The Sakura Strategy: How Speakers Should Handle the First Question in Japan

In Australian politics, they call it a Dorothy Dixer — a staged question lobbed gently to a Minister so they can deliver a perfectly rehearsed answer. Japan has its own version: the Sakura, the planted audience member used to get things moving, protect the speaker, or redirect the conversation.

I get asked to be a Sakura often because I have become notorious for asking the first question at business events. Over time, this tiny piece of behaviour has taught me a great deal about audience psychology, cultural nuance, and the invisible choreography behind a smooth Q&A.

And here is the point:
Knowing how to manage the first question can make or break the energy, flow, and perception of your presentation.

Mini-summary:
The “first question” isn’t a question — it’s a strategic event that shapes audience psychology, especially in Japan.

In Japan, when the MC opens the floor for questions, something predictable happens:

• Silence.

• Eyes drop.

• No one wants to go first.

This silence is deadly for the speaker because it communicates:

• The talk was boring

• No one cares

• No one wants more from you

This is rarely true — it’s simply cultural conditioning at work. Asking a question here has heavy implied meanings:

1. The speaker wasn’t clear

2. The speaker wasn’t good

3. You’re not smart enough to understand

4. You’re showing off

5. Or… you genuinely want to learn

Only one of these five is positive, so no wonder people hesitate.

This is why speakers need a strategy.

Mini-summary:
Silence in Japan doesn’t mean disengagement — it means cultural pressure. But the perception of failure is real unless someone breaks the ice.

Years ago, I had a question, raised my hand… and the MC abruptly said:

“No more questions.”

It hit me instantly:

• I can’t predict the last question

• But I can always predict the first

And because in Japan there is always a hesitation gap, I could dominate that space and guarantee my question got through.

Now it’s a running joke — if I don’t ask the first question, people assume something is wrong.

Organisers eventually began approaching me:

“Greg, can you get things started please?”

Why?

Because the MC and the speaker dread that silent gap.
It is seen as a failure — even when it’s not.

Mini-summary:
Being the first to speak is easy if you understand the cultural hesitation. This creates an opening that speakers can use strategically.

Short answer:
You can — but only with strict rules.

Here is when it is acceptable:

• The Sakura breaks the ice

• The Sakura unlocks a shy audience

• The Sakura opens a topic you didn’t have time to cover

• The Sakura asks a legitimate, meaningful question

Here is when it is NOT acceptable:

• To dodge real questions

• To eat up time with fluff

• To inflate your ego

• To stage a ridiculous “why are you such a global genius?” softball

A Sakura is not there to save you from being unprepared.
It is there to help the session flow and to give nervous audiences permission to participate.

Mini-summary:
A Sakura is fine — but only when used to serve the audience, not to protect your ego.

If the MC calls for questions and the silence becomes suffocating, you can use this elegant escape hatch:

“A question I am often asked is…”

You pose the question.
You answer it.
You unlock the room.

After that, someone in the audience inevitably gains courage and follows your lead.

This technique:

• Saves the energy

• Saves your reputation

• Reframes the silence

• Reopens curiosity

The audience gets moving again.
You avoid dying onstage.

Mini-summary:
If the silence becomes unbearable, ask and answer your own question — it restarts the room without losing face.

• A “first question” is a strategic cue, not a random moment.

• Silence in Japan is cultural, not a reflection of your presentation quality.

• A Sakura is acceptable if the question is legitimate and not ego-driven.

• Never use a Sakura to dodge difficult questions.

• Break the silence by asking and answering your own question.

• Managing Q&A professionally elevates your authority and perceived competence.

• The speaker must always be in control of the energy — from open to close, including the Q&A.

Founded in 1912 in the United States, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and organisations worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentations, communication, people skills, executive coaching and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, continues to serve Japanese and multinational companies with world-class training solutions.