Episode #60: Zen Presenting

Why do presentations in Japan often feel “busy,” even in a culture known for Zen simplicity?

Zen practice is about removing non-essentials—noise, distraction, and what doesn’t matter—so you gain clarity on real priorities. That same idea applies to presenting: when you speak, your job is to strip away everything that competes with your message.

Yet in Japan, presentations frequently look the opposite of Zen. That’s not because Japanese people lack appreciation for simplicity; it’s because public speaking is historically new here. Presenting as a modern business skill only arrived about 160 years ago during the Meiji era, introduced by Fukuzawa Yukichi. Unlike the West—where speech traditions trace back to ancient Greece, Rome, parliamentary debate, and public persuasion—Japan had no long-standing, home-grown oratory culture to model.

Mini-summary:
Presenting in Japan evolved quickly without centuries of speech tradition, so “Zen simplicity” hasn’t automatically carried into modern business presentations.

Before modernization, information in Japan was usually delivered through written notices—no castle-wall speeches, mass rallies, or battlefield oratory. When Fukuzawa Yukichi brought Western public speaking to Japan, the country adopted the practice of presenting without inherited cultural templates for how to do it simply and persuasively.

Japan did, however, become an early adopter of presentation technology: overhead projectors, slide projectors, modern lightweight projectors, large monitors, and electronic pointers. Most venues in Tokyo (東京, Tokyo) are world-class in equipment.

Mini-summary:
Japan embraced presentation tools early, but without deep rhetorical tradition, content style often became over-dependent on visuals.

You’ve probably seen it: one slide with ten graphs, vivid colors, dense diagrams, and tiny text. The screen becomes a second speaker—and often a louder one than you.

Many company representatives also rely on polished corporate videos. These can be impressive, but the real question is: does the video strengthen your main point? If it doesn’t directly support your argument, it becomes “eye candy” that steals attention and drains your limited speaking time.

Mini-summary:
Overloaded slides and off-message videos compete with the speaker, reducing clarity and persuasion.

If your main goal is persuasion, not information transfer, slides can weaken your impact. Persuasion depends on attention and emotional connection. When the audience splits focus between you and the screen, your influence drops.

Unless a visual strongly reinforces your message, don’t use it. You don’t need props, screens, or gimmicks to hold attention. You need presence, structure, and storytelling.

Mini-summary:
Skip slides when they don’t add persuasive power; your credibility and presence matter more than visuals.

A great example is Ken Done, a famous Australian artist who once spoke in Japan without a constant visual show. He moved freely, spoke intimately about his work, and kept the audience fully focused on him. The result? Strong engagement. One source of stimulation. One clear message.

That’s the Zen of presenting: one center of attention, one argument, one emotional thread.

Mini-summary:
When the speaker is the sole focus, audience connection deepens and the message lands harder.

If you remove slide noise, you must fill the space with word pictures. Your audience should “see” your ideas in their mind’s eye. Think of how a novel transports you into a scene even without images. Great speakers do the same with vivid language, examples, and sensory detail.

You don’t always need visuals. You are the message. Build your talk so listeners can imagine the place, time, and situation you describe—clearly and memorably.

Mini-summary:
Without slides, your storytelling and verbal imagery become the engine for clarity and engagement.

What is the core Zen principle for speaking success?

Zen strips away everything non-essential so what matters becomes obvious. In presentations, that means removing distractions—especially cluttered slides—so your audience locks onto your purpose.

When you “Zen” your presentation, you become the centerpiece, your key point stands alone, and your persuasion power grows.

Mini-summary:
Simplify relentlessly so your audience hears one clear voice and walks away with one clear takeaway.

• Zen thinking helps presenters remove noise and sharpen audience focus.

• Japan’s presentation culture is modern and tech-rich, but often slide-heavy.

• Slides and videos should stay only if they directly strengthen the main point.

• Persuasion works best when attention centers on the speaker—not the screen.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese companies (日本企業, Japanese companies) and multinational firms (外資系企業, multinational/foreign-affiliated companies) ever since.