuyasu kawari ni, tanka wo sagete itadakitai no desu ga.
Tanaka: Thank you. Actually, in exchange for increasing the order quantity this time, I'd like you to lower the unit price.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใชใใปใฉใๆฐ้ใซใใฃใฆใฏใใใ็จๅบฆใฎๅคๅผใใฏๅฏ่ฝใงใใไฝๅใๆณจๆใฎใไบๅฎใงใใใใใ
Yamada: Naruhodo. Suuryou ni yotte wa, aru teido no nebiki wa kanou desu. Nanko go-chuumon no go-yotei deshou ka.
Yamada: I see. Some discount may be possible depending on the quantity. How many units are you planning to order?
็ฐไธญ: 500ๅใไบๅฎใใฆใใพใใๅๅใฎ300ๅใใๅคใใฎใงใใใๅฐใๅฎใใชใใพใใใใ
Tanaka: Gohyakko wo yotei shite imasu. Zenkai no sanbyakko yori ooi node, mou sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka.
Tanaka: We're planning 500 units. That's more than the 300 last time โ could you go a little cheaper?
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: 500ๅใงใใใใ10%ใฎๅฒๅผใๅฏ่ฝใงใใใใ ใใใไปฅไธใฏใกใใฃใจ้ฃใใใใงใใใ
Yamada: Gohyakko deshitara, juu-paasento no waribiki ga kanou desu. Tada, sore ijou wa chotto muzukashii n desu ga.
Yamada: For 500 units, a 10% discount is possible. Anything beyond that, though, would be a bit difficult.
็ฐไธญ: 10%ใงใใใใงใใใฐ15%ใซใใฆใใใ ใใชใใงใใใใใ็ดๆใ2้ฑ้ไปฅๅ ใซใ้กใใใใใฎใงใใใ
Tanaka: Juu-paasento desu ka. Dekireba juugo-paasento ni shite itadakenai deshou ka. Nouki mo nishukan inai ni onegai shitai no desu ga.
Tanaka: Only 10%? If at all possible, could you make it 15%? I'd also like to ask for delivery within 2 weeks.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: 15%ใฏๅณใใใงใใญใ12%ใพใงใชใไฝใจใใชใใพใใใ็ดๆใซใคใใฆใฏใ็พๅจใฎ็็ฃ็ถๆณใ่ใใใจใ3้ฑ้ใใใ่ฆ่พผใฟใงใใ
Yamada: Juugo-paasento wa kibishii desu ne. Juuni-paasento made nara nantoka narimasu ga, nouki ni tsuite wa, genzai no seisan joukyou wo kangaeru to, sanshukan kakaru mikomi desu.
Yamada: 15% is tough. We can manage up to 12%, but on delivery โ given our current production situation โ we're looking at 3 weeks.
็ฐไธญ: 3้ฑ้ใฏๅฐใใพใใ็งใฉใใซใฏ็ท ใๅใใใใใพใใฆใ2้ฑ้ไปฅๅ ใซๅใๅใใชใใใใซใฏใใใชใใฎใงใใ
Tanaka: Sanshukan wa komarimasu. Watakushidomo ni wa shimekiri ga arimashite, nishukan inai ni uketoranai wake ni wa ikanai no desu.
Tanaka: Three weeks is a problem. We have a hard deadline โ receiving the goods within 2 weeks is non-negotiable on our end.
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใใงใใใใใใใงใฏใๅฒๅผใ12%ใซใใไปฃใใใซใ็นๅฅใซ2้ฑ้ใงใฎ็ดๅใๅชๅ ใใใฆใใใ ใใพใใใ
Yamada: Sou deshita ka. Soredewa, waribiki wo juuni-paasento ni suru kawari ni, tokubetsu ni nishukan de no nouhin wo yuusen sasete itadakemasu ka.
Yamada: I see. In that case, with the discount set at 12%, could we arrange to prioritize your delivery within 2 weeks as a special exception?
็ฐไธญ: ใใใใพใใใ12%ใฎๅฒๅผใจ2้ฑ้ไปฅๅ ใฎ็ดๅใจใใใใจใงๅๆใงใใใจๆใใพใใใใจใงๆญฃๅผใชๅฅ็ดๆธใ้ใฃใฆใใใ ใใพใใใ
Tanaka: Wakarimashita. Juuni-paasento no waribiki to nishukan inai no nouhin to iu koto de goui dekiru to omoimasu. Ato de seishiki na keiyakusho wo okutte itadakemasu ka.
Tanaka: Understood. I think we can agree on a 12% discount with delivery within 2 weeks. Could you send over a formal contract later?
ๅฑฑ็ฐ: ใใกใใใงใใๆฌๆฅใฏใๅๅใใใ ใใใใใจใใใใใพใใใไปๅพใจใใใใใใ้กใใใใใพใใ
Yamada: Mochiron desu. Honjitsu wa go-kyouryoku itadaki arigatou gozaimashita. Kongo tomo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Yamada: Of course. Thank you for working with us today. We look forward to a continued relationship.
Key Vocabulary
ไบคๆธ
koushou
โ negotiation
ไพกๆ ผ
kakaku
โ price
็ดๆ
nouki
โ delivery date, delivery schedule
ๅฒๅผ
waribiki
โ discount
ๅไพก
tanka
โ unit price
ๆฐ้
suuryou
โ quantity
ๅๆ
goui
โ agreement
็ท ใๅใ
shimekiri
โ deadline
็ดๅ
nouhin
โ delivery of goods
ๅชๅ
yuusen
โ priority
ๅฅ็ดๆธ
keiyakusho
โ contract document
่ฆๆ
youbou
โ request, demand
่ฆ่พผใฟ
mikomi
โ expectation, prospect
Grammar Notes
ใใซใใฃใฆใฏ: "Depending on ใ". The outcome varies based on the named condition. Example: ๆฐ้ใซใใฃใฆใฏๅคๅผใใฏๅฏ่ฝใงใ (A discount is possible depending on the quantity).
ใไปฃใใใซ: "Instead of ใ / In exchange for ใ". Marks a trade-off between two actions. Example: ๆฐ้ใๅขใใไปฃใใใซๅไพกใไธใใฆใใใ ใใใ (In exchange for increasing the quantity, I'd like you to lower the unit price).
ใใฆใใใ ใใชใใงใใใใ: A very polite request form meaning "Could you please ใ?". More deferential than ใใฆใใ ใใ; use it in formal business settings. Example: 15%ใซใใฆใใใ ใใชใใงใใใใ (Could you please make it 15%?).
ใใใใซใฏใใใชใ: "Cannot / must not ใ" due to external obligations or circumstances. Example: 2้ฑ้ไปฅๅ ใซๅใๅใใชใใใใซใฏใใใชใ (We simply must receive it within 2 weeks).
ใใจใใฆใฏ: "As ใ / From the standpoint of ใ". Anchors a statement to the speaker's organizational position. Example: ๅผ็คพใจใใฆใฏใ่ฆๆใซๅฟใใใ (On our end, we'd like to meet your requests).
ใใจใใใใจใง: "Based on ใ / Settled as ใ". Confirms shared understanding or closes an agreement. Example: 12%ใฎๅฒๅผใจใใใใจใงๅๆใงใใ (We can agree on the 12% discount).
Cultural Notes
Japanese business negotiations run on indirection. Saying "no" outright is considered rude, so instead you'll hear phrases like ใใกใใฃใจ้ฃใใใใงใใใ("that's a bit difficult"). This soft refusal style is called ๅฉๆฒ่กจ็พ (indirect expression). In practice, "difficult" almost always means "no" โ pushing harder after hearing it is bad form.
Honorific language (ๆฌ่ช, keigo) shapes every exchange. Your own company is ๅผ็คพ ("our humble company"); the other party's is ๅพก็คพ ("your esteemed company"). Closing with ใไปๅพใจใใใใใใ้กใใใใใพใใ signals ้ขไฟ้่ฆ (relationship-first thinking) โ the belief that a long-term partnership outweighs any single deal.
Practice
Try these drills to make the language your own:
Role-play the full dialogue with a partner โ one as the buyer (็ฐไธญ), one as the supplier (ๅฑฑ็ฐ). Switching roles afterward forces you to argue from the other side's constraints.
Substitution drill 1 โ Change the discount percentage: Replace 10% and 12% with other values (e.g., 8% and 10%, or 15% and 18%). Practice saying percentages naturally in Japanese: 8%ใฎๅฒๅผ = ใฏใกใใผใปใณใใฎใใใณใ.
Substitution drill 2 โ Change the delivery deadline: Replace 2้ฑ้ไปฅๅ with other timeframes such as 3ๆฅไปฅๅ (within 3 days), 1ใถๆไปฅๅ (within 1 month), or ๆฅ้ฑไธญใซ (by next week).
Substitution drill 3 โ Change the quantity: Replace 500ๅ with 1,000ๅ or 200ๅ and adjust the discount accordingly. Does the supplier offer a bigger discount for a larger order?
Variation scenario: Try negotiating monthly rent with a landlord, or haggling over a secondhand item at a flea market (ใใชใ). The same polite request patterns and indirect refusals apply โ just swap out the numbers and product.