Japanese group decisions aim for consensus rather than majority vote. All relevant parties should have input; concerns should be heard and addressed; the outcome should be something everyone can accept. This takes time—consulting widely, circulating proposals, adjusting to address concerns, iterating until agreement emerges.
But decisions reached this way have broad support and will be implemented without resistance. There are no defeated minorities nursing resentment. The ringi system formalizes this: proposals circulate through all affected parties for approval before final decision. Imposing outcomes over objection, even with majority support, creates problems. The goal is finding what everyone can accept, protecting essential interests, and building decisions that will actually work.
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